Restoran Nonya Suan

This is the 3rd time we are visiting Nonya Suan and we love the convenience of making a reservation directly with the owner Vincent via watsapp. The decor of the restaurant is very simple and traditional but cosy at the same time. Each time during our visit, the place is always packed with locals and tourist. As this is one of the few Peranakan restaurant which has no pork no lard, you have a fair stream of Malay customers as well.

The order process is very efficient where you will be handed an order sheet with some pictures of their popular dishes and the prices of each dish in both English and Chinese. Once you are done with your selection, the servers will reconfirm your orders with you and you will just have to wait for the food next.

We were starving so we ordered a table full of food!

The chicken Rendang is one of the recommended dish for the restaurant. Different from the Malay chicken Rendang, the gravy for this Nonya version is slightly more watery and has a slight tangy taste to it. Definitely less spicy than the Malay counterpart, this is suitable for people with mild chili tolerance. The gravy goes very well with rice.

This prawn pineapple curry ( Udang Lemak Nanas ) is also one of the most popular dishes in the restaurant. The gravy has a light coconuty taste which is very fragrant and the pineapples in the dish balances out the heaviness of the coconut milk to create the perfect symphony of sweet, sour, creamy and spicy. The prawns are generally fresh and medium in size although this trip the prawn were slightly mushy and flaky and I gave feedback to the owner who promised to look into it.

This is first time we tried this dish – Ikan Gerang Nonya. Price of this dish is dependent on market rate. We ordered half a fish which is at MYR 48 where the whole fish is at MYR 90. The fish was extremely fresh and the meat was tender and juicy. The gravy on top of the fish was very delicious with an assam tangy and savoury taste. The fried shallots added to the texture and taste of the gravy. There were some small fine bones for this fish so care should be taken for children or elderly.

The sotong tempre which is basically squid in dark sauce was a disappointment. The squid is quite chewy and bland and did not get the sauce incorporated.

The nonya chap chye ( braised stir-fry cabbage ) was well cooked with the right softness of the cabbage and the sweetness of the cabbage itself incorporated into the gravy itself. The dish was well seasoned and not too salty unlike other versions i have tried.

Sambal (Dried shrimp chilli paste) kangkong is a dish you can find in many stalls. Most versions found in other stir-fry stalls are either too spicy or too salty. I like the one from Nonya Suan as the sambal used is very fragrant and despite the spiciness, you can still taste the dried shrimp in the sambal. The kangkong is not overcooked and crunchy to the bite.

The chinchalok (fermented shrimp) omelette had lots of spring onion scattered throughout which is a turn-off for people who do not like spring onions. We could not taste any chincalok from the omelette which should have been the highlight of this dish. Without the chincalok, this is just a very basic fried omelette.

The Otak (grilled fish paste) is very dry and just so disappointing. The texture and taste was slight burnt and we did not eat this beyond the first bite.

Lastly to finish off the meal and curb the spiciness burning of the tongue, we had to order the Chendol. A must- have dessert when you are in Malacca. The gula melaka (brown coconut sugar) was silky and aromatic and the coconut milk was fresh and delectable. A great dessert to complete the meal.

My recommended dishes to order:

Udang Lemak Nanas
Chicken or Beef Rendang
Ikan Gerang Nonya
Nonya Chap Chye or Sambal Kangkong
Chendol
Chicken Ponteng ( I have tried this on my other visits and this dish is quite good too)