Simpang Asia

This place is seriously as good as it gets on the west side. This is my ultimate favorite Asian spot to go to with a wide range of rice curry to dry and wet noodles. Parking is very easy they have their own private lot that sometimes offer valet. Prices is right under $ 10 — and the quality of food you get is like the type you get in San Gabriel Valley.
Personally I love coming here in the mornings from 10 AM to 2 PM for their breakfast menus. The «Oh Karen» which is a noodle soup is delicious and 30,000-year-old a congee pretty spot on.

I tried Simpang Asia for lunch a couple of days ago while working in Culver City. Simpang Asia is located on National Blvd a little far from downtown Culver City where I generally ate everyday so I had to drive. The good news is that they had complementary valet so that tremendously reduced the pressure of visiting. At the peak lunch hour the place was about 75% full and had a low intensity buzz. Most of the patrons were locals which I took as a good sign.
I’ve been to a couple of Indonesian restaurants so I was familiar with some of the dishes on the menu (all names have a pretty good explanation to go with them so you should not have a problem). After contemplating for a while I decided to get the Laksa ($ 9.95) which is an assorted seafood (shrimp, quid, fish cake) curry noodle soup which also has boiled egg, bean sprouts, cucumber and tofu. After ordering is seems like they forgot about me as it took a little over 15 minutes to get the soup.
Taste wise it was excellent so well worth the wait. The Laksa soup has a coconut milk base so it is bound to be a bit sweet. The challenge is to have the sweetness correctly balanced with mix of spices to ensure that it is not too sweet which Simpang Asia managed to do very well. I am not a fan of adding tons of chilies into the soup to make it palatable as I feel that it is the Chef’s skill to produce something that can be had as is, which is exactly what I did. Price-​wise it was under $ 10 which is extremely cheap for the Culver City area.
Overall I think this place is legit. I would have no problem in returning periodically to try everything off their menu one by one.

One of the most overrated indonesian places I’ve known.
I’d rather go to west covina for merrys.

This place is great for so many reasons: tons of flavor, plates are consistent each time, cost is relatively low, quality’s relatively high, food’s authentic. My wife’s Indonesian cousin took us here when we hadn’t eaten Indonesian food. By now, I think we’ve gone through the whole menu, because everything is delicious in such different ways, from savory to spicy to sweet.
My cravings: The Roti Paratha is to die for, even compared to the million Indian versions I’ve had. Arem– are here is solid. Sop Buntut and Sop Buntut Goring, the oxtail dishes, are delicious comfort food, and pretty uncommon. The tumeric and coconut rice is always perfect. Mie Tek Tek is addictive (we’ve ordered extra noodles to eat the next day a few times). Kwetiaw Goring is really nice. I can’t go without a cool, refreshing order of Es Teler when I go, a shaved ice drink in a salad cup with jack fruit, coconut and avocado. Krupuk chips are nice too, again uncommon. The last two things I’d gush over (though really everything here is great): Pepes Ikan, a whole fish steamed in a banana leaf with shrimp paste, garlic and kale that’s so tender you can eat most of the bones, and Ayam Penyet which is garlic fried chicken smothered in fried eggplant and a sambal relish.

Back again, and this time tried some different items. My favorite was the fried calamari. The garlic egg noodle with seafood was also a hit. Squeeze fresh lime juice, toss and eat. Would definitely order both these items again.
Note: Valet parking is available

