Tambuah Mas (Paragon)

Tambuah Mas (Paragon) is an Indonesian restaurant in the basement of Paragon shopping centre on Orchard Road. The brand opened in 1981 and is one of the oldest Indonesian restaurants in Singapore. Its kitchen cooks home-style dishes from Padang, Sulawesi and Java.

The name comes from the Padang dialect. Tambuah means adding more, while mas refers to a server and also means gold. The restaurant says its recipes are family ones, passed down over generations. The MICHELIN Guide Singapore 2026 lists this outlet as a Selected restaurant.

What to order

The menu is long, so it helps to share a few dishes with rice. Good places to start:

• Tahu telor: cubes of tofu fried in an egg batter and served with a dark, sweet sauce. The MICHELIN Guide names it the signature dish.
• Beef rendang: beef cooked slowly with spices and coconut until tender. Reviewers praise how soft the meat gets.
• Chicken satay: grilled skewers with a light char.
• Ikan pepes: fish wrapped in banana leaf and cooked with spices.
• Prawns with petai: prawns cooked with petai, a green bean with a strong, bitter taste.
• Cendol: the dessert the MICHELIN Guide suggests, made with shaved ice, coconut milk and palm sugar.

If you are eating alone, try nasi campur, a one-plate meal of rice with vegetables, egg and chicken or beef. Nasi goreng istimewa, a fried rice served with satay and crackers, is another filling choice.

Celebrations and group meals

For birthdays and other special days, Tambuah Mas offers nasi tumpeng. This is a cone of golden rice on a bamboo tray lined with banana leaf. A spread of side dishes surrounds it. In Indonesia the dish is a symbol of good luck at celebrations. Contact the restaurant ahead to arrange one. The brand also offers catering and set meals for festive seasons.

Good to know before you go

• The restaurant takes its own bookings. Call the outlet ahead if you are coming as a group.
• The MICHELIN Guide describes it as family friendly. It also lists wheelchair access, a car park and valet parking.
• Tambuah Mas has two other outlets, at Great World and Jewel Changi Airport.
• Delivery can be ordered through the official website.

Getting there

The restaurant is at unit #B1-44 in Paragon, 290 Orchard Road. Paragon is one of the main malls on the Orchard Road shopping strip. A meal here fits easily into a day of shopping.

Nearby

Walk off lunch along Orchard Road, or read our tips on cheap eats in Orchard Road mall basements. For other Southeast Asian flavours, see our Thai, Korean and Asian restaurant guide. You can also try Nyonya cooking at Simply Peranakan Cuisine, or browse all restaurants in Orchard and River Valley.