Granny Q Pulau Tikus Penang is now at PJ SS2 Restoran Station 8 with an assortment of ‘laksa’

PETALING JAYA, Aug 30 — Heads up, lemak laksa lovers, there’s no need to go all the way up north now to scratch your itch for Granny Q Pulau Tikus Penang. 

Now that bowl of bright orange, ultra creamy laksa can be slurped up at SS2’s Restoran Station 8. 

Here, Esther Heng, who is one-third of the trio of siblings—the others being Kok Hoe and Chris — is in charge, cooking up their Thai grandmother’s recipe. 

Kok Hoe handles the stall in Pulau Tikus where only lemak laksa and otak-otak are served.

About 9 months ago, Esther and her sister, Chris, introduced us to their lemak laksa and other items at Damansara Perdana’s Kafe Lemak. 

As Esther is now flying solo, it’s a new chapter in SS2 with a laser-focused menu on all things laksa plus prawn mee thrown in too. 

The vacated space in Damansara Perdana will be taken over by another proprietor from September 22 who will still offer Penang food with a wider outlook. 

Here you will get signature Lemak Laksa, a tangy Assam Laksa, the mixed version Dua Rasa Laksa and the upcoming Fried Laksa, a soup-less concoction with the familiar laksa flavours and garnishes. 

Prawn Mee is also on the menu here, having gained a loyal following once diners in Kafe Lemak experienced that crustacean-rich broth. 

In the Klang Valley, lemak laksa is a very rare specimen, making each piping hot bowl a worthy treat to be savoured.

Lemak Laksa is distinguished by its thick bright orange curry, fragrant with a spice paste that includes turmeric and lemongrass, mixed with rich santan. 

This family’s legacy recipe starts with a Thai-inspired khanom jeen base that straddles the assam laksa dimension with the tropical bouquet of cucumber, pineapple, fresh mint leaves and finely sliced torch ginger buds. 

It’s spiked with a spoonful of fermented shrimp paste or hae koh, tempering the creaminess of the thick curry broth. 

There’s no need to handle pesky bones too as boneless tilapia fish are served in chunks for you to enjoy. 

A bowl of Laksa Lemak is RM11 and the Extra Fish Laksa Lemak is RM15.

On days when your mood calls for dialled down creaminess, the Dua Rasa Laksa is the answer with its amalgamation of creamy and tangy flavours in one bowl.

It may look suspiciously like the same bowl of lemak laksa but toss it all together and it turns a brownish-orange hue with the tamarind broth from the assam laksa. 

A bowl of Dua Rasa Laksa is RM12 and the Extra Fish Dua Rasa Laksa is RM16. 

Prawn Mee (RM11) may be available everywhere but what sets this bowl apart is the broth shines brightly from the prawns used, possibly because it’s not dragged down by the richer pork broth as it uses a chicken version. 

Here, you can add extra prawns (RM15) or spare ribs for RM17. 

Once the stall’s operations has settled down, Fried Laksa will make its debut, bringing forth translucent noodles fried with the same spice paste used for the laksa, topped with the same garnishes.

Also available in this corner coffeeshop is the famed Penang curry mee, fishball noodles and fish head noodles, while the popular wantan mee stall has now relocated to the SS2 Wai Sek Kai. 

Granny Q Pulau Tikus Penang, 

Restoran Station 8, 

2, Jalan SS2/10, Petaling Jaya

Open: 7.30am to 2pm or until sold out. Closed on Wednesday.

Tel:010-2808068

*This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.

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