The first Grandma’s Home opened in Hangzhou, which is the capital of China’s Zhejiang province. This location is the first American outpost of this popular Chinese chain. Zhejiang flavors tend to focus on seafood and local produce with a delicate, mellow sweetness with light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, or local vinegars. It’s also different because it’s not as greasy as other Chinese regional foods. I made a reservation for this the day before, and it was very available. When we walked in around 5:30 PM, the restaurant was pretty empty, so perhaps reservations are unneeded.
Ambiance & Service
The interior of the restaurant has a contemporary Chinese design element to it. There are some Chinese pottery and low moody lighting. The noise level can be quite loud as more people come in.
The service was very quick. Once we ordered, the food came out in less than 10 minutes.
Food
The Red Foil Cap 养乐多柠檬茶 ($11) was non-alcoholic and came with yogurt, young hyson tea, lemon, lime, and soda. This reminded me flavor and texture wise of yakult, which is a Japanese sweetened probiotic milk drink.
The Hong Shao Rou 外婆红烧肉 ($28) came with braised pork belly with steamed buns. The braised pork belly was pretty good. It was tender and not too fatty, and it sat in a soy-based sauce with bamboo. The steamed buns weren’t totally needed. Whenever I’ve had this dish, I’d eat this with white rice. It was surprisingly not that salty, and the portion size was good for two people.
The Seafood Fried Rice 海鲜炒饭 ($18) came with shrimp and scallops. I was a little surprised by how much soy sauce they added. The shrimp and scallop were a nice addition, although the rice was a little too al dente for me. I felt the portion size was on the smaller side for a larger group.
The Salt & Pepper Soft Shell Crab 椒盐软壳蟹 ($34) came with dried chili pepper and a decent amount of soft shell crab. There was a nice crisp to the crab, and the salt and pepper flavors were similar to Cantonese flavors. Despite the menu not indicating, there is actually some heat.
The Homemade Snow Skin Mooncakes ($24) came with 3 pieces: black sesame, matcha, and custard. As a celebration for the mid-autumn festival and according to a little card, these homemade mooncakes were served cold and made from glutinous rice flour, which allows them to have a translucent white sheen. For the cost, I thought this was expensive and a little disappointing. The black sesame was my favorite, but not for the price we paid for this. I’m sure this was priced due to the labor, but I did not feel satisfied after eating it.
Overall Impression
For a Chinese restaurant in the Flatiron area, this provides an alternative taste than what most people think of Chinese food. Feel free to give it a try if you’re around the area looking for a less greasy Chinese flavor.
Yelp & Google Jabs
The menu is not what I call American Chinese… The soft shell crabs were dry and fishy.
This Yelper made the mistake of thinking all Chinese food is the same. As I mentioned above, the cuisine’s flavors will be less saucy and less salty compared to other Chinese regional foods.
The inside is clean and warmly lighted. It’s not reminiscent of a grandma’s home however.
I think the restaurant was more aspiring for Grandma’s food than about the actual interior decoration.
Revisions
- Sep 18, 2026 - Initial revision.