Indonesian Food Makes a Big Comeback in Singapore

Indonesian food is having a major moment in Singapore. Several new restaurants and food stalls have opened in 2025, bringing dishes like nasi padang and bakmi to more diners than ever before. One of the biggest openings is Sederhana Singapore, which took over a historic shophouse on North Bridge Road in Kampong Gelam. The spot was once home to Warong Nasi Pariaman, a beloved restaurant that served customers for 78 years before closing. Now, Indonesian cuisine is back at that same address — and it is drawing lots of attention.

Sederhana Singapore soft-opened on May 29 and had its grand opening on June 14. The restaurant is run by co-owner Asyraf Rasheed, 33, who feels the weight of taking over such a well-known space. 'There is pressure to live up to the history and reputation of that particular shophouse space,' he says. To keep the food tasting true to the Indonesian original, the restaurant flies in spice mixes from Indonesia. Asyraf says this adds to costs, but it helps the restaurant stay faithful to the recipes.

Sederhana was founded in Indonesia in 1972 and now has more than 200 outlets there. It also has outlets in Malaysia and plans to open in Melbourne, Australia. Asyraf is the exclusive franchisee for Singapore, meaning he is the only person allowed to run Sederhana outlets here. From late January, he travelled to Jakarta four to five times a month to work out the details with Sederhana's owners. In May, he brought three cooks to Jakarta for ten days of intensive training, where the team learned about 30 dishes.

Two of the most popular items on the menu are Beef Rendang ($6) and Ayam Pop ($6). Beef Rendang is beef cooked slowly with coconut milk and spices until it turns dark and rich. Ayam Pop is poached chicken served with sambal, a spicy sauce. Asyraf has a personal connection to both dishes — on family trips to Batam and Jakarta, he always ate at Sederhana and remembered those two dishes most. The Kampong Gelam outlet has 70 seats on each floor, and more than $200,000 was spent on renovations.

At a food hall called New Bahru on Kim Yam Road, two more Indonesian food spots have also opened. One is Kios Minang, a fast-casual kiosk connected to Rumah Makan Minang, a heritage restaurant chain that started in 1986. The other is the second outlet of Kulon, which sells Indonesian bakmi — a dry wheat egg noodle dish. Both are winning over new fans who may not have tried Indonesian food before. Together, they are helping to give Indonesian cuisine a fresh, modern image.

Kios Minang is run by Mohamad Ariff Mohamad Zin, 36, the director and executive chef of Rumah Makan Minang. He came up with the kiosk idea as a way to bring nasi padang to younger diners at a lower cost than opening a full restaurant. Kios Minang opened on April 28, cost about $80,000 to set up, and serves about 20 dishes daily. One of its top sellers is the Padang Wrap ($12), filled with rice, shredded beef rendang, salsa, gravy, and sambal, and served with cassava chips. Ariff says the wrap is a healthier choice because traditional nasi padang dishes can be quite rich and oily.

Ariff studied culinary arts management and once worked at a luxury catering company in New York. A chef friend there asked why he was cooking French and Italian food when his family had a restaurant built on his own culture. 'A lightbulb went off in my head,' Ariff says, and he returned to Singapore to join the family business. He slow-cooks the restaurant's rendang over direct heat for six hours, believing only this method can produce the right traditional taste. He hopes to eventually expand Kios Minang to heartland malls and takeaway kiosks across Singapore.

Kulon was started by Haris Ahmad, 30, whose mother is from Semarang in Central Java, Indonesia. He visited relatives there nearly every year while growing up, and bakmi brings back strong memories of family meals. 'For me, bakmi is more than just a noodle dish. It represents family, nostalgia and a connection to my Indonesian heritage,' he says. The New Bahru kiosk opened on May 1 and offers ten variants of bakmi. Many dishes were developed by Haris and his mother, based on recipes passed down from his late grandmother.

Behind the growth of Indonesian food in Singapore is also the work of Billy Anugrah, 42, a trade attaché at the Indonesian Embassy. Since 2023, he has helped build the Rasa Indonesia Singapore chapter, a group of about 29 Indonesian food and beverage businesses with some 60 outlets. Billy points to Singaporeans travelling to Indonesian cities after the Covid-19 pandemic, the power of social media, and a new generation of skilled Indonesian operators as key reasons for the cuisine's rising popularity. 'Indonesian food has always been world-class, but the business of the food just recently caught up,' he says.

Billy sees food as one of the best ways to connect different cultures and peoples. He says, 'Food is the most honest form of diplomacy. Trade agreements take years to negotiate. Rendang needs only one spoonful.' The Embassy of Indonesia in Singapore supports these efforts to raise the profile of Indonesian cuisine around the world. With so many new openings and growing interest from diners, Indonesian food in Singapore is no longer just part of the background — it is firmly in the spotlight.