Auntie Gaik Lean's Old School Eatery: A MICHELIN-Starred Restaurant in Penang (Malaysia) Serving Amazing Peranakan Food!

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This article is part of the Penang Food Trip series. Check out the installments in this series: Auntie Gaik Lean’s Old School Eatery (MICHELIN-Starred Peranakan Restaurant) | Hameediyah Restaurant (Nasi Kandar) | Kafe Ping Hooi and Tiger Char Koay Teow (Traditional Coffee Shop with Popular Char Kway Teow) | Penang Road Famous Laksa and Teochew Chendul | Sister Curry Mee (Curry Noodles)

Since I first visited Malaysia back in 2018, I’ve been wanting to visit Penang. It’s a state north of Kuala Lumpur, and is considered the food capital of the nation. And last month, I had the opportunity to explore it, particularly its capital George Town. So I’m starting a Penang Food Trip series, starting with Auntie Gaik Lean’s Old School Eatery.

Named after its female owner and chef, Auntie Gaik Lean’s Old School Eatery is a one MICHELIN-starred Peranakan restaurant. It’s the first in Malaysia and the second in the world, with Singapore’s Candlenut being the first one. But unlike Candlenut that serves a modern interpretation of Peranakan dishes, Auntie Gaik Lean’s Old School Eatery offers traditional recipes. (To the uninitiated, a Peranakan refers to a people group with Chinese and Malay heritage. So imagine the blend of its cuisines and flavors!)

Intermission: Are you planning a Penang trip soon? Can’t decide what activities to do yet? Then check out the activities in Klook!

Auntie Gaik Lean’s earned its first star in 2023, and is one out of the four one MICHELIN Star awardees in Kuala Lumpur and Penang. So is it deserving of its star? We went there to find out.

Aunty Gaik Lean’s Old School Eatery was awarded with 1-MICHELIN Star in 2023 and 2024

Auntie Gaik Lean’s is housed inside a former jewelry store. It has a modern Peranakan interior with a predominantly blue motif.

Auntie Gaik Lean’s Old School Eatery is located in a former jewelry store

Inside Aunty Gaik Lean’s Old School Eatery

Let’s now talk about the food, starting with Pie Tee (Top Hats) to whet our appetites. More commonly called as Kueh Pie Tee, this Peranakan dish made with a crispy shell formed like a cup and filled with Chinese turnips, among many others ingredients. Auntie Gaik Lean’s version has a thin, crisp shell with a very tasty (or magical!) filling. It comes with a sweet and tangy dip which elevates every bite.

This is easily one of my favorite items in Auntie Gaik Lean’s! With this as a start, I already knew that we’ll have a fantastic meal!

Next dish we had is the Nyonya Beef Rendang (beef stewed in coconut milk and spices). It’s so flavorful and not too spicy, which I like. It’s also made with Australian black angus beef, which is why the beef chunks are so tender!

We also had the Curry Kapitan. Literally “captain curry”, this dish is a chicken curry flavored with candlenuts, galangal, and kaffir lime leaves.

Its chicken pieces are tender, drenched in a flavorful and rightly spicy curry. I also like that the curry is thin.

Another Auntie Gaik Lean’s specialty we tried is the Nasi Ulam, which is made of rice (nasi) hand-tossed with more than ten kinds of herbs (or ulam, which can also refer to vegetables). It’s fluffy and herby (I can taste basil, mint, and parsley; I hope I got it right LOL), with a crunch from the galangal (I belive) and shallots. It comes with a sambal that has salted fish and is really spicy.

To wash down all the good food, we got the Lemonade, which is like a sweet and tart slushie, and Nutmeg Punch, which sweet, tart, and spiced. Both are really refreshing, especially in the Penang heat!

Left to Right: Nutmeg Punch and Lemonade

To finish our meal, we got the Sago Gula Melaka or tapioca pearls with coconut milk and palm sugar. It has a nice caramel taste.

So is Auntie Gaik Lean Old School Eatery deserving of its MICHELIN Star? Absolutely! All the dishes we had were superb. We could really feel the love that auntie Gaik Lean has poured into every dish. I’m certain that other dishes are topnotch as well.

But more than the amazing food, there are other factors that add to the experience. First is their attention to detail. We love how they thought of the dinnerware (each dish has its unique plate, and every plate has a beautiful design) and the interior.

Second is their hospitality. We were seated right away (we went on a Thursday and arrived at 2PM) and the food was served quickly (the first item came in less than five minutes, if I remember right). Plus, auntie Gaik Lean’s son, Adrian Tan, who runs the business with his mother, was really friendly and even engaged us in a conversation.

Needless to say, I highly recommend Auntie Gaik Lean’s Old School Eatery to you! This will easily end up in the top restaurants I tried for 2024!

Address: 1 Bishop Street, George Town, Penang, Malaysia | Operating Hours: Wednesday-Sunday, 12:00-2:30PM & 6:00-9:30PM | Contact No.: +60 17-434 4398 | Facebook | Instagram

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