The grand dame of Indian vegetarian food in Singapore, Anandha Bhavan has been serving up delicious and filling food since 1924. Specilising in South Indian cuisine, but also offering several North Indian and Chinese-Indian dishes, Anandha Bhavan operates on a culture of wellness and healthly living, as their food does not contain any monosodium glutamate (MSG), preservatives, or additives.

Ambience at Anandha Bhavan is similar to a fast-food outlet, where you place orders and make payments at any of the cashiers, before taking a seat. Furniture is also similar to a fast-food outlet, somewhat smallish and not very comfortable, and the general atmosphere is noisy and brightly lit by fluorescent lights. Anandha Bhavan has a open kitchen concept, and you'll be able to watch the chefs at work, which is a plus point.

Service at Anandha Bhavan is limited to staff preparing your food, serving your order, and clearing the tables, which is done very efficiently. Besides this, there isn't much interaction with staff.

Because Anandha Bhavan does Indian vegetarian, don't expect any meat on the menu. Potatoes are a common ingredient across many dishes, and provide the base / filler that makes the dish satisfying. I also like that Anandha Bhavan has a good range of desserts / sweets, moreso than other Indian eateries.

Prices for food at Anandha Bhavan are slightly higher than average, akin to fast-food prices. Snacks and desserts easily cost about SGD $5 - 8 per dish, while mains cost around SGD $4 - $12 per dish.

Tea

The Pav Bhaji is different from the traditional Indian version, as it isn't in the form of a thick gravy, but rather a solid mash / mix of potatoes and vegetables. While tasty, it's not authentic, and much more filling / heavier as a meal compared to the traditional Pav Bhaji.

Pav Bhaji

The Pani Puri has a slightly sour taste from the spiced flavoured water, but isn't very balanced against the near lack of sweet tamarind chutney. But I like the liberal topping of sev.

Pani Puri

Boli is a traditional South Indian sweet dessert, from Tamil Nadu, India. Boli is made with all purpose flour / maida refined wheat flour, powdered turmeric, sugar and water, then stuffed with a filling made from chickpeas, powdered cardamom and ghee (clarified butter). Boli is shaped like a golden-yellow flat pancake. Sometimes, shredded coconut or brown sugar is added for additional flavour. Boli is typically served as part of a banquet / sadhya.

Boli