We had never heard of YONNY 鱼你 before, so Irene and I were quite impressed when we stumbled upon it one Sunday morning at Gurney Plaza. We had planned to hang out over breakfast and were looking forward to something warm after the heavy rain.
Our first thought was to grab a quick bite at Oriental Kopi. One look at the queue and we changed our minds. There were easily 40 people waiting, and we were not about to stand in that line.
So we walked over to Kenny Hills Bistro instead, only to find that breakfast didn’t start until 10am. Aiyoh, our simple breakfast was becoming quite a mission.
The bright, welcoming entrance and dining space at YONNY Gurney Plaza.
We wandered up to Level 3 to see what else we could find, and that’s when we spotted YONNY 鱼你, formerly known as Fish With You.
The place immediately caught our attention. It was bright and inviting, with a completely open glass kitchen where we could watch the cooking, and a large chilled display of fresh vegetables near the entrance. After being out in the rain, the cool air-conditioning and all those fresh vegetables were quite welcoming.
Fresh hot pot ingredients and noodles kept cool in the misting chiller counter.
By then, breakfast was clearly not happening. We decided to have a hot-soup brunch instead.
Since I had already eaten Suan La fish three times that month, I left the ordering to Irene. We asked for warm water and let her choose what we should have.
She ordered the Tangy Lemon Fish, Braised Chicken with Mushroom and Chinese-style Crispy Fried Meat Strips (Xiao Su Rou / 小酥肉).
And you know what? Our failed breakfast plan turned out quite nicely.
Tangy Golden Lemon Toman Fish Soup topped with fresh lemon rounds and sliced chilies.
Tangy Lemon Fish
The Tangy Lemon Fish (RM28.80) came in a large bowl of bright yellow broth with tender slices of toman fish, Chinese lettuce and thinly sliced potatoes.
Irene was particularly happy with the potatoes, as she loves having them in her fish soup. The broth was tangy, lemony and savoury, with a nice peppery kick that worked well with the fish.
On a rainy morning, a piping hot bowl of fish soup was just what we needed. If you like more heat, you can ask for extra chili.
Savory braised chicken cooked with mushrooms and potato glass noodles.
Braised Chicken with Mushroom
The Braised Chicken with Mushroom came with soft, springy potato glass noodles that soaked up the savoury gravy.
The chicken was tender, but the noodles were probably my favourite part, especially with all that gravy clinging to them.
It was a nice contrast to the Tangy Lemon Fish, which had a brighter, tangier broth.
The self-service dipping sauce station at YONNY, where diners can mix custom dip combinations for RM2 per person.
Sichuan-style crispy fried meat strips (Xiao Su Rou) served with custom dipping sauces and braised chicken.
Chinese-style Crispy Fried Meat Strips
I first tasted Chinese-style Crispy Fried Meat Strips (Xiao Su Rou / 小酥肉) at a Hunan restaurant, but that version was too thick and meaty for my liking.
YONNY’s version (RM9.90) was much more to my taste. The strips were freshly fried, nicely crunchy and lightly peppered. They were easy to munch on, especially with the nutty peanut dipping sauce.
The sauces at the sauce station are RM2 per pax. We noticed, though, that the sesame oil was missing when we visited.
A fragrant bowl of signature peanut purple rice at YONNY, featuring a chewy grain texture and crunchy roasted peanuts.
Fragrant Peanut and Purple Rice
When Irene ordered rice to go with the dishes, I thought white rice would be just fine.
She said the purple rice was much nicer.
Irene was right, of course.
The Fragrant Peanut and Purple Rice (香花生紫米) is YONNY’s signature flavoured rice option. The peanuts give the rice a lovely nutty flavour, and it went particularly well with the Tangy Lemon Fish and its tangy broth.
It was a nice change from plain white rice, and we were happy to find that the rice comes with free-flow refills.
Worth a return?
For me, the Tangy Lemon Fish was delicious. I liked the bright, tangy broth with the tender toman fish, and the peppery kick made it especially comforting on a wet morning.
I would definitely choose the Fragrant Peanut and Purple Rice next time. Irene had the right idea there.
YONNY 鱼你 wasn’t on our breakfast radar that morning, but I’m glad we ended up trying it. Sometimes the unplanned meals are the ones that give you something to talk about later.
Blog Disclosure: This blog is written independently. No compensation, free meals, payments, or services have been received from any featured establishments. All reviews are based on the editor’s personal visits with friends while exploring Penang.
