Why nasi padang belongs in Kampong Glam
Nasi padang comes from the Minangkabau people of Padang, West Sumatra. It is a cuisine of slow-cooked rendang, fiery sambals and rich coconut curries, all served over rice. Kampong Glam, with Sultan Mosque at its heart, has long been a home for Malay, Javanese, Minang and Arab families, so the food followed the people.
Our own family is part of that story. In the 1920s, Haji Marlian Athar and Hajjah Rosmah Mailu sold nasi padang from a push cart here. A sailor friend painted them a signboard reading "Sabar Menanti", which means "wait patiently". You can read the full century on our story page.
Getting here
The easiest way in is by train. From Bugis MRT it is about a 5 minute walk to our door at 719 North Bridge Road. Head towards Sultan Mosque; we are a few steps from it, on North Bridge Road.
If you are driving, there is street parking along North Bridge Road. The lanes around the mosque are narrow and get busy, so give yourself a few extra minutes, especially around lunch.
- Address: 719 North Bridge Road, Singapore 198687
- Train: about 5 minutes on foot from Bugis MRT
- Car: street parking along North Bridge Road
- Landmark: a few steps from Sultan Mosque
Timing your visit
We open at 7:00am, Tuesday to Sunday, and close at 5:00pm. Mondays we are closed. Mornings are the calm hours: the counter is full, the rendang has had its time, and you can take your pick without a crowd behind you.
Lunch is when the queue forms, which is how we got our name. On Fridays the area fills up around midday prayers at Sultan Mosque, so the streets, the parking and the counters all get busier. If you want an easy meal on a Friday, come earlier in the morning or after the lunch crowd has eased.
How to order at the counter
There is no menu to memorise. Look over the dishes, point at what you want, and it is piled over steamed rice on one plate, gravy and all. Eat with your hands or a spoon, there is no hurry.
For a first plate, try beef rendang, a vegetable such as sayur lodeh or sambal goreng, and something with chilli like telur balado. The spread changes daily, so see our menu for the regular favourites and ask at the counter what is fresh today.
Walking it off: the streets around us
After your plate, the neighbourhood is made for walking. Sultan Mosque is right by us, and Bussorah Street runs up to it as a pedestrian street lined with shophouses. Arab Street is known for its textile and carpet shops, and Haji Lane for its small boutiques and murals.
Our family's first restaurant stood at the Bussorah Street and Kandahar Street corner from 1932, for around forty years. Some regulars still remember the shop at 747 North Bridge Road, which people called Sabar Menanti 2. Since 2022 we have been at 719 North Bridge Road, a few doors down.