Granny Q: Century-old Penang recipe, now in Singapore

Are you a foodie on the lookout for unique, tasty dishes? Then you’re in luck! A new pop-up restaurant is opening in Singapore, Granny Q, offering a delicious blend of two classic laksa recipes.

And it all started with a humble hawker stall in Penang run by five siblings, named after their late grandmother, Granny Kew. The stall is in operation in Pulau Tikus, Penang.

Introducing Granny Q and their Penang laksa lemak. This dish is a cross between the clear tamarind and prawn paste-spiked fish broth noodle dish that the Malaysian state is famous for and the coconut milk-rich kind common in Singapore.

According to the Heng family, the lone menu item of laksa lemak is made with their grandmother’s treasured recipe, which dates back to the 1920s.

Granny Q’s Original Recipe

Granny Q’s Penang laksa lemak is a dish that has been passed down for generations, with the recipe originating from their grandmother in the 1920s. The dish is made with a blend of herbs and spices, rice noodles, tilapia, and prawns, all cooked in a creamy coconut milk broth. One of the key ingredients that give the dish its unique flavour is the Penang hei-ko or prawn paste, which is known for its pungent aroma and umami richness.

The recipe has been carefully guarded by the Heng family, with the siblings taking great pride in preserving their grandmother’s culinary legacy. Each bowl of laksa is prepared with the same attention to detail and commitment to quality as it was when their grandmother first created the dish almost a century ago.

The Granny Q pop-up in Singapore

The Proper Concepts Collective, the team behind popular brands such as The Feather Blade and Rappu Handroll Bar, is bringing Granny Q to Singapore. The laksa brand will operate as a lunch-only pop-up at Rappu, starting on April 29th, and will run for a few months until further notice.

Granny Q’s lunch pop-up will serve three variations of the dish, including the Signature GQ Laksa, topped with slices of poached or fried tilapia, plus prawns, and the Supreme GQ Laksa, with additional scallop and crayfish. The GQ laksa ebi roll, a one-of-a-kind exclusive roll made with torched sashimi-grade Botan ebi seasoned with Granny Q’s spicy laksa rempah (a complex paste of spices) and served with Rappu’s own shari and seaweed, is also available during the pop-up.

Granny Q’s co-founder, Esther Heng, will be in town to train the Rappu cooks and serve at the pop-up on selected days, while her niece will be stationed there for the duration of the event. To celebrate the launch of the pop-up, Granny Q will give out over a hundred free bowls of laksa on April 29th. Be sure to arrive early, as the freebies are only available while stocks last.

Granny Q’s journey from a humble hawker stall in Penang to a pop-up restaurant in Singapore is a testament to the power of family recipes and the love and passion that goes into making them. So, if you’re looking for an authentic taste of Penang laksa lemak, head on over to Rappu and savour the unique blend of flavours from Granny Q.

Granny Q’s pop-up will be held from 29 April at Rappu Handroll Bar, 52 Duxton Rd, S089516. Fri to Sun, noon – 2.30pm