Three generations, one set of recipes
Our story started in the 1920s with a push cart in Kampong Glam, run by Haji Marlian Athar and Hajjah Rosmah Mailu. A sailor friend painted their signboard, "Sabar Menanti", meaning "wait patiently". In 1932 the cart became a small restaurant at the corner of Bussorah Street, which the family ran for around forty years.
In 1994 their daughter Maryulis opened Sabar Menanti at 747 North Bridge Road, the shop many people knew as Sabar Menanti 2. In 2022 we moved a few doors down to 719 North Bridge Road, and her son Iszahar Tambunan now runs the kitchen. The full timeline is on our story page.
What the press has written
In April 2024, CNA Lifestyle ran "Sabar Menanti's nasi padang is literally worth the wait, from beef rendang to ayam bakar". In August 2024, 8 Days wrote about a 12-year-old who declared herself the next boss of the family shop.
Seth Lui has also reviewed our nasi padang. We would rather you read their words than ours, so the links go straight to the articles.
What diners say
These are reviews left on Google, quoted as written.
Heiril Osman: "Food is awesome, good variety for a full meal or a quick snack. Good for a quiet breakfast, before stepping into the daily storm called the office. Or life."
Nike Clooner: "Breakfast as early as 7am? You won't be disappointed. Came by twice during our staycay at the nearest hotel. Service was fast and friendly. Recommended."
Erni M. Kasim: "For some local experience, try this place near Arab Street. A good variety of dishes, kuih-kuih and local drinks, and they are tasty."
What to order to judge us fairly
If you only try one thing, make it the beef rendang, slow-cooked for hours in coconut and spice until dark and tender. It is the dish the family is most often asked about.
Round out the plate with a few of the regulars below. The counter changes daily, so check the menu and ask what came out of the kitchen that morning.
- Ayam Kalio: chicken braised slowly in a rich, spiced coconut gravy
- Ikan Bakar: turmeric-marinated fish, grilled and glazed with sambal
- Sambal Goreng: tempeh, tofu and long beans in a glossy chilli sambal
- Sayur Lodeh: a gentle yellow coconut curry of garden vegetables
- Telur Balado: boiled eggs in bright, smoky red chilli
Familiar faces at the table
Over the years a few well-known guests have been photographed at our shop: Anthony Bourdain with Singapore actor Najib Ali, Olympic gold medallist Joseph Schooling, former Malaysian Minister of Health Khairy Jamaluddin, Indonesian singer and actor Marcell Siahaan, and food video blogger Padu Beb.
None of that cooks the rendang, of course. The same family recipes do, every morning from 7:00am, Tuesday to Sunday.