Nyonya Review
Located on Grand Street, just north of Manhattan’s Chinatown, Nyonya serves up a flavorful Malaysian experience. Nyonya, which means “lady” in Malay, proudly claims to introduce Americans to authentic flavors which it imports from Malaysia like Galangal and ginger flower. I believe that Nyonya achieves their goal of acquainting ignorant Americans like myself with quality Malaysian dishes. Walking into this dimly lit restaurant, I immediately was confronted by an exposed brick interior and loud chatter in the background so I assumed that the restaurant would offer a modern twist to traditional dishes. Happily, I was mistaken. While the outer appearance of the restaurant may be modern, its inner soul is of a mom-and-pop shop.
With over two million Malaysians of Indian descent living in Malaysia, Indian cuisine has become the country’s staple with Roti Canai arguably the most famous type of this food. While crispy, unfortunately, there is not much to chew as Nyonya serves its roti so thin that it is almost transparent. However, the flavor within this tiny serving packs a powerful punch. Nyonya serves its roti with a chicken curry that has a very comforting flavor with supremely tender chicken that is not unique to Nyonya. What a great dish to start off my meal!
Found anywhere in Southeast Asia where Chinese immigrants live, Hainanese Chicken is an extremely popular dish and was my absolute favorite of the night. Served cold, which may sound unappetizing to most Americans, this almost refreshing dish is a cannot miss. The chicken was soft and silky with an almost bouncy chew. The sambal (a chili sauce) served on the side provided a bright and slightly fruity spice. And the soy sauce poured on top added a slight hint of umami. The best part of this dish was the chicken breast. So clean and juicy, it fully soaked up the flavor of the sauce and the marinade.
Popular at Hawker Stalls in Penang, Malaysia, Prawn Mee is a hearty noodle soup. While slurping some of the soup, the flavor of shrimp heads and fish sauce immediately hit me. The fish sauce provided a deep and lingering flavor that coated my mouth. Garlic and chili were also prominent fixtures of flavor. The thick broth had an umami but earthy taste, while the noodles were supple and thick. The shrimp was super flavorful and clean, not at all too fishy. Also, the thin slices of pork were fatty but also had an almost overwhelming flavor of garlic.
To finish off the meal on a sweet note, I ordered Pulut Hitan and Chendol. Widely eaten in Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia, Pulut Hitan is a black, glutinous rice porridge mixed with coconut milk and palm sugar. Served hot, the dish had a very unique flavor. The coconut milk provided a caramel flavor while the rice husk gave it a mild crunch and texture change. Although no corn is added, I tasted the essence of corn flavor so much so that, combined with the color of the dish, it definitely reminded me of Chicha Morada, a Peruvian purple corn drink. Although this dish was not my personal favorite, I could tell that it could definitely become an acquired taste. Commonly found all over Southeast Asia, Chendol is a dish that combines shaved ice, palm sugar, coconut milk, pandan jelly, and red bean, and Nyonya’s version is fantastic. The ice was extremely fluffy and smooth. While the first flavor to hit me was the palm sugar syrup, the earthy flavor of the red bean quickly crept up and cut the sweetness of the syrup. Finally, the sweet pandan aroma completed this nearly perfect bite. I highly recommend this dish to anyone.
While Nyonya provides an excellent introduction to people who are new to Malaysian cuisine, this restaurant also delights those who are deeply familiar with it. I strongly suggest dining at Nyonya with a group of friends so you can sample many different dishes at a relatively cheap price.