http://sg.entertainment.yahoo.com/news/nasi-padang-connection-kampong-glam-131040031.html
The Nasi Padang Connection in Kampong Glam
By Sheere Ng | Makansutra – Wed, May 15, 2013 9:10 PM SGT
* Email
* Share
*
*
*
* Print
Rendang is the mainstay of Nasi Padang
Text and images by Sheere Ng
Raffles’ treaty with Sultan Hussein Shah in 1819 not only turned Singapore into
a world class trading port but also facilitated the importation of regional and
international, chiefly European, Chinese, Arab and Malaccan and Sumatran
cuisines. They were the food of our original “foreign talents” immigrants.
As the Sultan was given areas of land in Kampong Glam under the treaty, Malays
and Muslim immigrants to Singapore congregated there, so did their food culture
One of which is Nasi Padang, from Padang in West Sumatra, Indonesia.
Sabar Menanti
Likely, the first known proper Nasi Padang stall to open in the area was Sabar
Menanti, originally at 62 Kandahar Street. It was opened in 1945 by a man
called Mr Bagindor Marlien who came from Pariaman, a city in West Sumatra,
according to his son Mr Lizar Marlien. Three years later, Haji Isrin bin
Ibrahim from the same kampong (village) opened Warung Nasi Pariaman at 738
North Bridge where they have been since. In 1967, Mdm Hajjah Sharifah also from
Pariaman opened Hajjah Ratna Nasi Padang at Aliwal Street.
Warung Pariaman
Hajjah Ratna
Up till the 80s, these three stalls were recognised as the go-to places for
Nasi Pandang. They coexisted amicably and even became families when the second
generations of Sabar Menanti and Warung Nasi Pariaman married into each other’s
families, and when Mdm Sharifah of Hajjah Ratna became Mr Marlien’s step
mother. Their good relationship (they borrow rice from one another when their
own supply runs dry) remains till today.
In the earlier days, these stalls sell mostly to Indonesian traders who
preferred the Kampong Glam area because there were cheap accommodations around
Masjid Sultan mosque – built for Sultan Hussein in 1820s. Since their customers
had fussy taste buds, the stalls stayed true to Padang cuisine, which is Pedas
(spicy) and rich, through and through. Dendeng Balado (fried beef lung with
chilli paste), Keripik Balado (chilli chips) and Gulai Nenas Muda (young
pineapple chicken curry) are some examples.
Dendeng balado
What the stalls offer today are remotely similar as they have switched to the
lesser spicy big red chilli to suit softer taste buds of the genteel generation
born and bred in Singapore.
The people and descendants of Padang are also uncompromising and even
inflexible about their meals. They yearn for Padang food and refuse to adapt to
other cuisines even when they are miles away, like when they are seeking
foreign jobs or to study, according to Mr Norfrins Napilus, a businessman based
in Padang and keen advocate of their heritage. For that same reason, the dishes
featured in Nasi Padang, each of which is a speciality of a city in west
Sumatra, have hardly evolved in decades. There is fish curry originating from
Pariaman, and the famous Rendang from Agam or Alahan Panjang, where the
coconut, an important ingredient for their gulai or curry gravy, is said to be
tastier than those found in the coastal areas. It is rare that a new creation,
such as Ayam Pop (skinless fried chicken, created in the 70s by a Padang
hawker), can be successfully introduced to the traditional spread.
Pedas or spicy is the characteristic of Nasi Padang
But in Kampong Glam, stiff competition forced many stalls to compromise and
improvise. There are now more than 10 establishments claiming to sell Nasi
Padang. “But if you see they sell Asam Pedas, that means not authentic
already,” says Mr Marlien.
His own family’s restaurants – his siblings subsequently opened Rumah Minang
and SabarMenanti II, where he is now helping out at – also sell the sour and
spicy fish stew, which would fit more appropriately with Nasi Melayu. But
because of customer’s request, they decided to add it into the menu, Mr Marlien
explains.
Ikan goreng lado mudo
But there is one of them that is regarded, even among competitors, as the only
stickler of Padang traditions – Warung Nasi Pariaman(although they adjust the
spice meter to suit new palates) . They still make their own coconut milk from
freshly grated coconut, which Mr Abdul Munaf Bin Isrin, one of the second
generations running the business, says is key in keeping the original flavours.
It also uses charcoal to cook Rendang and Ayam Bakar (grilled chicken). Asam
Pedas or Sotong Hitam are nowhere to be found at his stall. “We don’t want to
mix, so that we can keep the originality,” he says.
Mr Isrin says, the stall is doing well, as the packed crowds from morning till
2pm(when they close) each day would prove. Their business model is
authenticity, while others would modify and evolve. This is a matter of
survival in our fragile nasi padang industry. It’s like how some Chinese
dialect restaurants have begun to introduce each other’s popular dishes in
their menu- notice how Teochew ornee (yam paste) is found almost in every
Chinese restaurant’s menu?
In the spirit of authenticity, the World Street Food Congress has invited Mr
Afdal Fitra, who runs a humble street side Nasi Padang (Agam) stall in Padang,
Indonesia. He comes at the suggestion and invitation of their Regent or Bupati,
Mr Indra Catri. Catch him from 31stMay to 9th June at the F1 Paddock area.
The World Street Food Jamboree (31 May to 9 June) is a mega street food feast
featuring up to 40 of the world’s best street food masters from Indonesia,
India, Thailand, Vietnam, USA, Mexico, Malaysia, Denmark, China and Singapore.
The Jamboree aims to create better awareness for some of the lesser known but
still excellent street cuisine and the personalities behind it, bond
communities through a vibrant food experience and generate opportunities for
the public to the part of the industry. For more information, go to
www.wsfcongress.com
--
.
* Posting yg berasal dari Palanta RantauNet, dipublikasikan di tempat lain
wajib mencantumkan sumber: ~dari Palanta R@ntauNet~
* Isi email, menjadi tanggung jawab pengirim email.
===========================================================
UNTUK DIPERHATIKAN, melanggar akan dimoderasi:
- DILARANG:
1. E-mail besar dari 200KB;
2. E-mail attachment, tawarkan & kirim melalui jalur pribadi;
3. One Liner.
- Anggota WAJIB mematuhi peraturan serta mengirim biodata! Lihat di:
http://rantaunet.wordpress.com/2011/01/01/tata-tertib-adat-salingka-palanta-rntaunet/
- Tulis Nama, Umur & Lokasi disetiap posting
- Hapus footer & seluruh bagian tdk perlu dlm melakukan reply
- Untuk topik/subjek baru buat email baru, tdk mereply email lama & mengganti
subjeknya.
===========================================================
Berhenti, bergabung kembali, mengubah konfigurasi/setting keanggotaan di:
http://groups.google.com/group/RantauNet/
---
Anda menerima pesan ini karena Anda berlangganan grup "RantauNet" dari Grup
Google.
Untuk berhenti berlangganan dan berhenti menerima email dari grup ini, kirim
email ke rantaunet+berhenti [email protected] .
Untuk opsi lainnya, kunjungi https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
