When Warong Pariaman, the well loved 78 year old nasi padang institution at Kandahar Street in Kampong Glam closed on 31 Jan 2026, there was an outpouring of collective sadness among their multi-generational fans.
Kampong Glam has a special place in the hearts of many Singaporeans.
News followed soon after Pariaman's closing that the historic corner spot was taken over by Sederhana, the nasi padang mega chain from Indonesia.
Sederhana Singapore opened on 29 May 2026.
Truth be told, I wasn't filled with enthusiasm when kaki kaki jio-ed (invited) me to try out the McDonald's of nasi padang. Afterall, I have tried Sederhana in Jakarta and Batam before. It is not the same type of nasi padang as Pariaman.
Anyway, not surprisingly Sederhana Singapore was full house when we got there on a blazingly hot Monday afternoon.
There were some minor renovations as far as I could see but the layout was much the same as before, during Pariaman's time.
There's an air conditioned section upstairs but kaki kaki chose to eat downstairs - street ambiance like the good old Pariaman days, but very hot lah.... š„
Overall, the dishes were all tasty. I enjoyed every dish. Pricing was competitive, just very marginally higher than during Pariaman's time.
I shall just highlight the quintessentially Minangkabau icons, rendang daging and ayam pop (because, if these pass ✔️ it's worth the trip already mah).
The beef rendang was tender, moist, well infused with coconut milk and spice flavours. I like.
(Personally, I prefer this tender moist rendang than the firm, almost hard kind I often get in Indonesia.)
The ayam pop was tender, discernible natural fresh chicken sweetness blended with infused gentle coconut sweetness and light spices. The chicken thigh was boiled in coconut water and spices, then lightly deep fried, hence its unique look and taste.
Spicy heat from the brilliant rouge colour tomato chili sambal.
More dishes.
Touch my heart, there was nothing I didn't like here.
If you ask me, I'll say the dishes though not quite the same, were more reminiscent of Pariaman than what I remembered of Sederhana of Jakarta and Batam.
And, I like it that way.
But, that's just me lah.
Restaurant name: Sederhana Singapore
Address: 738 N Bridge Rd, Singapore 198706
Nearest MRT: 15 minutes walk from Bugis station
Tel: 82432542
Hours: 8am - 5pm
Written by Tony Boey on 11 Jun 2026
Who is Tony Johor Kaki?
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