IT may have the word "sederhana" (Malay for average or mediocre) in its name, but Restoran Sederhana is nothing but average.
The chain restaurant with branches in Malaysia and Indonesia specialises in Padang cuisine of the Minangkabau ethnic group in the West Sumatera.
Padang food is mostly coconut milk-based and heavy on chili (read: their variety of sambal).
So, here I am at Restoran Sederhana in Jalan Raja Abdullah, Kampung Baru at the recommendation of Derrick, a Kampung Baru native who does Kampung Baru tour.
Joining Derrick and I is my 17-year-old nephew. We take a Grab to the location knowing that there is limited parking space within the restaurant compound.
THE SETTING
The restaurant spots a typical setting of a Nasi Padang restaurant. There is an array of dishes on display to choose from and one is definitely spoiled for choice.
Diners have a choice of "hidang" option (chosen dishes served in individual saucers and spread out on the table for everyone to share) or "Nasi campur" style, having all the chosen dishes piled up on a plate of rice.
They also can choose to dine in the air conditioned dining area or the non air conditioned. Bottles of Tehbotol and mineral water are placed on each table to give that ubiquitous Nasi Padang restaurant setting. Tehbotol is jasmine infused tea, a popular go-to beverage in Indonesia.
THE CHOICES
We opt for the "hidang" option. Between the three of us, we select eight dishes in small portions with a strategy to try as many dishes as possible. On our order list are gulai tunjang, dendeng batokok, perkedel, sayur daun singkong, sayur nangka, ikan talapia bakar, gulai ikan kakap and sambal hijau.
All the names of the dishes are in Minangkabau dialect.
THE FEAST
I start with bergedil, egg-coated deep fried potato patties.
The meatless mashed potatoe is soft and well seasoned, making it a good start to our hearty meal.
Gulai tunjang or beef tendon on Padang-style curry is next. I'm amazed at how soft the tendons are. The soft, gelatinous and chewable tendons are cooked in a santan-based gravy with various spices. It has a slight hint of daun salam which makes this dish taste pleasant. Daun salam is bay leaf and is widely used in Indonesian cuisine. It has a distinctive flavour and can be overpowering.
I move on dendeng batokok, another Minang's authentic dish. Dendeng refers to the thinly sliced, smashed and fried meat. The keropok-like meat comes with sambal balado, a red chilli sambal. It is alright but I would prefer if the meat has a little bite to it.
We have two kinds of fish dishes - ikan talapia bakar and gulai ikan kakap.
Ikan talapia bakar is grilled tilapia basted in a sambal. The sambal is quite nice but it doesn't do much to disguise the fishy taste of the tilapia. Thankfully gulai ikan kakap (red snapper in santan-based gravy) saves the day.
There are not many vegetable choices left as it's already past lunch hour.
We go for sayur daun singkong and sayur nangka. Both sayur daun singkong (tapioca shoots) and sayur nangka (young jackfruit) are cooked in santan. The vegetables are salty to my taste buds but otherwise quite well cooked.
THE HEAT
For most people, the heat bar of Padang cuisine is just right, thanks to the santan but I belong to the lefties.
Even the sambal balado are not spicy enough for me as my tolerance for spiciness is more than average.
Perhaps in future, I should ask for bird's eye chilli (cili api) or bring my own.
One visit to a Nasi Padang joint is not enough if you are curious to try all the dishes.
FAST FACTS
RESTORAN SEDERHANA SA KAMPUNG BARU
WHERE No 89 Jalan Raja Abdullah, Kampung Baru, 50350, Kuala Lumpur
TEL 03-26022972
HOURS 9.30am -10pm daily
EAT Padang/Minangkabau Cuisine
MUST TRY Gulai Tunjang
PAY From RM10
MOOD Simple ambience
SERVICE Staff are attentive and efficient
I SAY Give it a try
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