Sederhana Replaces Warong Nasi Pariaman in Kampong Glam
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- Sederhana opened its first Singapore outlet on May 29 at 738 North Bridge Road in Kampong Glam, taking over the shophouse where Warong Nasi Pariaman had served nasi padang for 78 years before closing in January; a queue had formed inside by 11am and the first customer walked in at 7.10am.
- Asyraf Rasheed, 33, a Republic Polytechnic pharmaceutical-science graduate who worked as a biotechnologist before pivoting to F&B at 25 on a two-year pact, invested a mid-six-figure sum — including renovations — and reached Sederhana's third-generation Indonesian owners via mutual contacts after Pariaman's closure.
- Some former Warong Nasi Pariaman cooks now work at Sederhana Singapore, having been sent to Jakarta for two weeks to train with the Indonesian chain's team on its cooking techniques, though Asyraf declined to say how many or which ones.
- Sederhana Singapore currently serves 25 to 30 dishes daily with spices and ingredients sourced directly from Indonesia, and prices closely track the former tenant: beef rendang is S$6 versus Pariaman's S$5.50, and ayam bakar is S$6 versus S$6.50.
- Asyraf rejected accusations that installing an Indonesian franchise was disrespectful to Pariaman's legacy, telling 8days.sg 'we're not trying to take over anyone's legacy' and arguing that Sederhana's established brand preserves authentic Minang cuisine better than a new homegrown concept could.
Why it matters: The replacement of a 78-year-old Singaporean nasi padang institution with Indonesia's 200-outlet Sederhana chain hands Kampong Glam a different kind of heritage tenant. Some former Pariaman cooks retrained in Jakarta and prices barely budged (rendang S$6 vs S$5.50), but the concept and ownership are now entirely Indonesian — a trade-off from local legacy to brand-backed authenticity that Asyraf himself frames as 'big shoes to fill.'
