Malay Day: Malaysian Cuisine at Little Nyonya

Since the term nyonya refers to the women of Chinese communities in Malaysia and Singapore, pretend with me for a second that Little Nyonya, the restaurant, is an actual woman. She’d be the kind of gal you could take home to meet your mom: reliable and demure, not the most glamorous, but someone you can settle down with. She does, after all, know how to cook.

Her know-how was most evident in the splendid red curry chicken (RMB 42), which teasingly alternated between sweet and spicy on the tongue. It was the clear highlight of the meal. The mild curry chicken (RMB 42) was good, but it lacked the pizzazz of the red curry.

Chicken rice (RMB 40) is done the Malay way, roasted not steamed. This version may not pack the same flavorful punch as that of vendors in Malaysia or Singapore, but it’s still an enjoyable dish. Another iconic dish from the region, curry laksa mee (RMB 40), started out thinner than I would have liked, but the flavors eventually came together toward the bottom of the bowl. On the vegetable front, sambal kangkong, a heaping plate of water spinach (kongxin cai 空心菜) with sambal chilli sauce and fried shallots, (RMB 36) is a must.

Little Nyonya’s sweet personality comes through in her traditional Malaysian desserts. Cubes of soft taro and sweet potato make bubor cha-cha a heartier dessert, while the sago pudding is wonderful in small doses.

If you’re a downtown dweller who can’t handle the long-distance relationship with a Shunyi-based restaurant, Little Nyonya has an older sister in Wangjing.

Standout dishes: Red curry chicken, sambal kangkong

Also try: Malacca Legend, Nyonya Kitchen

Little Nyonya 小娘惹 Daily 11.30am-9.30pm. 2/F, Riviera Mall, 5 Laiguangying Donglu, Chaoyang District (8470 2541) 朝阳区来广营东路5号尚古成2层 (香江广场东侧)

Click here to see the May issue of the Beijinger in full.

Photo: Judy Zhou