Auntie Gaik Lean's Old School Eatery

Fabulous experience! We randomly asked our Grab driver if he could recommend a delicious place for lunch and he suggested this one. He said not all the queue is very long but we went after the lunch rush and only waited maybe 5 minutes for the staff to clean the table (win). We had no idea it was a Michelin star restaurant and we were definitely impressed! Food is well priced and the portion is great. Definitely recommended if you’re looking for something tasty!

What an unforgettable meal! We love traveling and exploring local restaurants wherever we go, and this place easily ranks among the best we’ve ever tried. The atmosphere is beautiful, clean, and welcoming — the perfect setting for an exceptional dining experience. The food was incredibly fresh and flavorful. Every ingredient shone through, enhanced by rich, layered sauces and expert cooking techniques. We ordered the octopus, curry beef, prawns, fried chicken, and spinach — and every single dish was outstanding. Each bite left us wanting more. At first, we thought we might have over-ordered, as it was just the two of us and our child, but the food was so delicious we ended up finishing everything — down to the very last drop of sauce. This is the kind of meal I know I’ll miss for the rest of my life

We had high expectations for a one star Michelin restaurant, but unfortunately the taste didn’t suit our Asian palette. We felt that majority of the dishes have taste that has been mellowed down to suit westerners, perhaps to cater to their spice tolerance. There are however 2 dishes which left a good impression, namely Nasi Ulam and sambal prawn. The former had a unique herb aroma which surprisingly pairs really well with the salted fish. The sambal prawn is fresh, although the sambal is not spicy, the aroma is still good. The coffee was great too. If you dont like stingray, don’t go for curry tumis, the curry has a watery consistency which does not cling well to the tad slimy texture skin of the stingray. Taste is subjective, but we still want to give credit for the good service experienced, waiters were prompt in service and the queue system was easy and well managed.

Overall it was okay. Had high expectations as it was shown everywhere it was a michelin guide restaurant. Favourite dish would be the kam heong prawns. Curry portion was really big but it was okay. Dessert was good

The food was okay, but unfortunately it didn’t live up to the hype or the expectations for a Michelin-starred restaurant. While the presentation was fine and the flavors were decent, nothing truly stood out or felt memorable. The drinks, however, were very good. Also we had to wait about 40 minutes to get seated. The price was quite high by Malaysian standards, though as a European, it was still okay. Overall, it was an average dining experience at a premium price, and I left feeling underwhelmed.

A true taste of heritage! The Nasi Ulam stole the show 😻 … this fragrant herb rice isn’t just a side, it’s the star. So flavourful, layered with textures and traditional herbs, it needs no sambal belacan to shine (though it pairs beautifully too). Every bite felt like a tribute to the past. Loved the crispy Kueh Pie Tee, tender Chicken Rendang, flavour-packed Assam Stingray with ladies fingers (if only nanas - pineapple were in there too - it will be so perfect), and classic Lok Bak. Each dish was lovingly prepared, rich with tradition and soul. No wonder Aunty Gaik Lean’s has earned her Michelin star — not once, but 3 times! Well worth the queue & visit.

This is my first restaurant I put in my list when I plan my Penang trip, and yes I follow Michelin, after I made my reservation, I only start to read review in google, and instantly I felt like wanted to cancel my booking, but anyway I continue. I really didn’t put high expectation due to Google review, fortunately it turns out out of our expectation, dishes are not as bad as they described. I’m not a nyonya people, but my parents in laws are, they both said that’s the old taste they miss for long time, I guess every nyonya has their own family taste, and it’s really depends on individual. Overall we are satisfied.

Worth a Michelin star? Not so sure, but definitely worth visiting. Most of the dishes we ordered were delicious. My favourite was the Kangkung Sambal, which had prawns in it. The Nasi Ulam was also good, but I'm not so sure whether it should be served that cold. The fried chicken was overcooked and the fried prawns did not really work for me. The dishes did not come at the same time, where we almost finished the first 2 before the rest came. Service could really be improved. The dessert with the glutinous rice was good, the other one much less because of the bug chuncks of sweet potatoes. Overall a nice dinner.

Auntie Gaik is a one Michelin Star restaurant in Penang. Their one star dish is the Nasi Ulam which got the one star. Their Nasi Ulam is rice tossed salty fish and different herb. There a Malaysia veggie cut in thin slice is part of the herb. It was delicious. We got several dish recommended by the restaurant. We got the curry kapitan. This is a curry chicken with a lot of spice. The second dish is the Terung Sambal. This is a sambal with eggplant. It is a sweet chili sauce. The third dish is the Curry Tumis with sting ray fish. This is a good curry. We also has the appetizer as a combo plater. This dish has 4 items you can try. The name of the plater is baba delight. Since I am Malaysian, those dishes are not surprising to me. Overall is just good but not in great level. A bit pricey too.

The peranakan food here is so unique that you HAVE to come and try! After being treated to the food here while on a business trip years ago, I knew I had to return when I visit the next time with my family. And so we did and didn't regret it. First and most important tip: make your reservation months in advance! I'm serious. We enjoyed everything we ordered. From the assam prawn to inchi kabin, and nasi ulam to nutmeg punch. The restaurant is nicely decorated and definitely tells you that this is a place for special occasions. It does get a little loud due to how packed the restaurant can get since it is a popular place.

