Penang’s Granny Q’s heritage ‘Nonya-Thai’ laksa opens pop-up in Singapore

Most folks associate Penang laksa with the famous assam-style variety, but have you heard of Penang laksa lemak? Think of it as 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.

Now, you can get your hands on some at the Granny Q pop-up, which starts from Apr 29 and will run on for "several months". 

Who and what is Granny Q, you ask? It’s a humble laksa hawker stall from Pulau Tikus, a small town in Penang. Named after their late grandmother, Granny Kew, the eatery is run by five siblings. Even though it opened only in 2022, their lone menu item of laksa lemak is made with their grandmother’s treasured recipe, which according to them, dates back to the 1920s. They describe the dish as a sort of “Nonya-Thai laksa”.

The Singapore pop-up will be hosted from Fridays to Sundays at mod Japanese joint, Rappu Handroll Bar at Duxton Road. Brought about by The Proper Concepts Collective, the same folks behind trendy Mexican-Indian diner, Ms Maria & Mr Singh, which was opened in collaboration with celeb chef Gaggan Anand.

If the pop-up proves to be successful, co-owner of The Proper Concepts Collective, Sheen Jet Leong, foresees a possibility of a permanent standalone Granny Q outlet in Singapore. 

8days.sg has a preview taste of Granny Q’s unique “Nonya-Thai laksa” pimped up with tempura tilapia.

While Granny Q’s HQ Penang stall only sells one dish, the Singapore pop-up will feature three variations: The Signature GQ Laksa (S$8.80) topped with slices of poached or fried tilapia (S$9.80) plus prawns, and the Supreme GQ Laksa (S$21) with additional scallop and crayfish. 

Granny Q’s co-founder and niece will helm the Singapore pop-up.

Aside from the pimped up toppings, the bowls will remain true to the original recipe. The laksa noodles, rempah, chilli flakes and hei ko (fermented prawn paste) are imported from Penang.

One of Granny Q’s co-founders, 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 here for its entire duration.

SIGNATURE GQ LAKSA, S$8.80 (POACHED); S$9.80 (FRIED)

The fried fish version features three medium pieces of tempura tilapia and two prawns. The toppings are inspired by the way Singaporeans eat fish soup, where there’s the option of choosing between poached and deep-fried fish.

A decadent combo with a creamy, coconut gravy infused with typical assam laksa toppings like mint leaves, chopped pineapple and torch ginger flower. The garnishes add a refreshing, subtly tangy zing to the thick, lemak gravy that’s only lightly spicy (it could do with a bit more heat). Still appetising and good value for a bowl heaving with goodies. 

SUPREME GQ LAKSA, S$21

A fancier version of the signature poached tilapia bowl, with a whole crayfish and scallop. While the luxe shellfish is fresh and sweet, we’re not sure it’s worth the splurge since we found the S$9.80 tempura fish version yummy enough.

GQ LAKSA EBI ROLL, S$14

We didn’t get to sample this dish specially created for the pop-up, but Sheen describes it as “a sushi hand roll with all the key elements of Granny Q’s laksa in a bite or two”. It features a torched prawn seasoned with Granny Q’s laksa rempah, over a bed of sushi rice and seaweed.

Granny Q will be giving out over a hundred free bowls of laksa on launch day, Sat (Apr 29). The freebies are only available while stocks last.

Granny Q’s pop-up will be held from Apr 29 at Rappu Handroll Bar, 52 Duxton Rd, S089516. Fri to Sun, noon – 2.30pm. More info via their website, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. 

This story was originally published in 8Days.

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