A league of its own: PJ's Sri Nyonya maintains its excellence with classic dishes like 'perut ikan' and 'ju hu char'

PETALING JAYA, April 16 – Arriving at the single row of shops in a quiet, sleepy part of Seksyen 22, you might be surprised to find a dining experience that dives headfirst into Nyonya flavours and history.

Weeknights on this street are usually dead quiet, unless a casket shop, barbershop and 99 Speedmart are your kind of vibe.

In the midst of this stands Sri Nyonya, a yellow-walled shop with bright-red signage that’s partially obscured by some overgrown houseplants on the first floor.

The storefront of Sri Nyonya.

The restaurant dates back to 1986, the year a boyish Tom Cruise first felt the need for speed, though it has been in its current location since 2005.

A family-run restaurant, they serve Penang Nyonya dishes "how Ah Mah used to make it”, with traditional specialities like ju hu char and perut ikan.

The interior is charming in a simple, old manner.

Inside, the walls are dotted with paintings of old houses and family portraits, a piano sits in the corner and there’s a dark wooden cabinet that really makes you feel like you’re in someone’s house.

You’ve heard of rendang, and you’ve probably heard of beef tendon, but I doubt you’ve ever had beef tendon rendang (RM40). I’ve never tasted or even heard of beef tendon cooked in rendang but my goodness, each mouthful is gelatinous, slightly sweet and spicy and delightful.

From the left: 'kerabu lemak sayur paku', beef tendon 'rendang', otak-otak and some killer 'sambal belacan' at the bottom.

Kerabu lemak sayur paku (RM35) and otak-otak (RM15) are a little more familiar, with the former spicy, sweet and sharp while the latter is fragrant, delicately spiced and impeccably mousse-like in texture.

The meal was off to a good start, but it was about to get even better.

I love my grandmother, and I love her cooking, but I’ve never been a big fan of ju hu char the way she makes it.

Life-changing 'ju hu char' on the left and fried 'assam' prawns on the right.

The version at Sri Nyonya (RM35) is dark, aggressively caramelised and smoky from the wok hei, and each spoonful contains glorious bits of sweet, crunchy jicama and is intensely savoury.

I’m not sure I can fully articulate how much of a groundbreaking moment this was for me – I’ve always avoided this dish but I can eat this one every day and still want more.

The fried assam prawns (RM48) was bold and punchy with delicate and sweet flesh inside, but the best part has to be sucking on the shell for all that assam goodness.

Perut ikan (RM35) is a dish I had never tried before, and the bowl of dark reddish-brown gravy filled with various vegetables and thin slices of fermented fish stomach was pungent, tart and great over white rice.

Last on the seemingly endless number of mains we ordered is another Nyonya staple: chicken kapitan (RM30). The rich, creamy and aromatic curry had a beautiful yellowish-orange hue and was enriched with the unmistakable taste of santan, kunyit (turmeric) and serai (lemongrass).

Ladled over tender pieces of chicken, it’s a fitting way to close out the mains and move toward desserts.

Booze-filled scoops of ice cream to end the night.

A scoop each of rum and raisin (RM18) and fig and ginger (RM18) ice cream isn’t strictly traditional, but it is an intensely boozy (the latter’s figs are macerated in Cointreau) way to conclude the meal.

For something a little closer to home, bubur pulut hitam (RM9) with santan served on the side is sweet, soft and rich... the taste equivalent of a warm bed.

The intensely rich and creamy 'bubur pulut hitam.'

A night at Sri Nyonya is a trip to some place, some time, that I’m much too young to recognise or remember, but am grateful to get a glimpse of anyway.

It’s on the old-fashioned side of things, sure, but "how Ah Mah used to make it” will rekindle your interest in some of the old ways as you roll your way home, undoubtedly content to the fullest.

Sri Nyonya Restaurant

14, Jalan 22/49, Seksyen 22, Petaling Jaya, Selangor

Open Tuesday to Sunday, 12pm-2.30pm, 6pm-9.30pm. Closed on Monday.

Tel: 011-6565 1031

Facebook: @restoransrinyonya/

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