Lai (left) and Ang with some of the best-selling dishes from Grumpy’s Kitchen in Taman OUG.
A SCAN through the menu shows options like smoked duck pizza, grilled lamb and spaghetti aglio olio with tiger prawn, abalone and mussel.
While the menu sounds like one of an upmarket cafe, it’s actually that of a stall.
Diners will be pleasantly surprised to find these dishes priced reasonably at Grumpy’s Kitchen, a stall at Uncle Choong Nanyang Kopitiam in Taman OUG, Kuala Lumpur.
How did the stall get its name? Well, one of the stall’s owners, Joe Ang, 44, was called a grump by his daughter when he got flustered in the kitchen.
Seafood spaghetti aglio olio.
When Ang decided to embark on a food business with co-owner Alvin Lai, 26, the name stuck.
Lai, who rules the stoves at Grumpy’s Kitchen, was head chef of a wine bar in Johor Baru before coming to Kuala Lumpur in 2023.
The stall’s bestseller is grilled chicken chop, featuring a 220g deboned thigh marinated overnight in garlic, sesame oil and soy sauce.
I also love the pork chop that’s beautifully charred with a fatty layer. The shoulder cut is marinated in fish sauce and weighs between 220g and 250g.
It is accompanied by a fiery dip made with lemongrass, spring onions and green chillies that tastes like the sambal belacan (chilli paste) that comes with pan mee.
The New Zealand lamb shoulder is another crowd favourite.
All three dishes come with mashed potato, fries and coleslaw.
An average spend of RM21 is enough for a meal and drink.
Its mushroom soup offering combines shimeiji, shiitake and abalone mushrooms.
Lai said he never used the stems as they tended to impart a fusty smell and would taint the soup flavour.
Those with big appetites should consider adding a pizza to their order.
Hot out of the oven with mozzarella cheese still bubbling, pizzas are available in three flavours – smoked duck, tuna and margherita.
Smoked duck pizza.
The pizzas, it seems, are a hot commodity during weekends and football season.
Grumpy’s Kitchen is open from 4pm to 10pm, Fridays to Wednesdays. It is non-halal.
