I was delighted when one of my "makan kakis" suggested that we go for Nasi Padang for lunch one Sunday. He told me there's this family run well-known place and I should try it.
We got there about 12.30pm and I was shocked to see such a looong queue. There were many Chinese, Malays, Peranakans and tourists. My friend joined the line and after I told him what I wanted, I "chopped" a table. I was also told that there's an air-conditioning area upstairs but it would be a pain if we were going to ask for seconds :P
After what seemed like a long wait, the food arrived. I tried the Asam Pedas Tenggiri. It was good, not too spicy and I love the daun kesum (thai basil). However, I suspected that there's a bit of tomato in this dish and that is more Malay than Padang. The Beef Rendang was tender and sauce was delicious, although slightly spicy for me. The Chilli Chicken dish was hot but tolerable, the chicken was fried and the pounded green and red chilli paste was spread all over the chicken. Drool material. The Sambal Paru (beef lungs) was standard and we had two plates of it because we generally like paru. Sambal Goreng (long beans and fried tofu) was average.
All in all, we enjoyed our meal as we polished off two plates of rice each :D. I think it's very good Nasi Padang for Singapore. Of course, you can't compare to the ones in Jakarta as those are unbeatable. I will definitely come again.
After the meal, we walked around feeling like tourists as my friend was snapping away with his new camera, capturing the sights of the charming Arab Street.
*Halal
Ratings:
Rendang: 9/10
Asam Pedas: 8/10
Chilli Chicken: 8.5/10
Sambal Paru: 7.5/10
Sambal Goreng: 6/10
Rumah Makan Minang
18 & 18A Kandahar Street
Near Arab Street, behind Sultan Mosque
Tel: 6294-4805
