It was pretty popular, but its cooking is more Chinese-Hokkien than actual Straits-Chinese - the latter favour more intense chili and spice flavours. Straits-Chinese or Nyonya cooking adapted Malay flavours (lemongrass, galangal, fermented shrimp/belacan, pandan, etc.) over centuries, whilst the Chinese-Hokkiens stuck more closely to their Chinese roots by toning down on chili, pungent local herbs, and even coconut milk usage.
Some things were also not right at Sifu:
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The inchi kabin spiced fried chicken was served with Thai-style sweet chili sauce, instead of the traditional Worcestershire sauce with cut, red chilis. This is a culinary faux pas which a Straits Chinese/Nyonya will never commit.
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The nasi ulam was tinted blue (using butterfly pea flower). Straits Chinese/Nyonya never tints nasi ulam blue. It’s usually yellow from the use of fresh turmeric, which was also absent from the dish here.
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All the three desserts lacked the taste of fresh, thick coconut milk, nor the sweet-savoury balance of flavours requisite in Nyonya desserts.
IMO, Penang’s three best Nyonya restaurants are Ceki, Bibik’s Kitchen and Baba Phang, all of which are Michelin-selected.
