When Sirajudeen Abuthahir, 51, was planning a new food business in 2025, he kept thinking about the crowds he had seen at nasi kandar eateries in Kuala Lumpur, including one owned by his Malaysian cousin. Many diners, he noticed, were Singaporeans who had travelled there just to eat the rice smothered in a mix of gravies.
The veteran in the food and beverage scene here felt the concept would draw local diners, and opened the first overseas outpost of Malaysian chain Nasi Kandar Saddam in Changi Road in November 2025. “Nasi kandar is still a niche in Singapore. We saw the gap in the market here,” he says.
Mohamed Ansar Ali, 37, had a similar thought when he opened South Indian mess-style eatery Ramnad Ponni Mess in Little India in 2025. With many Indian restaurants already operating here, he believed a new entrant needed a clearer identity to stand out.
“I want to move away from the generic Indian restaurant and bring traditional South Indian flavours to Singapore,” he says, adding that the competitive food and beverage scene meant he had to offer something different.
In recent months, several new eateries specialising in regional rice-and-curry cuisines have sprouted up here. Similar to how mala chains introduced diners to specific Chinese flavours, the latest arrivals include Malaysian nasi kandar stalls and South Indian mess-style restaurants which focus on food from Madurai, a city regarded as the food capital of Tamil Nadu.
Nasi kandar has roots in the cooking of Tamil Muslim traders who introduced their rice and curries to Malaysia in the early 20th century. A mess, by contrast, refers to a home-style South Indian eatery, usually associated with value-for-money meals of familiar fare.
In the past year, KL brands Nasi Kandar Saddam and Yaseem have opened in Singapore, while Ramnad Ponni Mess and Kumar Mess have set up in Little India, focusing on South Indian fare. Here is a closer look at these four newcomers.
Nasi Kandar Saddam: Straight from Kuala Lumpur
For Sirajudeen Abuthahir, 51, bringing Nasi Kandar Saddam to Singapore meant extending a family business. Founded in KL by his late uncle Mohamed Idris, the eatery is now run by his cousin Kareem Gani Mohamed Idris, 61.
After partnering on several Malaysian outlets, the duo expanded to Singapore in November 2025, opening their first stall within a coffee shop-style eatery in Changi Road.
His uncle had learnt to cook nasi kandar in Penang. In the 1950s, he started Ramjan Restoran in Alor Setar selling nasi kandar. He subsequently closed it and moved to KL, where he opened Nasi Kandar Saddam in 1978. He named the restaurant Saddam after one of his siblings.
Abuthahir, originally from Ramanathapuram in Tamil Nadu, came to Singapore in 1996 to marry a Singaporean. He became a Singapore citizen in 2002.
In the last three years, he partnered his cousin to open two outlets of Nasi Kandar Saddam in Shah Alam and Sepang. The family-run, Muslim-owned brand now has 20 outlets in Malaysia. Privy to his uncle’s recipes, Abuthahir worked closely with his cousin and their Malaysian team to open outlets in Singapore, which adhere to the same recipes and cooking methods.
An investment of $100,000 went into the brand’s first Singapore outpost, followed by a second outlet in Bedok North in February 2026. Abuthahir, who also owns Indian Muslim eatery Salmaan Food Paradise with two outlets in Jurong, says the decision to bring the brand here was driven by the need to offer something different in a competitive market.
To maintain consistency, four chefs trained for six months in the Malaysian outlets to learn the brand’s spice mixes, cooking techniques and preparation methods.
Fifteen to 20 dishes are prepared each day, with fresh batches cooked twice on weekdays and four times on weekends. Only minor tweaks have been made, such as adjusting the gravy mix to cater to local preferences for a gentler heat.
While the Malaysian outlets use fresh beef, the beef used in the local joints are frozen. But the outlets here use fresh chicken and seafood.
