Along Bishop Street (Lebuh Bishop) just next to The Whiteaways Arcade, Auntie Gaik Lean’s Old School Eatery is a Nyonya restaurant in George Town’s heritage area.
As this restaurant was refurbished from colonial-era buildings, the dining section is quite spacious, very unlike those newly developed commercial lots which are miserably narrow.
The Nyonya food menu is quite similar to Chinese dishes, with some assimilation of local Malay cuisine (for example, more liberal use of curries). There is also a section for Ang Mo Chiak (Western food) for Westerners who fear of venturing into uncharted territories.
In addition, set lunch is available for RM11.90. The menu changes on a daily basis. We opted for this set lunch today, which comprises of Curry Kapitan, Spring Roll, Omelet, Stirfry Potato Leaves, rice and Chrysanthemum drink.
The Curry Kapitan is a highly recommended chicken curry dish. The chicken is braised perfectly with the coconut milk-rich curry broth. The broth is not too spicy compared to Malay curry, yet very flavorful and tasty indeed.
The Spring Roll comes in three pieces and is deep-fried with batter coating. The ingredients inside are crunchy to each bite.
As for the Stirfry Potato Leaves, the dish is prepared through light frying and quite little oil, therefore preserving the natural goodness of the vegetable leaves. The vegetable is served over a banana leaf for aesthetic purpose.
The Omelet is reasonable in terms of taste and presentation. Fried with onions, the egg is then garnished with some shredded bell peppers.
Finally, the meal is also served with a heap of rice and a slice of raw tomato.
As for the Chrysanthemum drink, it is only mildly sweet much to my preference. This is definitely the healthier way to go too.
Out dining experience at Auntie Gaik Lean’s is pleasant and we definitely recommend this restaurant if you are looking for a downtown Nyonya restaurant.