For anyone who remembers this stretch of North Bridge Road, the space now occupied by Sederhana Singapore comes with quite a bit of history.
This used to be Warong Nasi Pariaman, one of Singapore’s old-school Nasi Padang names, before it made way for Sederhana, the popular Indonesian chain that started in 1972.
Sederhana Singapore looks bright, cleaner and more modern, with its blue and red branding, display counter of dishes, and a price board that makes ordering slightly less intimidating (still had a ‘fear’ of over-ordering).
During lunch time, do expect a queue, especially from curious diners and tourists around Kampong Glam who want to see how this Indonesian name compares to the other Nasi Padang stalls.
The dishes are priced by category, with the more premium items such as Prawn, Daging Cincang, Ayam Balado, Dendeng Batok, Ayam Gulai and Ikan Goreng at $5.
The heavier signatures include Rendang ($6), Ayam Bakar ($6), Ayam Pop ($6), Fresh Ikan Bakar ($6), and Kikil ($7 special).
The Rendang was the dish I liked most. The gravy was thick, dark and aromatic, clinging properly to the beef with that slow-cooked spice depth.
Some pieces were tender and flavourful, though there were also a few tougher ones, so it was not entirely consistent.
The Prawn was bright with sambal and had a light sweetness from the seafood, though was not overly fiery.
The Pucuk Ubi was worth adding too, with cassava leaves cooked down in coconut milk. It gave the meal a softer, creamier vegetable element, which helped balance the heavier meats.
It seemed like the Kikil, or beef tendon, is one of the more popular dishes.
The tendon came in a rich orange gravy with that gelatinous chew that some people will love, though others may avoid it. I liked the sauce more than the texture, but this is probably more personal preference than a flaw.
I liked that Sederhana makes the ordering process clearer than some Nasi Padang places, and the space feels quite organised despite the crowd.
It may not replace the old memories people have, and perhaps it should not try to, but it has enough name recognition, spice and lunchtime pull to draw its own crowd.
Sederhana Singapore
738 North Bridge Road, Singapore 198706
Opening Hours: 8am – 5pm (Mon – Sun)
Other Related Entries
Cumi Bali (Tras Street)
Tambuah Mas (Paragon)
Paris Van Java (Lucky Plaza)
Fangko House (South Bridge Road)
Kulon (Bali Lane, New Bahru)
* Follow @DanielFoodDiary on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Telegram for more food news, food videos and travel highlights. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.
Indah khabar from the appearance, that’s it Sederhana Singapore – Popular Indonesian Nasi? My wife and I went at 10:45 am almost 11 am. Remember that time the side dishes were all freshly cooked and still warm, It looked very cold? I took Grilled Chicken and Bagedil, My wife took grilled fish and jackfruit side dishes, all the side dishes were cold? White rice was also cold. I really want to eat there again, Indah khabar from the appearance. There weren’t many side dishes either. It was better for me to go to a restaurant inside a little bit next to the Sultan Mosque and also a restaurant near Bai sherbat on the side of the road, Both of those restaurants have been around for a long time, and the side dishes had many choices and were delicious. Unlike Sederhana Singapore, it’s really bad.