Rumah Makan Minang, established in 1954 on historic Kandahar Street in the heart of Kampong Glam, stands as one of Singapore's oldest and most authentic Indonesian restaurants, specializing in traditional Minangkabau cuisine from West Sumatra. Located at 18/18A Kandahar Street with stunning views of the iconic Sultan Mosque and proximity to the Malay Heritage Centre, this halal-certified establishment has been serving the Muslim community and Indonesian cuisine enthusiasts for over seven decades. The restaurant's prime location in Singapore's Malay heritage district makes it not just a dining destination but a cultural landmark that connects diners to the rich Indonesian traditions that form an integral part of Singapore's multicultural food landscape.\n\nThe restaurant's menu showcases the best of Minangkabau cuisine, with their legendary beef rendang leading a comprehensive selection that includes ayam gulai (chicken curry), paru belado (spiced lung), ikan belado hijau (green chili fish), sotong masak hitam (squid in black sauce), and gulai nangka (jackfruit curry). Their signature Indonesian tahu telur (egg tofu) has earned particular acclaim, while their Mee Rebus features a notably thick, flavorful sauce that exemplifies authentic Indonesian preparation methods. The traditional nasi padang service style allows diners to select from an array of pre-prepared dishes, creating personalized combinations that reflect the diverse flavors and cooking techniques that define Minangkabau culinary culture. Each dish is prepared using traditional spice blends and cooking methods that have remained largely unchanged since the restaurant's founding.\n\nDespite facing the challenges of evolving tastes and increased competition in the area, Rumah Makan Minang continues to hold historical significance as a pioneer of Indonesian cuisine in Singapore. While recent reviews reflect mixed experiences – with some customers noting changes in taste and portion sizes over the years, others still praise the authentic flavors and hot, fresh preparation of their signature dishes. The restaurant operates multiple locations including outlets in Jurong West and Tampines, and offers comprehensive catering services for private and corporate functions. Beyond its commercial success, Rumah Makan Minang serves as a cultural bridge, introducing non-Indonesian diners to authentic Minangkabau flavors while providing a taste of home for the Indonesian community, making it an essential part of Singapore's Indonesian culinary heritage that spans nearly three-quarters of a century.
Lets be straightforward:
FOOD - Portion and taste-wise has dropped, but quality? Check out the pic,
Let's be straightforward:
FOOD - Portion and taste-wise have dropped, but quality? Check out the pic, it was like I was eating an overboiled ketupat, bro. The rice was way too mushy and for the price paid, definitely disappointing.
SERVICE - Can be way, way improved. Makcik stationed there, I don't know if you're the manager or one of the business owners, but you've got to go, man, or at least be more empathetic with your tone. Why be so strict with customers? I'm a paying customer and it's not nice to be treated with such a tone. Understand your customers better by learning to be more empathetic, please.
Gone are the good ol' days of Minang.
Peter Tan
Sunday, 24 Aug at 1:30pm. The servers skipped 4 persons behind my wife to serve them even when my wi
Sunday, 24 Aug at 1:30pm. The servers skipped four people ahead of my wife to serve them, even when my wife waved and tapped the glass shelves at the servers. It was as if she was invisible, and the servers just stared at us. Finally, when we placed our order, they said they no longer had long tong. No apology was offered by any of the servers. When I approached the manager, she tried to resolve it by saying it was just a mistake. Could you skip four people in a line as a mistake? What kind of mistake is that?
Miskah Efa
First visit here and was looking forward after checking out the menu online, with Indomie and Tahu t
This was my first visit, and I was looking forward to it after checking out the menu online, which included Indomie and Tahu Telor. When we went to the counter, I asked where the food menu was so our children could view it and make their own decisions, as all we saw was the drink menu. The lady at the counter replied, "No menu, all here (pointing to the dishes to eat with rice) and breakfast menu." I had to ask what the breakfast menu was, as she seemed to expect me to read her mind. "Mee soto, mee rebus..." Our children settled for mee soto, and we ordered our drinks. I guess the Indomie and Tahu Telor menu was not available at this outlet.
Husband and I proceeded to select our dishes to eat with rice. Oh dear, the horror! The trays were only one-third filled. There was no menu for pricing, so the bill would be a happy surprise later. It's not like buying clothes where you can decide to omit an item before payment. The dishes are served directly on the plate, with no returns. Please have some decency and spend money to put up a menu. Other nasi padang places proudly display their prices on printed menus. Whether expensive or affordable, at least the buyer knows what they are getting into when ordering. The receipt printed the food items nicely with flair, but transparent pricing before ordering seemed too much to ask. Oh well~
After making payment, the lady at the counter informed us that the mee soto would be collected at the Collection Point. We took our drinks and sat down. We saw other tables having tahu telor and ikan botok. Then we saw the TV displaying other menu items: Indomie, Ikan botok, tahu telor, with one menu item appearing every 3 seconds. You can prepare such nice slides/videos, but no decent, straightforward menu? Another big disappointment.
