I am a Chinese. However, I do not crave Chinese food. Well perhaps other than the occasional hotpot, I will not seek out Chinese food. I am perhaps a good representation of Singapore’s multiculturalism. I prefer Indian and Malay cuisine. For Indian cuisine, I love prata and naan. Plaster and Kashmiri in particular respectively. For Malay cuisine, I love mee rebus and nasi padang.
Today we are here to discuss Nasi Padang and my default option. Let me explain what is the meaning of default. There can be much debate as to which place serves the best nasi padang. While we may all agree to disagree, I usually have one place I will head to when I want to have a particular food and I cannot decide on the best option. HJH Maimunah Restaurant is my default go-to place for Nasi Padang. The quality is always consistent, the people are always welcoming, and there is usually a short wait during meal times but not excessively long. In fact, the longest I have ever waited for a table was 30 minutes. The restaurant is generally clean and there is always help to carry your dishes up to the second level if you get a table there (Even though I usually bring my own food up myself, this is important for those who have difficulty climbing stairs).
One thing I have always wanted to ask…
How is this a lodging house?!?!?!
I think they cannot be bothered to change their signboard as they are focused on serving up good nasi padang. There is a reason why they are on the Michelin Bib Gourmand list for multiple years. Their food is just plain good. It is not too oily and greasy and yet intensely flavourful. Is it the best nasi padang in Singapore? I believe naming one particular restaurant as being the best nasi padang would be close to impossible. Nasi padang is an assortment of items for customers to choose from to make up their own dish. Hence one item can be great at a particular nasi padang stall but another item can be mediocre. I know of many people around me who will proclaim that they have better nasi padang options for nasi padang than HJH Maimunah Restaurant. However, what HJH Maimunah Restaurant does good is that every dish they serve is a minimum solid 7/10.
There are two levels to this restaurant with the first level being where you make your orders. The restaurant is very clean and organised. Once you are done with your orders, you head to the cashier to make payment. While it is daunting that you do not get to see how much each item costs, rest assured it is not going to be the most expensive nasi padang meal of your life. I will attach the amount I paid for a meal for 7 people at the end of this article.
You make your selection here and if you are unsure as to what to order, feel free to ask. Everyone (who I have interacted with) is generally very helpful and friendly.
Hot tip: If you see this, grab it! This is called tahu telur. Thank me later.
If you are a health conscious individual like me and are already feeling very guilty when it comes to how unhealthy the main meal is turning out to be, then I’d suggest veering away from the dessert section.
The lady behind the counter has never failed to convince me to order items from her stall. I have tried on numerous occasions but I have always fallen prey to this auntie’s convincing. Well, if you are going to wreck a diet, you might as well do it with something good. This is something REALLY good.
Here is everything that I ordered.
There were 7 of us. While we not huge eaters, we were full. The bill just crossed $51. This did not include the drinks and goreng pisangs (friend bananas). It should have come up to about $60 thereabouts.
Is this a place I would return? Yes. I have been doing that for a very long time. There is something comforting about having a more than decent nasi padang meal and HJH Maimunah Restaurant always hits the spot.
Yours sincerely,
Daryl
Hjh Maimunah Restaurant and Catering
Address: 11 Jalan Pisang, Singapore 199078
Opening hours: Mondays to Saturdays 7:30 am to 6:30 pm (Closed on Sundays)
p.s. they have other outlets located at Joo Chiat and Kitchener Road. However, I have never been to their other outlets. I believe this outlet at Jalan Pisang is their main outlet.