I would say this place is 3.5 stars, but I’m not going to round up because I’m not happy about their service. I got here with a group of about 12 people on Jan. 1 and because of the large group and probably the day, we had to wait about 30 minutes to get a table. This was fine since Simpang is actually connected to a grocery store so we killed our time that way. The grocery store is mostly Asian and also has a counter where they sell coffee, tea, other drinks and small eats like sandwiches and other baked goods. We originally told them they could seat our group separate to speed it up but later changed our minds and they were still accommodating to us, which was great.
I looked on Unilocal for recommendations. You can actually check in on Unilocal for a free drink. It’s not refillable though since it’s a can soda so choose wisely! I ended up ordering the Mie Tek Tek. This noodle dish is actually on the page with the soups so I thought I was ordering a soup, but alas, I was mistaken. Should’ve read the description better.
My boyfriend ordered the Nasi Bungkus and his cousin that sat next to me ordered the Bihun Goreng. Most of the noodle based dishes come with a side of cabbage, carrots and other mixed greens and authentic shrimp chips. Among my friends, the shrimp chips were either a hit or miss. Some people thought they were delicious, while others thought they were kind of flavorless and stale. The shrimp chips and the side veggies, in my opinion, were great to help balance out the strong sauces and flavors of the noodle dishes.
The way that the orders came out were weird. My boyfriend had ordered his dish last since he was in the bathroom when they first took orders, but it came out before his cousin’s and some other’s did who had ordered way first. They could improve on the timing of serving the dishes to make it more consistent so that half my table wasn’t waiting while the other was eating.
The food itself was good. It’s a great take modernized take on traditional Indonesian food. I enjoyed both the Bihun Goreng and the Mie Tek Tek. Both dishes are pretty similar, but the Mie Tek Tek has thicker noodles and a bit more sauces. Be careful if you’re not someone who likes strong flavors since the food here is definitely more on the big on flavors and can get overwhelming at times, so it’s not for everyone. I actually liked the Nasi Bungkus the best. It’s served in a simple wrapped up banana leaf that you get to open (great for to-​go!). Inside is filled with rice, chicken, beef, egg, veggies and this delicious curry. I loved all the spices and flavors inside the Nasi Bungkus. The meats were also cooked nicely. Definitely recommend you get this! I’m not too big of a fan of fried noodle dishes so I loved the Nasi Bungkus.
The main problem I had with Simpang is that they got my and my friend’s orders mixed up. A couple of us at the table ordered Mie Tek Tek, which can be made spicy or non-​spicy to your liking. I am pretty terrible at eating spicy food so I usually ordered it bland and adjust it up to my liking. One of my friends, however, loves spicy and ordered the spiciest version of it. As I said earlier, they didn’t bring out the dishes at the same time so when the server brought out a Mie Tek Tek, someone just claimed it. I ended up getting the last one brought out.
I had just started my meal and took a couple of bites before I realized that my mouth was on fire. I actually didn’t think too much of it at first. I figured that this was just the lowest setting for spice at this place (I was partially hungover too so probably wasn’t thinking that clearly) and kept eating. After a couple more bites, my friend turns around to ask me if my Mie Tek Tek is spicy since his was pretty bland and he had specifically ordered spicy. He was wondering if they were just all bland. Turns out, he had gotten my bland one and I had gotten his incredibly spicy one. The problem was that since the dishes weren’t brought out at the same time, he was over halfway done with his meal and the noodles. We ended up splitting the noodles I had into two and he got one half while I got the other half and the rest of his non-​spicy noodles. I’m disappointed because after that, my mouth was pretty much on fire for the rest of meal (I’ll admit I really suck at eating spicy but in my defense, this was fire hot status) which made it hard to enjoy, if my friend hadn’t said anything I probably would’ve suffered and just ate the whole thing, and I didn’t even get to eat that much of the noodles since I couldn’t keep eating the spice.
I’ll end on a positive note though. Definitely give this place a try if you’re looking for some fusion Indonesian food. The dishes are fairly priced, have great flavor with great portion sizes as well!

I really want to like this place because it’s one of the few Asian restaurants near my house but I can’t give it more than a 3 star. The take out boxes are really small compared to the actual dish at the restaurant, I always have to order two entrees if I order for pick up. Maybe I’m just a fat ass, but aren’t we all?
Their fried calamari is really good and crunchy, I definitely recommend it. The potato balls on the other hand, not so much. The meat inside them are too sweet for my taste… The noodles taste good but they’re extremely greasy! I definitely felt a little heartburn from them.
Overall, this place is not worth the price they charge… I’d save it and go to in n out instead.

