I was recommended to try Nenijee’s Nyonya Kitchen in Melaka, after I wrote about Aunty Ling’s Nyonya Cendol recently. The people who suggested this are relatives of Aunty Ling’s owner so naturally, I had higher expectation.
Clean and cosy ambiance at Nenijee’s Nyonya Kitchen
We were visiting Melaka with our family, so Jien and I decided to see if the food at Nenijee’s Nyonya Kitchen was any good. The restaurant is just a few minutes away from the Ayer Keroh toll so we made a pitstop for an early lunch before heading to our accommodation in town.
Melaka isn’t very big so it takes about 10-15 minutes to get to Nenijee’s Nyonya Kitchen from town, by the way. We arrived 10 minutes before they opened at 11am and were the first customers of the day. Even then, we had to wait a little for our food to arrive so expect to wait a bit for your food during peak hours.
Prior to our arrival, I had already pre-ordered the dishes we wanted to try to reduce waiting time. I suggest you do the same. We ordered Nenijee’s pongteh, gerang asam fish, Nyonya chap chye and lemak prawn with pineapple – all of which are a household staple since Jien’s parents are Melaka-Peranakans.
Lemak prawn with pineapple
Prawns were fresh, plump and sweet
The lemak prawn (RM24.80 – small) was was sweet from the pineapples and coconut milk, with a mild spiciness at the end. Prawns were relatively fresh too, which is a plus point. I enjoyed the gerang asam fish (RM28.80 – small) as it’s tangy and refreshing but Jien wasn’t too happy about this dish as he felt it wasn’t spicy enough.
Gerang asam fish
I reckon his opinion has more grounds than mine since he grew up eating this dish at home. Pretty sure my in-laws would echo the same sentiment if they were eating with us. Nenijee’s Nyonya Kitchen uses mackerel for their gerang asam, which has a savoury flavour overall.
Mrs Cha Chye
Mrs Cha Chye (RM10 – small) is decent – savoury and sweet with a good amount of beancurd sheets, black fungus and glass noodles. They add a bit of chopped shrimp on top too. Overall, this tastes similar to the one my mother in-law cooks at home. The kids enjoyed this, especially MA.
Nenijee’s pongteh
I like that they use both chicken and pork belly, as the latter adds flavour to the dish
Nenijee’s pongteh (RM18.80 – small) is a must-order, I feel. This one checks all the boxes of a good Nyonya pongteh – a good dose of tauchu (fermented soy bean paste)shallots and garlic so it’s savoury and hearty. We all liked that it’s thick and rich, similar to what we eat at home. Plus, chicken and pork belly are used – our favourite meat combination when it comes to pongteh. The sambal belacan packs a good kick too.
Nenijee’s cendol
For dessert, we had the cendol (RM5.50 per bowl) as I was told Nenijee’s Nyonya Kitchen does it “as good” as Aunty Ling. The cendol strands are similar and the braised red beans are tasty, but I prefer the Gula Melaka flavour at Aunty Ling’s. Nenijee’s version is a tad heavy so I couldn’t quite taste the pandan flavour in the cendol strands.
Thick and rich coconut milk, chewy cendol strands. You can choose to add more Gula Melaka but that would be “potong kaki” sweet.
Still, it was a solid bowl of cendol. But since a claim was made by the owners of Nenijee’s Nyonya Kitchen, a comparison had to be done. 🙂 Our bill was slightly over RM100 for all the above.
Lunch for 3 adults and 2 kids (plus a toddler)
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Ambiance: 6.5/10
Price: 6.5/10
Food: 6.5/10 (non-halal)
Verdict: Try Nenijee’s pongteh and lemak prawn with pineapple. And make stomach space for the cendol.
Do you have a food recommendation? Tell us!
Nenijee's Mrs. Kitchen
27, Lower Level,
Jalan Takh 15,
Ayer Keroh Heights Park
1, Ayer Keroh,
75450 Melaka.
Tel: 011-1628 8351
Business hours: 11am till 3pm, 5pm till 8.30pm
(closed Tuesday)
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