Rumah Makan Minang

The Fable

Tucked away in an innocuous corner of Kandahar Street is a restaurant that has been dishing out the best in Minangkabau cuisine since 1950. Stemming from a territorial dispute, some 600 years ago, between the Javanese and the Sumatrans, the word �Minangkabau� quintessentially means �winning cow�. The victorious bovine in question was a young calf that the Sumatrans used to challenge the strongest cow that the Javanese could offer. The tiny calf won when it gouged the cow with a set of false horns as it tried to feed on the cow; the Sumatrans held on to their territory and their village had been christened Minangkabau ever since. 

Situated at the Sultan Mosque area ever since its inception, Rumah Makan Minang was originally referred to by its clientele as �Nasi Kandar� Stall� till its final current name change. An ever popular place to dine even during its founding, Mr Zain attributed this popularity to the proliferation of travel agents in the area who cater to the droves of Muslims who intend to perform the holy Haj to Mecca and the fact that it was in the Kampong Jawa and Arab street area where the bulk of Arab businessmen conducted their businesses. 

The Food

Setting up shop in the midst of the thriving Arab business community then, Mr Zain, the current owner, explained that his great grand father was one of the few to have brought true authentic Minangkabau cuisine over to Singapore. Hailed as the culinary superstar of Indonesia, Minangkabau food is synonymous with Padang cuisine, and is probably as much a part of the local diet of the Indonesians as chicken rice is to the Chinese.  

One of the signature dishes that Rumah Makan Minang offers is their Beef Rendang. A fine example of the dry curries of Sumatra, rendang (meat cooked in a deep coconut curry sauce) was, according to Mr Zain, originally prepared with the indigenous Sumatran buffalo. He explained that rendang serves a twin purpose besides its gustatory appeal; in the days when refrigerators were not available, rendang was especially prized for the fact that it can last for a month without spoiling. And hiring chefs only from their native Sumatra, Mr Zain mentioned that diners can be assured of only the most authentic and traditional of Minangkabau cuisine.