Malaysia
Singapore
Thailand
On 29 May 2026, we paid a little visit to the first Singapore outlet of Restoran Sederhana, a 54-year-old Indonesian nasi padang chain with more than 100 branches around Indonesia. The restaurant is located at 738 North Bridge Road at Kampong Glam, where the now-defunct Warong Nasi Pariaman once stood for over 70 years. According to my Indonesian friend from Jakarta, Sederhana translates to ‘humble’.
We arrived slightly after 2pm and, according to my colleague Esther, the restaurant had just given away 100 complimentary nasi padang bungkus after Friday prayers — such a sweet, thoughtful gesture.
Unfortunately, it also meant we had visited at perhaps the worst possible time, as there weren’t many dishes left to choose from — a stark contrast to what was shown on the restaurant’s Instagram Stories (pictured left on top) in the morning. Well, it wasn’t the restaurant’s fault; you could simply call it fate.
Making the best of the situation, I ordered 2 plates of nasi padang with whatever that remained.
Besides the ground floor, the restaurant also has an air-conditioned dining area on the second floor, accessible via a staircase beside the main entrance. It was cosy, comfortable, and less chaotic than downstairs.
If you’re thinking of bringing your lovely elderly folks up to dine in comfort without making them climb the stairs, not to worry. They can conveniently take the charming mini lift within the restaurant up to level 2.
Now, let’s talk about the food itself. Our first plate consisted of rendang limpa (spleen) (S$3.50), ikan cooked in lemak curry (S$4.50), an egg sambal (S$1.50), cucumbers (no charge), and rice (S$1). We paid a total of S$10.50, which, in my opinion, was slightly on the pricier side.
Being a person who usually orders paru (beef lung), I was excited about the limpa. To me, it had a sponge-like texture which perfectly absorbed all the nuances of the spices. I would describe the taste as rich and earthy, almost like a combination of braised duck and liver. Thankfully, there wasn’t any gamey, off-putting flavour.
Perhaps the fish dish was purposely prepared that way, but the abundance of fine bones made it difficult to fully enjoy (or maybe I’m just used to fish fillets). I found myself eating rather cautiously, being very careful not to accidentally ingest an ultra-fine bone. As for the lemak gravy, I would have preferred a richer and more robust profile, as the dish leaned slightly too fishy for my liking.
The sambal slathered over the egg was unapologetically spicy, giving a solid punch of fiery heat that lifted my appetite and made the perfect pairing partner with the egg.
Our next plate came with rice (S$1), chicken with lemak gravy (S$6), santan gulai nangka (S$1.50), and bean sprouts (S$1.50), bringing the total to S$10.
The chicken seemed slightly overcooked, or perhaps had been left in the chafing dish for some time, resulting in a texture that was drier and less tender than I would’ve preferred.
Santan gulai nangka, or young jackfruit curry, is a staple dish in traditional Padang cuisine. Savoury, slightly rich, and creamy, the dish reminded me of a traditional vegetable lemak curry with cabbage and long beans, but with more spices added. Interestingly, the young jackfruit had a unique chewy texture that was similar to monkey head mushrooms.
Overall, the experience at Sederhana felt rather lukewarm and didn’t leave a strong desire for a return visit. This could have been due to soft launch teething issues on the day, or I may be just biased towards my favourite Sabar Menanti nasi padang restaurant just across the road.
Perhaps a return visit on another day, when more dishes are available, would offer a fuller experience. For now, I’m interested to hear how others find it on their own visit.