The stall offers two types of rice – plain Thai jasmine rice and, for those in the know, Nasi Kandar Alor Setar, which is turmeric spiced rice. It is prepared with fresh turmeric for its intense aroma, along with pandan leaves, curry leaves and fried onion. There is no extra charge for the spiced rice.
Among the popular items are the set meals. Ayam Bawang Saddam ($8) comes with fried chicken coated in a thick, savoury onion-based gravy, a serving of vegetable and rice. There are six vegetables to choose from, depending on availability, such as stir-fried cabbage, crispy battered cabbage, potato, steamed okra, snake gourd and bittergourd.
Customers can order whole raw green finger chillis ($1 for three) to go with their meal. The highlight is the combination of four to five gravies drizzled over the rice. Diners can ask for the blend to be mildly spicy instead of spicy.
Another set meal, also popular in the Malaysian outlets, is Beef Kicap ($8), which comprises chuck tender cooked in two types of soya sauces, onion and spices. The meal also comes with rice dunked in gravies and a choice of vegetables.
Abuthahir says the response since opening has been encouraging. He expects more operators to introduce similar concepts as people become more familiar with nasi kandar.
He plans to expand the brand in Singapore, with the aim of opening as many as eight outlets across the island.
The family is also looking at overseas locations, including Jakarta in Indonesia and Colombo in Sri Lanka, where he says the availability of fresh seafood and meat makes them suitable markets.
Where: 44 Changi Road and 01-55, Block 418 Bedok North Avenue 2
Open: 24 hours daily, nasi kandar available from 9 to 1am
Tel: 8842-8786
Yaseem Nasi Kandar: Malaysian favourite in MacPherson
Shortly after Yaseem Nasi Kandar restaurant opened in MacPherson on Jan 1, a customer drove in from Johor Bahru at 8am and waited more than an hour for the first batch of nasi kandar to be ready. He bought six packets to take home, saying it was nearer than travelling to KL for the same brand.
For co-owner Muhamad Afzal, 25, this made him certain that bringing the brand to Singapore was the right move. He had taken over the MacPherson Road unit in October 2025 with his mentor and business partner Mohamed Ali, 47, but they did not want to open another typical Indian-Muslim restaurant selling prata and mee goreng. They wanted a strong and unique concept.
Since 2018, Muhamad had been making trips to KL and JB to eat nasi kandar, visiting different eateries every few months. At Mohd Yaseem Nasi Kandar restaurant in KL, he was struck by the blend of gravies poured over rice, combining sweet, spicy, savoury and slightly sour flavours. Over the years, he noticed more Singaporeans travelling there for the dish, which convinced him there was demand for it here.
Mohamed, who is related to Mohammad Azlan Mohd Jalaludeen, 36, the third-generation owner of Mohd Yaseem Nasi Kandar Restaurant in KL, connected him with Muhamad. The 150-seat KL eatery was named after and founded in 1964 by Mohammad Azlan’s late grandfather.
Their goals aligned as Mohammad Azlan wanted to expand his family’s heritage brand overseas, while Muhamad wanted to offer an authentic nasi kandar concept here. Together with Mohamed, the trio opened Yaseem Nasi Kandar restaurant, the first overseas outpost of the KL eatery. The Malaysian owner came in as a shareholder so the recipes and cooking methods would stay true to the flagship eatery’s.
The partners invested about $300,000 in renovations and furnishings and opened the Muslim-owned restaurant on Jan 1. The 24-hour eatery has 160 seats – half in an air-conditioned area – and employs about 20 employees working in shifts.
Mohammad Azlan and the head chef came to Singapore in December 2025 to train the kitchen team for a month. The curries use spice blends sent directly from the KL flagship outlet, based on family recipes dating back to 1964. Seven types of masala are imported from the main branch and the food is cooked in small batches every two hours. Every day, the eatery offers up to 25 dishes.
Some adjustments were made when local customers found the food too spicy. The amount of chilli powder was reduced and the masala slightly modified, and staff now ask diners if they prefer less spicy gravy. More vegetable options such as bittergourd, long beans and cauliflower were offered after customers asked for greater variety.
