Nasi Padang in Ipoh

I cut and pasted this post from Motormouth From Ipoh. Nasi Padang, who fancy going there for a lunch??? Tali care to give us your food review?

Nasi Padang @ Restoran Simpang Tiga, Ipoh

J2Kfm | September 18, 2009

Restoran Simpang Tiga is a famous chain of Nasi Padang restaurants originating from Indonesia, with five branches operating over in our neighbouring country. Nasi Padang resembles our very own Malay rice with dishes, or “Nasi Berlauk”, albeit with a little tweaks here and there. The Nasi Padang moniker actually pays tribute to the origin of the food;, whereby Padang is in fact a city in West Sumatra of Indonesia.

Clean & spacious ambience, with decor reminiscing of Minangkabau influences. Even most of the staff are from Indonesia. The Bergedil is a potato patty with minced meat, while Tempe Kacang is an addictive side dish, yet supposedly pose healthy benefits

Nasi Padang is the epitome of Minangkabau cuisine, but most of the dishes have already been incorporated into the array of Malay dishes commonly found in rice stalls all over Malaysia. The spread of dishes at Simpang Tiga was mind-boggling to an extent, with not less than 20 dishes being offered on the afternoon we patronized the outlet.

The huge space occupied by the restaurant (at least 4 shoplots in Greentown Square of Ipoh – a new business centre in the heart of the city) allows a large seating capacity, perfect for functions, or dinners to be held at the premise. The design of the restaurant exudes a traditional, rustic charm, with two main seating areas being Indoor (with air-conditioning) and Outdoor (al fresco style).

Nope, they ain’t truffles. Nor any variants of the fungal family.

The restaurant is opened from 11am until 11pm daily, and you can either order from the menu, OR choose to have your plate of rice with dishes served together, ala typical Nasi Berlauk style.

Restoran Simpang Tiga was launched with much hype and fanfare, with the utmost honour of being officiated by the Sultan of Perak, back in August 2009. My guess is that this restaurant may seem like a promising chain,with high possibility of branching out to other towns, or even states in the near future.

Steaming white rice served in the rattan basket lined with banana leaf, the signature chicken dishes, Tempe Kacang (Fermented Soybeans stir-fried with Peanuts, Chillies and Onions) and Daun Ubi Tumbuk (Ground/Pureed Cassava Leaves)

They serve Ayam Kampung, or free range chicken which is widely acknowledged as the superior choice when it comes to chicken, for the meat is prized for its naturally firmer texture.

A total of seven ways of serving the chicken are available at Simpang Tiga, with the signature Ayam Bumbu Kampung, Ayam Goreng Pop Kampung, Ayam Goreng Gebok Kampung and even Ayam Penyet being highly recommended choices. Sad to say, the latter two options were not available on the day we had our lunch there, hence we settled for the Ayam Bumbu and Ayam Goreng Pop instead.

Ayam Bumbu Kampung, Ayam Goreng Pop Kampung, and Avocado Juice with Chocolate Syrup (Jus Apulkat)

Both the chickens are priced at RM5.50 per piece, and much to our chagrin, had similar resemblance amongst them. Both were deep-fried, but the Bumbu version was served with the ‘Bumbu’ (or paste I think) made up of strands of ginger, chillies and spices, almost like meat floss. The firm yet tender meat was thankfully moist enough to be eaten without accompanying sauce or sambal (which by the way, is NOT complimentary with the dishes, and every small plate cost RM1 each).

The side dishes of Daun Ubi Tumbuk (RM3.80) and Tempe Kacang (RM2.80) completed our lunch ensemble, with the former outshining the latter, for the rich, creamy and rather raw concoction reminded me of Palak Paneer (Indian dish of mashed spinach with cottage cheese). The pungent, green and raw taste of the ground cassava leaves may not suits everyone’s tastebuds (eg. my lunch companion, Mr Z for one), but personally I felt the spoonfuls of greens grew on me as I got accustomed to the flavours.

The Tempe, or Tempeh (fermented soybeans) fared not too well in my books, with the pre-cooked tempe kacang lacking in the freshness department, the peanuts softened and offered not much of a bite.

The front facade of the Nasi Padang restaurant – Easily located, with ample parking spaces around the vicinity

Most of the other dishes are meant to be shared amongst, say, a table of four and above. Ranging from the average Gulai to various seafoods cooked in a myriad of ways. A definite hit amongst the lunch crowd due to the strategic location of this restaurant, plus the ample parking spaces (Greentown Square charges parking fees from RM0.60 and above, if I remember correctly).

Restoran Simpang Tiga

D-G, Greentown Square,

Jalan Dato Seri Ahmad Said,

30450 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.

Tel No : +605-255 1220/1180

Here’s a GOOGLE MAP for easy reference.