Tong Li Vegetarian Food - Whampoa

It is pretty rare that I get excited about a Chinese vegetarian coffee shop/hawker centre stall.  Mainly because they often sell the same trite and typical dishes, and really it can be very difficult to differentiate the food, as it is all cooked in the same method, using the same ingredients.  This tiny little stall, called Tong Li Vegetarian Food is nothing revolutionary, but it has slowly become one of my most beloved coffee shop stalls.  I have been writing about food in Singapore for many years now, and I can safely say that grim looking, slightly dirty coffee shops that have slurry-speeched uncles yacking away in Hokkien, is where I belong.  Forget five star restaurants, forget $20 dollar dishes, forget air conditioning - This is not where the heartbeat of Singapore can be found.







Tong Li Vegetarian Food
Location: 02, Blk 82 Whampoa Drive
Contact: Unknown
Opening Hours: Daily until 1.00pm (not confirmed)


As soon as I saw Tong Li from the outside, it just looked like one of those stalls that sell great Hor Fun.  Hor fun ranks as one of the most popular dishes in Singapore, with its most fervent fans being constantly drawn to it, mainly due to the lovely wok hei (smokey) flavour that shimmers through this dish (when cooked properly).  Unfortunately the art of cooking with wok hei has become almost extinct now in Singapore, with most stalls selling bland hor fun, which is void of any smokey aroma.  A rule of thumb should be to always order fried hor fun (gan/干), and not wet hor fun, as the former can retain the smokey flavour much better.  Pictured is the wet version.

Price: $3.00.     7/10


Finding strong wok hei hor fun can be quite frustrating, so let me save you some time and trouble - Lin Lin Vegetarian is the undisputed king of wok hei (in my humble opinion) - This should be your number one destination.  If you're living in the West, then I suggest Jing Yi, which also has decent wok hei.  The Fried Hor Fun at Tong Li was definitely an above average dish.  Admittedly, it didn't managed to capture the wok hei flavour as exquisitely as the other two stalls I just mentioned - But it was still a pretty darn delicious hor fun.

Price: $3.00.     8/10


After feeling extremely satisfied with the hor fun, I made Tong Li my breakfast destination once again, for my Saturday early morning meal.  This time I changed theme and went with the Mee Goreng.  This is a dish I often avoid ordering, as I find the biting spice is often too much for me to handle.  The mee goreng from this stall was probably one of the best I've had so far in Singapore.  Once the lime is sprinkled over the dish, it adds welcome sourness and counters the mild spicy tones ideally.  There is also a wide variety of ingredients lurking inside, such as beansprouts, carrots, sweetcorn, toufu and mock ham.  An outstanding rendition of vegetarian mee goreng.

Price: $3.00.     8/10


Conclusion - If you're looking for cheap, great tasting local dishes, then this stall is one you will definitely want to visit.  Whenever I am in the Whampoa area, I will definitely make time to visit this endearing little vegetarian stall at Block 82.

Overall Rating
Food - 8/10
Ambiance- 7/10
Service - 6/10
Value - 8/10