Looking for a hearty and delicious Cantonese-style meal (at wallet-friendly prices)? Then look no further than Granny’s Mansion 粥公面婆, a cozy spot in SS2, Petaling Jaya that specializes in porridge and pork noodles.
The place is fairly new, having opened just last year, and is a rebranded version of Fai Kee restaurant – a household name in Ipoh that serves the same dishes. The recipes here have been handed down five generations. No mean feat to keep a legacy going for close to a century!
We tried the place out at the invitation of the owner (thanks for having us!) It was packed during lunch hour, but we were quickly ushered to a table by the attentive wait staff. The interior of the restaurant seats about 40 and boasts nostalgic touches such as geometric pattern tiled floors as well as a mural of the iconic old Ruby Cinema in Ipoh.
Another wall mural depicts the history of the Fai Kee brand, starting from the 1960s as a humble roadside shop, to the popular establishment it is today.
We were spoiled for choice when it came to ordering, as Granny’s Mansion offer a variety of porridge and noodle dishes. Some of their specialties include the Mixed Pork Porridge, Deep Fried Intestine Porridge, and Deep Fried Fish Meat Noodle.
One great thing about their noodle dishes is that you get to customize it according to your liking. First, you choose the ingredients that you want as your main protein, followed by a soup base, and finally the type of noodles. For those who don’t like pork offal, you can opt for items such as drunken chicken, sliced chicken, deep fried meat paste, fish head, fish fillet, and more. As for soup bases, aside from the spicy option, you can also get clear soup with vegetables, evaporated milk soup with homemade pickles, and rice wine soup.
One can’t come to an Ipoh restaurant and not order Ipoh white coffee. It was sweet, cold, and milky -the perfect drink on a hot Malaysian afternoon. The Hubs had a Lime with Sour Plum, which was refreshing and well balanced.
On the recommendation of the wait staff, we got the Mixed Pork Noodles in Signature Spicy and Sour Soup with Homemade Pickles (RM11.90). What came to the table was a gargantuan bowl stacked to the brim with pork meat and innards (heart, tongue, kidney, intestines, liver, stomach, meatballs) as well as a hefty portion of dong fen (glass noodles) – all swimming within an appetizing orange broth.
What makes a good bowl of pork noodles, to me, is how well all the components within the bowl come together – and the version at Granny’s Mansion ticks all the boxes. The dong fen was chewy with an al dente texture that offered plenty of bite, and the offal was cleaned well so it did not have an overwhelmingly gamey taste. I especially enjoyed the springy textures of the kidney and intestines.
The star of the show, however, has to be the soup. It’s rich without being cloying, had just the right amount of spiciness (you can request for them to turn it down if spicy soup isn’t your thing), and the tanginess from the pickled mustard greens and tomato whets the appetite for more. It was good enough that we drained the entire bowl down to the dregs!
The resto’s signature porridge is actually the Mixed Pork Porridge, but since we had the Mixed Pork Noodles, we opted for the Grouper Fish Fillet Porridge (RM18.90) instead.
After the noodles, this was just what we needed to cleanse the palate. Those who enjoy mild, natural flavours will enjoy this dish, as it does not rely on too much seasoning. Instead, what we got was a simple porridge with just the right texture and consistency, filled with fresh, thick slices of grouper fish.
To complement our sides, we got some snacks to share, including deep fried beancurd sheets. These were expertly fried so they were not greasy at all. They were also very crunchy, which complemented the porridge perfectly.
Another good snack to munch on are these broth-filled deep-fried meatballs. A word of caution when biting into these delectable savoury treats as the flavourful liquid within might just burst out.
All in all, the Hubs and I were thoroughly impressed by the food at Granny’s Mansion, and definitely see ourselves coming back for more. With the rising cost of ingredients, it’s also difficult to find places that serve such portions at reasonable prices. Service can be a bit slow as they are currently understaffed, but hey, good things come to those who wait, yes?
GRANNY’S MANSION
88, Jalan SS 2/60, SS 2, 47300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Opening hours: 10AM – 10PM (Daily)
Phone: +60 11-1680 2818
PS: I was invited to try the food at this restaurant in exchange for an honest review. Views here are entirely my own.
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