Impressive Nyonya fare at Gulainya

I’m quite particular about Peranakan cuisine given my Nyonya heritage and it’s hard to come by a good restaurant serving quality food. Gulainya had us ordering a second bowl of rice – the dishes felt homestyle, generously spiced and aromatic. 

First must-order on the list – Ayam buah keluak (RM38) – this was my fav and it’s super hard to find this dish, cooked with chicken (or pork) in KL. Wished there was more of the nut content as most of it had leaked into the gravy, but it added depth, giving an earthy, savoury taste to the tender chicken. I didn’t taste any rempah in this version of cooking this dish, but the flavours were rich and robust nonetheless.

Perut ikan (fish stomach) – RM28, cooked in rempah tumis, with eggplant, long beans, pineapple, herbs, and a host of other ingredients in a sourish (tamarind) stew. Labour intensive, it’s sour, spicy, touch of sweetness all at once. This version was delicious, even better if it had been more sour for more kick!

Found the curry prawn (RM48) on the sweet side, thanks to the pineapple, sitting in rich, lemak gravy while the paku (fern) curry was similar, but not as creamy and spicier, more savoury – I enjoyed the slight heat from this dish. Seems the paku curry (RM22) is one of the signature dishes, so we made the right choice.

We were greedy and ordered the Gulai tumis fish (RM48) slices. Flavours were mildly acidic, neither sharp nor pungent, more mellow. Still tasty, but paled in comparison to the other dishes. 

The sago pudding (RM7.90) passed the acid test, enhanced by the fragrant Gula Melaka, albeit a little over generous santan, while the soybeancurd (taufufa) had more of a pudding (almost jelly-like) texture, but still delightful. The simple desserts complemented the heavy-handed tastes of the main course perfectly. 

If I were to nitpick, I wish the dishes could be spicier, and flavours even bolder and fiestier, but I guess KL folk can’t handle too spicy foods probably. But it’s clear every dish was lovingly handled, yielding a myriad of flavours at one go and we found the food most enjoyable.

Gulainya was awarded Michelin Bib Gourmand 2026 this month, and indeed, it was well-deserved.