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Grandma's
We've not quite seen Peranakan food set up shop in a retail mall setting and take off, but it does seem like this creation from the Akashi Group (the London Fat Duck people) would be here to stay. Although not quite your Guan Hoe Soon, which is truly a Nonya institution in Singapore, Grandma's still serves up a decent blend of Peranakan dishes together with Singaporean and Malaysian delights.
currently with 4 outlets in Singapore, we recently visited the one at the revamped Suntec City to check them out. the name of the restaurant gives it a very homely feel, although we felt that a more accurate impression you should carry before visiting, should be one of Malaccan or Penang street fare. there is a good variety of Nonya selections, some local delights and desserts on the menu, which indications for their signature dishes. 
there is nothing much Peranakan about this Hokkien Mee, but this is one of Grandma's most popular dishes. we were first drawn to Malaysian styled Hokkien Mee when we were in Jalan Petaling, Kuala Lumpur and this interpretation of it while not as rich in terms of wok-hei, is still pretty flavourful and a refreshing change from the ones we typically see in food centres. this served as a good carb accompaniment to the other Nonya dishes we ordered. 
the dish above is called Babi Pongteh or rather braised pork belly in soya bean paste with dark soy sauce. the pork was soft and juicy, while the gravy was thick and had a rich flavour. goes very well with white rice. other Peranakan dishes that we went for included the Nonya Chap Chye and Otah Otah. not too bad really, giving you some confidence to go for their home catering service if you're going to have a gathering or house party. 
In all, Grandma's was a decent experience. some purists have taken to the web to say they don't represent the cuisine well, but then again, not many has taken the step out to let you have the Nonya option in the comfort of a mall anyway. For us, the seafood was fresh, the sambal chilli such as in the Sambal Udang above had that spicy kick, and the Chendol was nostalgic relief, good enough for us. We hope to see a couple more Grandma's sprout out near our homes, and we'd probably visit again on a lazy day that we're not cooking in. 
Grandma's (Suntec City) 3 Temasek Boulevard #B1-108, Suntec City Singapore 098585 Opening Hours Daily: 11.30 am to 10 pm just the way Grandma used to cook it.. |
..ThE lEgEnD..
Last Movie: Ad Astra
Golden Village, Singpost Centre 
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