NASI padang is probably one of the most loosely used terms in Singapore to describe a spread of Malay dishes sold in just about every food centre. So long as there are curries, rendangs and anything lemak (coconut milk rich), immediately they fall under the umbrella of nasi padang.

That may be the reason why anyone who tries the food at the new Garuda Padang Cuisine in its Cairnhill or VivoCity location may wonder why it doesn't taste just like what you would get from some of the more famous nasi padang places around town. The gravies are somewhat sweeter, some of them milder in taste - it's almost as if someone in the kitchen was trying to emulate the Singapore-style nasi padang but just didn't get the formula quite right.

But it should be the other way round. Just as sparkling wine can only be called champagne if it's from the Champagne region, Nasi Padang can only be called such if it actually hails from the Indonesian province.

And so it is that you will either love the food at Garuda or find that it doesn't quite taste like what you've grown up with. The flavours are more refined and less in-your-face than the robust stuff you get in say, the famed Zion Road Nasi Padang place. It's a little more elegant on the palate, somewhat sweeter and generally different, even if the dishes themselves look familiar.

Garuda is a new Tung Lok eatery and its first venture into non-Chinese cuisine after its Paddyfields Thai restaurant. It's also a franchise of an Indonesian restaurant group, and Singapore is its first outlet outside of Indonesia.

Done up in the same stark white furniture as the Tung Lok Signatures restaurant in VivoCity (talk about economies of scale), Garuda is a step up from the likes of Sanur or Tambuah Mas with its more upmarket and trendy approach. Even the Indonesian ambassador happened to be there on the same day we were, which could either attest to the dearth of Indonesian restaurants in Singapore, or that the food really is authentic.

You can order from the menu but more likely than not you'll take your pick from the display section at the front, which works just like your regular Malay food stall - all the dishes are laid out and you pick what you want. Averaging $5 to $8 a portion, you could order three or four dishes a person and you'd comfortably meet your $25 a head budget without drinks.

The food is generally good - a hot favourite is the curried beef tendon which is super tender tendon braised in a light creamy curry. The deep fried chicken pieces are stringy but flavourful and topped with lots of deep fried shredded galangal. The beef rendang is unusual for its sweetish gravy, and is preferred over the regular beef curry, although that passes muster as well. The fried eggplant in a chilli base is a must-try despite the slight greasiness, and the prawns with petai (stinky beans) are mild in flavour with just a slight chilli kick.

The range is wide - fish head curry, deep fried tempura-like prawns, small fish grilled whole and served with a tangy dip, sweet potato leaves cooked in coconut milk and a delicious chicken kurma-like dish with green jackfruit pieces. They all meet a decent minimum standard so you won't have a bad meal here at all.

Whether it makes you a convert away from the old and familiar nasi padang Singapore style is another matter, but if it's a shot of authenticity and trendy ambience you want, Garuda is the way to go.

Garuda Padang Cuisine

• #02-01 Cairnhill Place, (S) 229650. Tel: 67354111
• #B2-28 VivoCity, (S) 098585. Tel: 63769595