After 10 minutes, the mee soto was still not ready. Even a school canteen can prepare food much faster. My husband went to the counter again. The Team Leader asked him what he needed. He replied, "I ordered two mee soto." The Team Leader asked, "Eating here?" Husband said yes. The Team Leader then asked the lady who took our order, and it turned out the order had not even been communicated to the kitchen to prepare? Speechless. No initiative, no mood to work, not even trying to sell what the shop has to offer when there's no menu. She could have shared verbally, right? Why be employed in the first place? With such ignorance, why bother working in the service line?
The mee soto was delivered within 5 minutes. We ate, left the place, and promised we would never come back. Goodbye.
Zack Ali SG
We came on a Sunday 14th Sept. Found seats for 4 and sat down. Looked for a menu and was told there'
We came on Sunday, 14th September. We found seats for 4 and sat down. We looked for a menu and were told there isn't one, and we could just choose from what's available. We ordered 2 sets of nasi padang and 2 mee soto. The 2 nasi were brought to the table, and we waited for the 2 mee soto. After a while, I went to the counter and saw every staff doing their own thing. When I asked about the mee soto, THEN they initiated to make it. A major turn-off.
We also realized, after sitting down, that there were more types of food being served, just by watching what was shown on the TV. There was also a TV showing numbers for customers waiting for their food. Why didn't anyone tell us about this?
It's clear that the staff working on a weekend is not keen to work. It's like they were forced to work. The guy with the red t-shirt and 'Team Leader' on the back was doing almost everything. Pity him, but I guess the other staff wouldn't care.
This long post is to mention that this is the first and last time we will come here to eat. Such wonderful service... not.
This review is edited after I read all the 1-star reviews. Almost the same experiences. I should have read those 1-star reviews before coming here.
Also, luckily, we paid for the meals using a CDC voucher.
Come on, Minang team, wake up.
Positive Reviews
Mohamed Hanif
I remember there used to be another eatery here.hmm ,must be long since i came around this area...
P
I remember there used to be another eatery here. Hmm, it must have been a long time since I came around this area. The place has a big footprint and looks spacious, able to hold more than 50 pax. The staffs were very friendly. It's quite a cozy place. There didn't seem to be any pricing for the food, but I saw one for the drinks near the cashier.
Nadia
We patronise here and love the food everytime we visit. I have no bad experience when dining in ruma
We patronise here and love the food every time we visit. I have had no bad experiences when dining at Rumang Makan Minang @ OTH. The food was great, especially the beef rendang and botok-botok ikan. The service was superb and most importantly, the place is clean. Definitely my first choice when it comes to nasi padang.
Aishah Zakaria
A regular at RMM Tampines and I went to Jurong to satisfy my “Indonesian home-cooked” cravings. On t
A regular at RMM Tampines, I visited the Jurong branch to satisfy my "Indonesian home-cooked" cravings. On top of that, the service never disappoints—it's fast and efficient. The staff were friendly and made the whole dining experience smooth. Definitely one of the best meals I've had in a while (our empty plates speak for themselves)!!
Dina Amina
Great malay cuisine, very well seasoned. My fav soft and crispy bagedil 😭💗 really clean and comforta
Great Malay cuisine, very well seasoned. My favourite soft and crispy bagedil! Really clean and comfortable outlet with plenty of seats. Staff even bothered to have a chat with us and check in that everything was well. The atmosphere is pleasant and fully air-conditioned.
Evelyn
Rumah Makan Minang - Our Tampines Hub! Visited the stall. Variety of the food is many and food quali
Rumah Makan Minang - Our Tampines Hub! Visited the stall. The variety of food is extensive, and I would say the food quality is awesome, authentic, and made for a nice lunch. There was a long queue when we arrived, and absolutely no seats were available. We bought our food and found a seat along the walkway of Tampines Hub. The service could definitely be better. The person who helped us with the food missed out one dish from our friend's order. When we informed the cashier, he told us to re-queue. This is an area they can improve on. Imagine, we weren't the ones who made the mistake, and no apology was given, yet we were told to queue up again. We had no choice but to queue up again and re-order one of the dishes missed by the staff.