My Aunt and Uncle took my Mom, Aunt and I here for an early dinner. The place was empty when we first arrived. This was my first time trying Indonesian food and I was really excited. The décor here is very minimal, but I liked it, it was nice and clean. I checked in on Unilocal and got a free soda, which was nice. Our waitress was nice and very helpful to some of us newbies. We ordered five dishes along with rice. I ordered the #8 since it seemed very popular and looked delicious on Unilocal.
Our food didn’t take too long and it arrived at the same time for the most part. We had the #8, a fried chicken dish, a beef curry dish, a fried fish dish, a stir fried flat rice noodle dish with shrimp and of course some white rice. I opened up and tried the #8 first. It was such a thrill to unwrap up that banana leaf and see what was inside. There was chicken, beef, an egg, veggies and rice all smothered in curry sauces. It smelled wonderful. I took my spoon and took a bite. The chicken and beef were super tender and all those spices melded together in the rice. It was my favorite dish of them all. I tried the fried chicken next, I had a drumstick. The skin was crispy and the meat juicy, really good fried chicken. The beef curry was alright, the meat was a little tough though. The fried fish was crispy on the outside and a little dry, it was served with some sauce on the side, but I didn’t try that. The stir fried flat rice noodles with shrimp were delicious, I ate that the most. It also had some sprouts, egg and greens in it. The sauce was addicting and the shrimp was clean and fresh.
After our entrée’s we had to have some dessert. My Mom wanted the shave ice because it reminded her of Halo Halo with the red beans. I ordered the coconut roti dessert. We got the shave ice first. I liked the presentation and the cute little umbrella that came with it. The only thing I liked in this dessert was the coconut. The shave ice had a artificial taste probably from the added sugar syrup. It wasn’t that good. The coconut roti that we got later was awesome though. The crêpe was a bright green color, thin and not too sweet. I loved the shredded coconut inside. This dessert wasn’t too sweet and was a great way to end our meal.
Before we left I used the restroom because we had a long drive home. The door was stuck and kinda hard to open. It was really small and not the cleanest bathroom. When we got the bill we were really shocked. It was around $ 60 for all five of us. What a deal, great food for cheap. I really liked this place, it was a great introduction into Indonesian food. I want to come again to try the laksa and probably have the #8 again.

Simpang is very nice. Open, warm, and with a diverse menu, it offers a little something for everyone. The service was good, the food prepared promptly and put together in an eye-​pleasing manner.
The prices are more than fair, and they are equipped to serve families or individual diners nicely.
I had the Laksa (seafood curry), which came in a large portion and had a good selection of sea critters in it. I added copious amounts of their house chili paste, which warmed it up nicely. It also had some nice vegetables, two half eggs, and some tofu… making it a very complete meal. If you are dining with a friend and you’re not vacuums, consider splitting an entrepreneur and an appetizer!

Anyone who gave this place less than five stars is a dick bag. Seriously. I am baffled by what is not perfect about this place. It’s tasty and affordable. What more can you ask for? The roti was heavenly. The potato ball was perfect. The curry sampler thing I tried was amazing. The fried rice my wife got was fantastic. The jelly coconut drink thing made me tear up it was so good. My wife’s ginger tea was fantastic.
Oh, AND THERE’S A DOPE ASIAN MARKET NEXT DOOR! I mean, what more can you really ask for? Sometimes people on Unilocal are just assholes. Seriously.

Living in the Palms area with my fiancé for a few years, Simpang has always been one of our staple go-​to restaurants in the neighborhood.
We usually get the Sayur bungkus which is a vegetarian dish wrapped in a banana leaf. Pretty much anything you get here is good especially their weekend brunch. Get the kaya toast and 9am nasi goreng!

I can’t believe I haven’t reviewed Simpang Asia yet! This is one of my favorite Indonesian restaurants.
The food here is always delicious and is presented in a great way. Always be sure to check out the daily specials before you order because I’ve found some real gems there. I usually like to start with otak-​otak (grilled fish paste wrapped in leaf) and then move onto Nasi Goreng Jawa (special Javanese spicy fried rice) and the Ayam Goreng Mentega (fried chicken in a tangy sauce).
Everyone here is really nice, too! It’s really a great place to have a nice lunch. Parking is a pain, but it’s definitely worth it.

I have been here several times in the last decade, but I don’t really get why my Indonesian friends recommend this place for authentic Indo food. It honestly isn’t that good. Perhaps i just don’t like Indo food, but i expect the flavors (especially the curries) to be more punchy, more flavorful. The service is good, the ambiance a bit confused with kitchy modern accents and wavy glass fixtures.
This restaurant takes credit cards, but the supermarket next door has a $ 5 minimum for credit cards and won’t take anything more that $ 20. He wouldn’t take my $ 50 bill. Ridic.

Delicious! My husband and I actually honeymooned in Bali and must say that the food was pretty authentic to that experience. Definitely go as a group due to the generous portions (and so you can try more than just a couple of items). Obviously the nasi goreng jawa is a must, but we also asked the server his recommendations and were not disappointed.
The atmosphere was casual and actually looked and felt like many of the minimalist-​type of restaurant décor that was common in Bali. Actually felt like we were back there.
*Hint* If you sign up for their email list you get 20% off your meal. Plus, they keep sending more 20% off discounts.

