Tucked in the heart of George Town’s Noordin Street is Little Kitchen at Nyonya. The charming restaurant housed in an old two storey shophouse with a distinctive heritage façade, serves home-cooked Nyonya dishes.

Stepping inside the restaurant is as though taking a trip back in time. The well preserved interior offers something unique and the furniture and antiques reflect the atmosphere perfectly. Even the lightings hanging from the wooden ceiling are of harmonious theme, as described by the proprietor Mr Loh. Remarkably, this is home for all three generations of the family.

Initially, Mr Loh’s father delved into the bird nest culinary scene in Penang which they continue up till this very day. However, the young Loh decided to diversify his gastronomic scope by serving authentic Nyonya dishes. His mother has been helping in the daily preparation.

Several items that have disappeared off the face of Penang Nyonya cuisine is found in this restaurant. One particular must-try offering is the masak titik, which is a soup made from pepper, belacan (shrimp paste), chilies, white radish, dried prawns and fresh seafood. It is a delight sampling this heartwarming dish, with the spiciness and seafood flavors going hand in hand.

Another dish that is equally appetizing is the perut ikan, which loosely translates into ‘fish stomach’. This Nyonya specialty with pungent flavors of daun kesom (laksa leaves), daun pudina (mint leaves) and daun kaduk is a tedious dish to prepare. The fatty and smooth pieces of salt-preserved perut ikan are cooked with vegetables and herbs in an utterly delicious sweet, savory, sour and spicy gravy.

Little Kitchen prepares the deep-fried lor bak (pork roll) with marinated pork wrapped in bean curd sheet. The kitchen adds one more ingredient; tu kua (pig liver), which greatly enhances the taste while adding extra texture.