Nyonya Restaurant @ SS2, Petaling Jaya

Located at the heart of PJ, SS2 is Nyonya Restaurant – a three decades old and pork free restaurant serving authentic baba nyonya cuisine since 1974. Although the current owner is the fourth, changes have been minimal and the dishes are still faithfully prepared according to the original chef’s recipes.

I like to start off my Nyonya meal with spicy seafood hence Sambal Udang Petai @ RM15.50 is always a must-order-dish. What I liked the most about this dish of the day is the sea-caught prawns, which were really fresh and also decently sized. The sambal has a paste like consistency so the flavor and spiciness are nicely concentrated. Simply the perfect dish to be had with rice.

The Beef Rendang @ RM15 does not look too appealing on photo but that’s really my fault actually. Being my second favorite dish of the entire meal, it was cooked slowly to ensure the tender beef slices could fully absorb the spicy condiments. I highly recommend this dish, as you will certainly not be disappointed by its fragrant and flavorful taste.

Mengkuang Char @ RM12 is a typical homey dish that can be whipped up easily alright. But it is quite uncommon for this dish to have ‘wok hei’, you gotta try it to know what I mean.

Tamarind juice and homemade blend of spice give the Ikan Gulai Tumis @ RM25 an appetizing taste. This traditional Nyonya dish features a classical mix of sweet, sour and spicy flavors, also a great a accompaniment to rice.
Ikan Jenahak or also known as Silver Snapper has a smooth, springy texture and is usually used to make good curry dishes. So it is no surprise this delicious fish is used here. Personally I felt the spiciness is very mild so non-spicy eaters can enjoy it with a peace of mind.

I only have one complaint about the Ence Kabin @ RM14, which was the chicken breast meat’s toughness. I am not sure if the Nyonya Fried Chicken could be ordered in drumstick or thigh portions only, because these two parts were the most tender and juiciest of all. The seasoning was just right though, not so salty compared to the other counterparts.

Sayur Paku @ RM12 can be ordered in the lemak version, where coconut milk would be added to make it more delicious and also having a thicker consistency in the gravy. Some sayur paku I had before were not prepared properly so they were actually hard and tasted quite raw. Here they are nicely cooked while still retaining the sayur paku’s crunchy characteristics, very enjoyable.

Sadly, the Otak-Otak @ RM4.50/piece did not impress much despite having generous amount of fish meat at the bottom layer. I felt the otak-otak would taste better if the level of spiciness could be adjusted to much higher.

Mee Siam @ RM7.50 was not bad, best enjoyed hot before the noodles get too dry.

A variety of traditional Nyoya kueh and desserts like Bubur Cha Cha, Cendol, Sago Gula Melaka are available here and their prices are competitive to those sold at hawker stalls.

Among all, the Onde-onde (pandan flavored balls filled with Gula Melaka then rolled in grated coconut) was the nicest and cheap too at RM0.30 a piece.

The restaurant interior has a bright and cheerful feel decorated with colorful Nyonya arts.

Overall the food at Nyonya Restaurant is good but I was a little disappointed with their desserts, not sweet enough in my opinion (I have a sweet tooth) But then again I think that is not a big issue, as the main dishes should be the main selling point. And I don’t think they will have a problem convincing the customers their Nyonya dishes are good.

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