Simpang Asia is a restaurant adjacent to a grocery store and drink spot. Grabbed dinner here on a weekday. it wasn’t too packed but there seemed to be many takeout orders. Food was very flavorful. I drank lots of water the rest of the night.
Food:
Roti Paratha — Delicious!
Bihun Goreng Special (stir fried thin noodles) — a bit too salty
Water spinach — great!
Nasi Bungkus (various curried meat wrapped in a banana leaf) — I wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. It’s interesting to share and great to order if you want to try multiple items in a smaller portion.
Drinks:
Es Doger — There’s an odd taste that I didn’t quite like & can’t quite put in finger on what it is.
Avocado Smoothie w/​choco syrup — the chocolate definitely overpowers the avocado.

Eat It OR Beat It?
**EAT IT!!**
Simpang was one of the original restaurant joints in LA when I was working and living out there… Ramayani is I believe the first one located in Westwood. Being Indonesian, I believe the food is delicious and tasty, get the Mie Tek Tek for sure! Smoky and charred, tastes delicious, and finish it off with es Teler! This isn’t the best Indonesian joint I’ve had since there are far more now throughout SoCal, but I still like Simpang. Brings me back to my LA days. The customers are a mix of people now which is great since westerners are being introduced to something new outside of burgers hot dogs and the like. They use to close at midnight which catered to a lot of the Indonesian international students from USC, UCLA, LMU, but they close earlier now… last I checked… booooo, it’s ok, still great good, EAT IT!

parking SUUUUCKKSS.
Food was okay. Perhaps I’m just not accustomed to Indonesian food, but it was a lot milder in flavor than I expected it to be! I had the Seafood Laksa Noodle Soup which was a little bland for my taste even though it looked as if it would carry tons of great spiced flavor.
Service was attentive and quick.

If you like Thai food or popular southeast Asian food in general (this is Indonesian food), TRY THIS PLACE. It’s similar to Thai food IMO in that they seem to incorporate a lot of spices, curry, coconut-​y flavors into their dishes.
I’ve heard many good things about this place but tbh when I first glanced at the menu I was a bit intimidated as none of the items looked familiar to me and I really have never tried Indonesian food before.
Well thanks to Unilocal and some handy dandy pictures, we decided on mi tek tek noodles (I loooove noodles and seeing photos of this made me drool), the soto betawi soup, and roti paratha appetizer.
Mi tek tek noodles ⁵⁄₅: stir fried noodles, DELISH to the max, something about that sauce! Just thinking about it makes my mouth water! I’m prob biased because of my love for noodles– but I highly recommend this ESP if you like pad Thai and the like. :) Trin happy.
Soto betawi soup ³⁄₅: I got this because I love coconut flavored soup and liked what I saw on the description. My complaints were that the proportion of meat was a bit much, and soup was kinda salty – if they were to tone down on the sodium levels and add more veggies, less meat and tendons/​joints (?) this would’ve been perfecto. I also wished it came with rice because by itself is salt overload here, but can’t deny it still tastes good.
Roti paratha ⁴⁄₅: this was basically like naan bread dipped with a really flavorful curry sauce– I loved it! I wish it came in a larger portion though, with more sauce!
Thai tea was subtle and not overly sweetened with sugar which I appreciated. The iced tea (free with Unilocal check-​in) was nothing spesh just better than water. Would I come back? Without hesitation because they left me wanting more. Parking is free valet or street.

Nasi bungku comes wrapped in a banana leaf! Can’t speak to the authenticity, but split that and the Mie Tek Tek noodles with a friend that were both delish. If you’re unfamiliar with SE asian food, this is a welcoming place to start.
Am I the only one wishing the portions sizes were bigger? Could be I was really hungry that day haha.
Also had the Thai Iced Tea served in a cute mason jar and bendy straw. So refreshing!

A very authentic Southeast Asian experience! The spices are on point and the food is very tasty. If you want the street food experience complete with the entrée on a banana leaf, you got it. But if you want the modern classy presentation on a beautiful white plate presentation, you got it too.
I had the Festival Rice, which is a good choice if you are a first-​timer because it has a little bit of everything featured on the menu so you won’t miss out on too much — a pyramid of turmeric seasoned rice, chicken satay, fried noodles, boiled egg, and a hunk of saucy beef.
Parking is in a small lot, so come early or else find street parking.