Among the best-selling set meals is Meal Ayam Madu ($8), which comes with rice, a piece of honey chicken, a choice of vegetables and four gravies – fish curry, sambal, sotong gravy and kicap gravy. Those who prefer less heat can ask for less of the spicy fish curry and more of the sweeter sauces. Most customers add fried omelette ($1.50 a piece) to their set meals.
Another popular order is Meal Sotong ($9 for medium, $11 for large), served with rice, a choice of vegetables and the same mix of gravies.
Muhamad believes nasi kandar is still nascent in the dining scene here, but expects more operators to enter the market. The partners are looking for another location, preferably in the east, and hope to open up to four outlets here.
Where: 508 MacPherson Road
Open: 24 hours daily, nasi kandar is available from 9 to 1am
Tel: 6047-0052
Ramnad Ponni Mess: Taste of Tamil Nadu
Eight years after opening its first outlet in Ramanathapuram, a Tamil Nadu city also known as Ramnad, Ramnad Ponni Mess opened its first overseas branch in Singapore in September 2025.
The South Indian restaurant specialises in Tamil Nadu cuisine, including dishes from Madurai. The Singapore outlet was set up through a partnership between the chain’s Indian owner Rama Rethinam, 37, and Singaporean Mohamed Ansar Ali, 38, who brought the brand here. They are friends from the same home town in Ramanathapuram.
Mohamed Ansar, who moved to Singapore in 2014 after marrying his Singaporean wife, also runs Al Falah Restaurant, a prata and Indian-Muslim eatery started by his father-in-law in 1996. He became a Singapore citizen in 2021. After taking over the business about five years ago, he began looking for a concept that focused more on South Indian cuisine rather than the usual mixed Indian menu.
Rethinam started Ramnad Ponni Mess in Ramanathapuram in 2018, followed by two more outlets in Madurai in the last three years. The friends had discussed expanding overseas for several years and decided Singapore would be a suitable first step because diners here are open to regional cuisines and there is a strong Indian community.
The restaurant in Hindoo Road opened with a start-up cost of about $400,000. Mohamed Ansar chose Little India as the area attracts diners open to traditional South Indian cuisine.
The 2,000 sq ft, air-conditioned space seats 56 diners and is designed to resemble a mess, a home-style eatery common in Tamil Nadu. Food is served on banana leaf-lined trays, following the custom in South India, and the restaurant spends about $1,500 a month on fresh banana leaves.
The menu has about 80 items, with some 40 dishes from Madurai and the rest from other parts of Tamil Nadu, such as Ramanathapuram and Chennai. It also offers a small selection of North Indian dishes to cater to diners who want variety, such as Flame Tandoori Chicken ($7+) and Naan ($2.50+ a piece). Bold spices and strong flavours are hallmarks of Madurai cuisine, says Mohamed Ansar.
To ensure the taste matches that of the outlets in India, four chefs were trained for five to six months at a Ramnad Ponni Mess restaurant in Madurai. The cooking methods remain the same, although the spice level has been slightly reduced to suit local diners, who generally prefer less heat.
Signature dishes include Manapatti Mutton Chukka ($12+), a dry-style mutton dish cooked slowly with onions, curry leaves, chilli and black pepper until masala coats the meat. The dish goes well with the Heritage Thali ($6+, lunch only), which comprises rice, two vegetable dishes, sambar, rasam (a spicy soup), buttermilk and dessert, reflecting the style of traditional Tamil Nadu meals.
Another popular item is Madurai Pepper Chicken ($8+), prepared with freshly ground black pepper and spices with a thick gravy that clings to the chicken. Mohamed Ansar recommends having it with Parotta ($2 a piece), which is folded differently from local prata to give it a fluffier texture.
