On the taste trail: Follow the Woodlands waterfront to 24-hour nasi padang with chicken rendang drenched in gravy

This week, we kick off our exercise-then-eat routine at the northernmost point of mainland Singapore – the iconic Woodlands Jetty. Stretching 400 metres out to sea, it’s a scenic starting point within the Northern Explorer Loop that links 11 green spaces, including Admiralty Park and Woodlands Waterfront Park.

As always, it wasn’t about completing the entire 25-kilometre loop – just a brisk 30-minute quest for nasi padang at Marsiling Crescent.

So with the imminent feast on my mind and the Johor Strait before my eyes, I leisurely explored the Woodlands Waterfront Promenade. Hugging Singapore’s Northern coast, the peaceful stretch serves up sweeping sea views of the Johor skyline.

It also crosses Sungei Cina which feeds into the mangrove swamps of nearby Admiralty Park. So if you’re up for a longer walk, start from there. It encompasses a 20-hectare nature area teeming with flora and fauna, which you can access via a network of boardwalks.

For history buffs, take a detour to the Marsiling Tunnels, a British relic from World War II. It’s a worthwhile – albeit muddy and overgrown – trek, so enter at your own risk! 

The sea breeze had seriously built up my appetite, so I went for the most direct route from the promenade straight to Pondok Selera by Nurul Hidayah – a popular 24-hour nasi padang stall where flavour never sleeps.

Managing director Hardy Hazman, 29, recently joined the family business that his father started 13 years ago. Named for his mother, the Nurul Hidayah brand has grown to include two stalls and a central kitchen for catering events. To Hardy, leaving his career as an inflight attendant wasn’t just a personal decision, but a commitment to continue his father’s legacy.

“He learned the recipes from my grandparents and slowly built up his experience. So he actually knows what people enjoy the most. It’s comfort food,” Hardy shared.

Comfort is a word we kept returning to as I tucked into my heaping plate of rice, sambal goreng, sotong hitam (squid cooked in its own ink) and rendang ayam (chicken rendang). Affirming my choices, he highlighted their rendang as a dish they “do a bit different”. 

He was right – it looked nothing like a traditional rendang. A whole chicken leg was drenched and floating on a pool of luscious gravy, which seeped into the rice and lapped over the edges of my plate. 

“Rendang, normally, it's dry. But ours is with lots of gravy. When you have it like that, it's much more enjoyable to eat with the rice,” Hardy explained.

It was impossible not to enjoy the tender portion of sauce-saturated chicken (S$4). Fragrant with herbs and spices, it carried the heat of red chillies, the citrus notes of serai (lemongrass) and the earthy spice of lengkuas (galangal). Santan (coconut milk) brought everything together in creamy cohesion. But it was kerisik (grated coconut, toasted and pounded) that intensified the santan flavour and gave the rendang its heart and soul. 

“Makes it more thick and lemak (rich). This is comfort food,” Hardy reiterated.

It was. Comforting yet decadent, bold yet mellow, sweet yet savoury, the rendang was a complex harmony of flavours to be savoured over and over with rice. 

The sotong hitam (S$4) was a salty, spicy counterpoint, bringing the taste of the sea in waves of umami. Named for the squid ink that gives it briny depth, this version appeared more red than black, thanks to a rempah, or spice paste, that's rich with chillies. Lengkuas and serai added their familiar fragrance, while santan lent a touch of buttery silkiness that complemented the squid’s springy snap.  

The interplay of textures kept each bite of sambal goreng (S$1) interesting. The tangy tempeh (fermented soya bean cake) was meltingly lush, while firm bites of tauhu (tofu) offered up delightfully charred edges. Lavished with more santan, onions, red and green chillies, the dish was mild yet aromatic and satisfying.

True to Hardy’s word, the nasi padang had indeed delivered on comfort – creamy, coconutty comfort. It wasn’t just food for refuelling, but food that felt like a hug from family.

But there was one last gem from Hardy. “Our sambal tumis (sauteed chilli paste), the same one we use for nasi lemak, is actually what people enjoy the most. It's not too spicy, not too sweet. It’s the sambal that brings everything together,” he said proudly. 

Another reason for a return visit. And maybe next time, I’ll check out their original stall at 888 Plaza at Woodlands Drive for their best-selling epok-epok, fried fresh to order. 

Pro-tip: Both 24-hour stalls are surrounded by parks and PCNs, so do a late walk and swing by at midnight when the food is hot out of the kitchen. 

“That is when the crowd starts to come because the food is the freshest,” Hardy advised.

Their chefs also replenish the dishes at midday, but it’s good to know that whenever the craving strikes, nasi padang is available round the clock at Nurul Hidayah. So go for the rendang, stay for the sambal and enjoy the family’s delicious tradition of comfort food made with heart. 

Pondok Selera by Nurul Hidayah is located at Kimly Coffeeshop, 211 Marsiling Crescent, Singapore 730211. It’s open 24 hours daily. 

Catch Makan Kakis with Denise Tan every Thursday from 11am on MediaCorp GOLD 905.