SIN: Grandma's Restaurant

Expensive and rich nasi lemak!

Isn't that a catchy introductory phrase: expensive and rich haha... Anyway, I happened to be walking around in Nex the other day when I suddenly remembered that people have been talking about Grandma's nasi lemak (Malay rice dish cooked in coconut milk with pandan leaves). Since I was there and I didn't plan beforehand where I'd go for dinner, off I went to the restaurant.

Nasi Lemak S$8.90

Taste: 7/10

I agree with the majority of people that the rice was fragrant and strong-bodied in terms of its taste. The chicken curry was pretty spicy and appetising, but a clash of taste was experienced when I tried to eat it together with the rice. Furthermore, I don't fancy the idea of having no dry components in nasi lemak. I prefer one with dry ikan bilis (lit. anchovies) that'd give that extra crunch to the dish.

Fried Prawns with Salted Egg Yolk S$14.90

Taste: 8.5/10

I ordered the luscious prawns in creamy salted egg yolk sauce as a side dish. Although these golden-battered prawns obviously didn't complement the nasi lemak described earlier, they were genuinely sweet. The sauce wasn't overwhelming, but it had a nice balance of flavour.

Bubur Cha Cha S$3.90

Taste: 8/10

I tried the traditional warm concoction of yam cubes, sweet potatoes and sago (okay, I've just checked that sago is actually present in English dictionary) in fresh coconut milk. Overall, it was a savoury dessert with the right amount of sweetness that didn't make me feel diabetic.

Cendol S$4.50

Taste: 8/10

The chewy green and black, jelly-like cendol dessert is described as a must-try item in the menu. Red beans were also swimming inside the pool of fresh coconut milk and gula melaka, or palm sugar. It was good that there wasn't too much shaved ice. Green, black and white... Hey, those are my school colours; Raffles FTW! :D

Grass Jelly Drink S$2.00

Taste: 6/10

It was a pity that the grass jelly drink was kinda diluted, thanks to that huge chunk of ice which looked like a floating iceberg. Nevertheless, there were bits of grass jelly at the bottom which were pretty chewy.

Melon's Rating

Taste: 7.5/10

Ambience: 7/10

Service: 7/10

Overall: 7/10

I don't think I'd be back for their nasi lemak, but I'd love to try other dishes. Pika's advice: It seems that people are generally disappointed with the branch at Raffles City. Perhaps you should drop by the one in Nex, or if you happen to be at Orchard, look for one inside Paragon Shopping Centre!

Grandma's Restaurant

23 Serangoon Central

#B1-15 Nex

Singapore
(Daily: 11.30am - 10.00pm)

*Prices quoted are subject to 10% service charge and 7% GST.

Have a nice meal,

Cliff(y)