Mohamed Ansar says most of their customers are Singaporean Indians, along with migrant workers, tourists and some Malay diners. The restaurant is halal-certified. Diners from Tamil Nadu are drawn by the familiarity of the established brand name, which refers to Ramanathapuram and Ponni, a variety of rice grown in Tamil Nadu.
He does not plan to open more outlets here, saying the cooking requires close supervision and he prefers to focus on maintaining quality at one location. However, the partners are looking at expanding overseas, with JB likely next, followed by KL.
Where: 11 Hindoo Road
Open: 11.30am to 4.30pm, 6.30 to 10.30pm daily
Tel: 6475-7590
Kumar Mess: Madurai street flavours
Before opening Kumar Mess in September 2025, Manickam Kumaresan, 43, made repeated trips to the South Indian city of Madurai in search of ideas. In nine months, he travelled there 12 times, eating at street stalls, messes or home-style eateries, and local restaurants to study the food he wanted to introduce in Singapore.
“I wanted to showcase South Indian food that is still unique here,” he says. “The F&B scene is very tough here. I knew I needed something different that would capture attention and give a fresh perspective on Indian cuisine.”
Kumaresan, who was born in Pudukkottai in Tamil Nadu, has worked in the food industry here for about 20 years.
The Singapore permanent resident has long been drawn to Madurai, a city known for its round-the-clock food culture, and travels there regularly to try new dishes and learn recipes from chefs and friends.
He opened the first Kumar Mess outlet in Upper Dickson Road, choosing the Little India area for its heavy foot traffic and reputation as a place diners visit for traditional food. The 72-seat, air-conditioned restaurant was followed by a second outlet in Clementi a month later and a third in Verdun Road in February 2026.
Kumaresan, who named the restaurant after himself, chose the word “mess” to reflect the comforting, traditional home-style food he wanted to offer diners.
The menu has about 200 items, with roughly 40 per cent from Madurai and the rest from other parts of Tamil Nadu, along with some North Indian dishes. Kumaresan says Madurai cuisine is known for bold spices, freshly ground masala and hearty street food dishes not commonly found in Singapore.
One of the most popular items is Bun Parotta ($5.50 for two pieces), a Madurai street food staple that looks similar to prata, but is thicker, softer and more airy. The dough is made with flour, egg, sugar and ghee, and folded in a spiral before cooking to create a fluffy texture. It is served with chicken or vegetable salna, a coconut-based gravy.
Another bestseller is Madurai-style Mutton Briyani ($14.50), which customers can order with basmati rice or seeraga samba rice, a short-grain variety commonly grown and served in Tamil Nadu. The seeraga samba rice, imported from India, has a stronger aroma and flavour. Both versions are sold at the same price even though the short-grain rice costs 20 per cent more.
The restaurant is also known for Paruthipal ($5.50), a traditional Madurai dessert made from cottonseed milk, coconut milk and spices such as ginger and cardamom. The cottonseeds are imported from India and the dessert takes about an hour to prepare.
The decor reflects the owner’s attachment to Madurai, with wallpaper and artwork showing scenes from the city, including temples, festivals and street life. He says he wants diners to feel as if they are eating in Madurai.
Business has been brisk since the first outlet opened, with about 70 per cent of customers being Singaporean Indians, along with tourists, expatriates and diners curious to try something new.
“People want to explore different cuisines now,” he says. “Madurai food is not common here, so when they try it, they enjoy the novelty.”
Despite opening three outlets in six months, he says his focus is not rapid expansion, but maintaining quality. He has no plans to open more outlets here, but is looking to take the brand to JB and hopes to start a franchise in India.
Where: 9 Upper Dickson Road; 01-01 321 Clementi, 321 Clementi Avenue 3; 6 Verdun Road
Open: 11am to 11pm daily (Upper Dickson and Clementi); 11 to 12.30am daily (Verdun)
Tel: 6200-1555 (Upper Dickson); 6555-8555 (Clementi); 6222-6555 (Verdun)
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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
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