A family affair at Grandmama’s

A Family Affair at Grandmama’s

Grandmama’s is the latest addition to the 6^th Floor of Pavillion. The restaurant offers cozy boots outside and chic retro fittings inside, with an overall homely feel and it also boasts a large open space inside the mall. This is a place that embraces tradition and thrives on the family ties, and it certainly shows in the food.

At Grandmama’s, what you get is “Cooking with more loving”. The family tree is not complicated, and what we see here is the result of three generations of experience in the restaurant business, filtering down from the original ‘Grandmama’, Madam Kwan. Independent of Madam Kwan’s but offering similar dishes, Grandmama’s ambassador is a well known face in the music industry; the grandson, Lau Hoe Yin aka DJ Blink.

We have the pleasure of being looked after by younger sister Faye Lau, who returned a few months ago from the United Kingdom to join in the family business. Together with her Hong Kong born father Lau Wah Chim, the hands behind the food, and mother Shirley Lou, co-owner who oversees the restaurant, they strive to offer excellent service, affordable prices and most importantly, scrumptious food, all under one large roof.

Let’s talk about Grandmama’s signature dishes. The Sang Har Hor Fun was a great start to the meal, setting the bar high with large, succulent freshwater prawns atop a generous portion of homemade flat rice noodles.

What makes this dish so special and sought after is the flavour of the rich gravy, creamy peach in colour from the roe in the prawn head. It will set you back a mere RM 19, and you can also try the more familiar Sang Har Meen with crispy fried noodles at RM 29.

Sounds of satisfied lips being smacked together echoed across the 6^th Floor of Pavillion and we licked the plate clean.

Next was Grandmama’s Signature Beef Kueh Teow. This was impossible to resist. Heaven from a wok served piping hot with a heady scent of ginger and scallions, laden with tender slices of beef coated in a thick, egg based sauce at the very reasonable price of RM 14.90.

A specialty that is recommended for groups of four or more is the Curry or Assam Garoupa Fish Head. A sizeable portion of fresh, meaty Garoupa Fish head lurks amongst a mix of lady’s fingers, tomatoes, onions, long beans, brinjal and beancurd.

What I like about this dish is that you can opt for the curry or the assam gravy, or you can mix both for a robust coconut gravy that’s balanced with a hint of sourness.

If you love fish head but are dining alone, try the Fish Head Noodles with deep fried fish in a blend of tomato and salted vegetable soup, topped with fried shallots and scallions.

Grandmama’s also offers Malaysian Favourites like the succulent Chicken and Beef Satay with a spicy peanut sauce dip, ketupat, chunky cucumber and onion.

You can team steamed rice with dishes like Black Pepper sliced Beef, Chicken Curry, Beef Rendang and even Sambal Petai Prawns.

I particularly enjoyed a dish called ‘4 Beauties’, based on a legendary tale from ancient China, showcasing the Long Bean, Lady’s Finger, Brinjal and Petai in a spicy sauce.

Other local favourites like Kai Lan with Salted Fish and Braised Beancurd with Minced Meat are also featured in Grandmama’s menu.

Curious when I spotted Escargot (French Snails) on the menu, I asked Faye what the significance was of the section Grandmama’s Looks West. It offers classics like Prawn Cocktail, Grilled Chicken and Spaghetti Bolognese. “This is the food that we know,” she replies simply. “It’s the food we eat, we cook, and we’re sharing it with you.”

Well, I’m glad they did share it with us, because the Escargot baked in butter sauce and fresh herb puree was simply divine. One of the best I’ve tried, and this was the last place I would have expected to find it.

Don’t forget to try the Kiba, which is a Banana and Cherry Juice concoction, or the Iced Fresh Umbra Juice with Sour Plum. For a sweet and cooling dessert, I recommend the Coconut Pudding.

Savour a creamy coconut jelly served in the coconut shell, and scoop out the sweet young flesh once you get to the bottom.

Don’t miss the light and fluffy Banana Fritters and the thick and creamy Cendol with sticky Gula Melaka, which JD opted to have as an appetizer instead of dessert!

You will feel right at home at Grandmama’s. No rules, just hearty, quality food cooked with love. “Hey, let’s go to Grandmama’s for lunch!” I found myself saying just two days after our tasting. And I did! And I would do it all over again…

Win RM 100 vouchers to Grandmama’s!  From Monday 2^nd – Friday 6^th November, tune in to The Big Red Food Review, Eleven2Three, with me Aly. Only on Red FM, Today’s Best Music.

For reservations, please call Grandmama’s at +6 03 2143 9333

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