Tried this trendy place in downtown George Town in Penang. This place has been singled out as one of two places in Penang with 1 Michelin Star. Be prepared to wait if you don't have a reservation. We arrived about 10-15 min before opening for dinner and waited about 1 hour of 2 spots at a shared communal tables. We tried the spicy eggplant, curry chicken,tamarind shrimp , and their famous fried rice dish. We also tried both the nutmeg and almond drinks. Delicious local heritage food, beautiful ambience, very friendly and helpful staff , and very affordable for high quality michelin started food. After tax and service, everything was only ~$40!

I've been here twice, the second time was for an event where we got to try almost everything on the menu. It's fantastic, it really is, but I'm still not sure it deserves a Michelin star. Who knows what kind of politics go into these things. The staff is great as well, and the post-Michelin renovation makes for a lovely ambiance. My favorite items are probably the fried chicken and the assam prawns. Their nutmeg juice is fresh and not as syrupy-sweet as others in town. It can be hard to get reservations here now and they are pretty much a must. If you can't get in, know there are other equally good Peranakan restaurants in Penang.

We didn't have a bad meal in Penang but Auntie Gaik Lean's was the best. Everything was super delicious - including the drinks. Service is very quick once you order. You'll definitely want to make a reservation, which is easy and available online.

Top notch experience. Everything we ordered on menu was delicious. Service was excellent. Ambiance is perfect for experience. Prices very reasonable for quality. This is a place to check out.

The food tastes delicious, service was exceptional. I wish I would have made it earlier , because I came just before the kitchen was closing. Didn't get to order other dishes.

The fish curry was delicious, full of flavor, and the fish was so fresh! The acar, nasi ulam, and sambal terung were also fragrantly fresh and pleasing to our taste buds. Add their beautiful decor and ambiance, we were so glad we decided to dine here, and we will definitely come back for more!

Hearing about this restaurant through the Michelin guide got me very intrigued, as having such a niche cuisine land a star is relatively uncommon. However, the food was good and the ambiance was great. The building and area has a lot of history, and since I have been eating Peranakan food since I was a kid, it is definitely one of my favourite cuisines. The restaurant is air conditioned and very pretty inside, and located in town. We ordered 3 dishes for two people, and it was definitely enough food. We ordered the nasi ulam, inche kabin, and kerabu kacang botol. All of the dishes were delicious, except the food was just the slightest bit too salty - 8/10 overall. It is not that I don't think this restaurant deserves a michelin star, I just feel there are better restaurants in Penang that serve this type of cuisine, hence the four star review. Nevertheless, the prices here are quite reasonable (under 100 rm for all) especially for tourists.

The best Peranakan food i've had. Totally authentic. Many spices were used to prepare each dish. Everything was so fresh and so delicious! We had the Capitan Chicken, Sambal Egg Plant and Nasi Ulam. Die die mist try!

brinjal in cili is terrific, along with the herbal rice and ayam rendang... portions are small so could have ordered more. the nutmeg punch is nice and isn't overly sweet, and same for the taro&banana in coconut milk dessert. by the way, a few days ago they were awarded a Michelin star

When it happened that both Yelper Tzeko M. and I will be in Penang the same weekend, he volunteered to organize a UYE for Yelpers in Penang. Thank you Tzeko! Our party of six (including Yelpers John Q., Ping L. and her two cousins) were comfortably seated at a rectangle table. The place is decent sized and has both smaller tables and big round tables for bigger groups or families. It was not very crowded when we were there for lunch on a Saturday though there were big groups of families who came in shortly after us. The service was prompt and polite. The Peranakan dishes we had were all very good. assam prawns - love the tamarind taste and sweetness of the prawns. (RM 20 for 6 pieces, we had 2 plates of this) fish curry - a huge portion with both fish head and body. I love how the okra are not cooked together so they are not a big mush though I like that version too. angmo tau yu fried chicken - it just means worcestershire sauce when referring to angmo tau yu. I like the taste of this fried chicken. Juicy and and full of flavor. Winged beans - love the crunchiness of the winged beans. chicken rendang - my least favorite as maybe I am used to beef rendang. The bill came to around RM 240 for 6 dishes and 6 drinks. I am not sure if it is considered a bit on the high side for locals but for tourists with a stronger currency, it is definitely very affordable. I love how the names of the dishes are as spoken in Penang (in Malay, Hokkien and English) and that they do not try to anglicize it or use the English equivalent. The description will be in English though so no worries about eating strange sounding food. E.g. Kiam Chai Ark (salted vegetables duck soup) Assam Hae (stir fried tamarind prawns) Sambal Udang (sambal prawn with cucumber) Prawns in 2 languages (hae in Hokkien and udang in Malay) This place is a good choice for an introduction to Peranakan food in an air-conditioned restaurant setting right in the financial center of Georgetown heritage area. It offers a respite from the heat and yummy street food and is easy to get to if you take the free CAT shuttle.

Very flavorful but had better food in KL and Thailand. For the price it's ok. Personally hawker stalls have way better food. They are the best...

Midday lunch and it's already busy here. A very smiley waiter welcomes us into the air-conditioning and shows us to a clean table and immediately gets our drinks order. Swift delivery of menus soon follows and I can already tell that this restaurant is a well-oiled machine. Good English from the waiters but the three things we order off the menu are unavailable today. We order Chicken Chop, Sambal rice and Worcestershire Chicken. Delicious, delicious and delicious. Beautiful, clean flavours with authentic Nyonya spices. The crunchy, Worcestershire chicken and fluffy fried rice are the highlights for me. I'll definitely revisit this restaurant again - great service, delicious food and reasonable prices.