Tanaka Vegetarian Food - Marsiling

If you look at vegetarian hawker/coffee shops in Singapore on a whole, I can't help be resign to the fact that most are selling the same dishes, cooked the same way - Boring.  There is however, once in a while, a vegetarian stall that really stands out as being special.  In 2013, Tanaka Vegetarian Food (Fajar) clearly stood out to me as being the best vegetarian hawker experience I have ever had.  Mr Goh, has recently been expanding the Tanaka name, with another outlet opening near to Marsiling MRT.  Woodlands and Marsiling are particularly pitiful places to be a vegetarian, with so few options around - So it is great that Tanaka can provide an option for those living in that area, especially as it opens in the evenings as well.






Tanaka Vegetarian Food
Location: Blk 306A Woodland Street 31
Contact: None
Opening Hours: Daily 6.00am-9.00pm 


For those who have visited the Fajar outlet, the dishes on this menu will be familiar.  There are a variety of dishes available, but their mee rebus is particularly lauded for its quality.  For those who don't cosume egg, please make sure to specify when ordering, as Tanaka does have eggs in some of their dishes.
Here is a look at some of the dishes available.
Nasi Lemak, on appearance, would seem like one of the most simple dishes to make.  Chilli, rice, cucumber and then a number of mock meats usually make up the contents of the plate.  Simple it may seem, the key to any good nasi lemak lies in the chilli and coconut rice.  If those two aspects are sub par, then the entire dish is ruined.  Both those two aforementioned aspects were outstanding from Tanaka, and really brought the dish to life.  The red chilli paste is fragrant and smooth, and the rice was full of coconut flavour, without there being a compromise in the texture.  Really top notch nasi lemak.

Price: $2.50.      8/10


When visiting the original Tanaka, I was highly impressed with their Chicken Rice.  I loved how fragrant and full of flavour the rice was, without the usage of any animal products.  The chicken is made from beancurd sheets, and when combined with the red chilli and dark sauce, it really makes it superb.  Tanaka knows how to flavour rice perfectly, and the highlight of this dish is definitely the rice - It is beautifully infused, and I could happily eat it by itself.

Price: $3.00.     8/10


Conclusion - I really hope that Tanaka expand even more in Singapore, so that more people can enjoy the sensational dishes that Mr Goh concocts.  The dishes are what you would expect from a stall, but they are all made exceptionally well.  I can only think of Miao Shan, who might give Tanaka a run for their money in terms of best vegetarian stall in Singapore.  Definitely a must visit stall.

Overall Rating
Food - 8/10
Ambiance- 7/10
Service - 9/10
Value - 8/10