Whenever I ask vegetarians who live in the West of Singapore, which vegetarian eatery they recommend the most - Usually the name 'Tanaka' comes up. It is hard to think of another vegetarian stall in Singapore, which has such a loyal following. There are two reasons for this devoted support. 1. There are very little vegetarian options in the Bukit Panjang area. 2. The food at Tanaka has a reputation for being sensational. I want to extend a personal thank you to Lai Ling and Joyce for recommending this eatery to me.
Tanaka Vegetarian Food
Location: Blk 445, Fajar Road, Fajar Shopping CentreContact: Unknown Opening Hours: Tue-Sun 6.00am-8.30pm. Monday 6.00am-1.00pmTanaka have a list of daily specials, which are available throughout the week. Be warned, these specials sell out very fast. If you're planning on visiting Tanaka after 11am, then it is possible they will be sold out. This eatery does have egg in some dishes, so be careful when ordering. Almost all dishes at Tanaka are $3 or less - Fantastic value.
The Tanaka Vegetarian stall is owned by Mr Goh. This generous man has been working/owning vegetarian stalls for over 30 years in Singapore. He currently has two other Tanaka outlets in Singapore (Teck Whye and Woodlands), with a fourth outlet opening in Choa Chu Kang Block 253 on the 7th March 2014. Occasionally, Mr Goh will give out free food on certain days of the year to his customers. After talking with Mr Goh for some time, I can conclude that he has an infectious smile, and a warm caring nature. He is a perfectionist when it comes to the food he serves to his customers, not allowing any sub-standard food to be served.
Tanaka's stall is divided in two areas. On the left hand side customers can order rice and dishes and other daily specials. On the right hand side customers can buy an assortment of kueh items. I picked out the
Traditional Malay Kueh, which is essentially a glutinous rice disc, which is covered is dessicated coconut, and then smeared in gula melaka syrup. Sweet, sticky and soft, what more could a food reviewer ask for?
Price: $0.80. 7/10One of Tanaka's most popular dishes is their
Chicken Rice. This dish is available on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday - Only in the mornings. The most outstanding aspect of this dish is definitely the rice. It is packed with flavour and cooked to perfection I've eaten countless vegetarian chicken rice concoctions in Singapore, and this certainly ranks as one of the best. The portion size is incredibly generous, too.
Price: $3.00. 8/10The next dish I sampled was the
Roasted Pork Rice. This dish comprises of plain white rice, cucumber, mock char siew and gravy. High quality sweet mock char siew is used in this dish, which is a refreshing change compared with the horrid doughy char siew that is usually used at vegetarian stalls. Although the char siew is lovely, the real highlight is the dark gravy. It is packed with flavour and matched perfectly with the char siew and rice.
Price: $3.00. 8/10Conclusion - It is true that the West of Singapore has significantly lesser options compared to the East. But with fantatic eateries like Hong Yi, Hua Jin, Jing Yi and Tanaka - Things are not all doom and gloom. In fact, these four eateries represent some of the best hawker/coffee shop food in the entire island. Although I live in Sengkang, I would still be willing to make the long journey to Fajar for Mr Goh's delicious food, and you should to!Overall RatingFood - 8/10Ambiance- 7/10 Service - 9/10 Value - 8/10
