Richard Rivalee Nyonya Cuisine Restaurant

Really enjoyed our meal at Richard Rivalee. The fish curry was fragrant and full of flavour, and the chicken was super crispy and well done. Portions were generous and the overall flavours were spot on. The interior design is immaculate and adds to the dining experience. Special mention to the ginger tea — absolutely amazing. Plenty of choices on the menu, and everything we tried was enjoyable. Will definitely be back.

To sum up this place, it is just a giant tourist trap through its appealing atmosphere and history about the Nyonya culture. There was nothing wrong about the service here as it was mainly just the food which was not up to par. Firstly, the otak-otak lacked its distinct coconut flavour and aroma making it just taste like glorified steamed eggs. The chicken rendang was also relatively bland and watery. Even dishes which were suited to a western palette like the prawn fritters lacked seasoning, even tasting bland when paired with the sauce. Overall, a disappointing experience that does not encapsulate the true flavours of the Nyonya cuisine.

We ordered the ketola (luffa) in honor of my late grand-uncle, who mostly lived in London but would escape the winter to fly in for Chinese New Year. The egg was nicely scrambled, and the luffa was soft and comforting. The assam pedas surprised me — it arrived with two tails of whole Spanish mackerel, at least I think, instead of the usual cross-sectional thick red snapper slices. It leaned a little toward assam laksa, with bright, tangy tamarind flavors and clear, youthful chili notes rather than a thick, heavy, worn rempah. I appreciated this lighter, clearer hybridity. It avoids extremes: not dense, dark, and heavy, and not the breezy, unfocused versions in some Nonya kitchens, where flavors swing wildly — sometimes dominated by belacan (fermented shrimp paste), sometimes overly sweet, sometimes spicy as the main note. The nasi ulam with butterfly pea rice felt like a tryst with the peninsula, with flavors spanning the archipelago — like a regional kaleidoscope or the collection of tribal artefacts. Service was proper and attentive, and the Nepalese (I think) staff were well-equipped to converse in English. They happily adjusted our sambal petai prawn to include more petai and less prawn, which worked perfectly for us. A good international place to try Nonya food.

We happened to stumble across this place while we were looking for some really delicious perakanan cuisine on a fairly quiet Sunday night. It was a lovely find, and even better considering I've passed this place several times over the past year thinking it was maybe a museum or a retail shop 😂 The food quality is good with big portions and an affordable price.

Food is on par. But the dissapointment is on the fish i ordered, its not cleaned properly. Alot of scale. The owner provide me some desserts as conpensation. Service and atmosphere is good. Just need to work on the food quality.

Most of the food tastes average. I would personally recommend the lobak (it has a unique flavor compared to the usual one), cucuk udang, nasi ulam (a must-try), laksa steamed fish (I'm not entirely sure if this is the one), and white mutton curry. The service is good, and the environment is clean and pleasant. It’s a bit pricey, but still reasonable. As for parking, it can be difficult to find street parking, but there’s a WOW hotel parking lot at nearby.

The nyonya cuisine here is decent, but nothing particularly stood out for me. The ambience and atmosphere do give it a more premium feel, which may be part of the overall experience.

Tried a Michelin-starred restaurant in Penang for the first time. The atmosphere was elegant and inviting—definitely a highlight of the experience. As for the food, opinions in our group of eight varied: some found the dishes rich in flavor and memorable, while others felt the taste was a bit too subtle for their liking. Personally, I found it enjoyable overall—perhaps not mind-blowing, but certainly a pleasant dining experience.