GRANDMAMA’S is the latest addition to the 6th 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.
Good to the last bite: The irresistable Sang Har Hor Fun. 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 had the pleasure of being looked after by younger sister Faye Lau, who returned a few months ago from Britain to join in the family business.
Together with her Hong Kong-born father Lau Wah Chim 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 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 RM19, and you can also try the more familiar Sang Har Meen with crispy fried noodles at RM29.
Next was Grandmama’s Signature Beef Kueh Teow.
This was impossible to resist. Served piping hot with a heady scent of ginger and scallions, laden with tender slices of beef coated in a thick, egg based sauce the dish comes at a reasonable price of RM14.90.
A speciality 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 among a mix of ladies fingers, tomatoes, onions, long beans, brinjal and beancurd.
What I liked about this dish was that you can opt for the curry or the assam gravy, or you could 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 could 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, Ladies 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 (snails) on the menu, I asked Faye the significance of the Grandmama’s Looks West section on the menu.
It offers classics like Prawn Cocktail, Grilled Chicken and Spaghetti Bolognese.
“This is the food that we know. It’s the food we eat, cook, and sharing it with you,” she said.
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.
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.
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