Ananda Bhavan, oldest Indian veg restaurant in Singapore, celebrates 100th anniversary

Ananda Bhavan, the Indian vegetarian restaurant in Singapore, has just celebrated its 100th anniversary in a big way, with a lively event graced by Singapore President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, First Lady Jane Ittogi, and Alvin Tan, Minister of State for Trade & Industry and Culture, Community & Youth.

Sharing a number of images of the July 20 dinner celebrations, Tan posted today on Instagram: “100 years of Indian vegetarian food – that is what Ananda Bhavan has served since 1924. Along with President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, we celebrated their 100th anniversary of the oldest Indian restaurant in Singapore and had the honour of enjoying their dishes from their new centenary menu for dinner.”

Among the event attendees in Little India last night was R Rajaram, Registrar of the National University of Singapore and Chairman of the Advisory Board of the Indian Heritage Centre in Singapore.

Outlining the history of Ananda Bhavan, the Singapore daily The Straits Times reported today: “The restaurant debuted a new centenary menu with popular dishes from over the years from various culinary traditions, including banana flower vadai, curry noodles with monkey head mushroom and portobello mushroom briyani.”

ST said that the dinner marked “Ananda Bhavan’s entry into the Singapore Book of Records as the oldest Indian vegetarian restaurant in the country”.

Tan posted: “The legacy of this family-run restaurant spans a century, and their food has fed generations.”

He wrote: “Founded by Mr Kulanthaivelu Muthusamy Kaunder and his brothers, Ananda Bhavan had humble roots plating up affordable meals for labourers. After his demise, he handed over the business to his brother-in-law Mr Ramasamy, before handing the reins to Mr Kulanthaivelu’s wife.

“It was then passed on to their sons, the late Mr M. K. Ramachandra and Mr K. Nadarajan, who introduced automation in their kitchen to improve productivity and expanded the restaurant to several locations.

“Today, it is run by Mr Viren Ettikan, Mr K. Nadarajan’s son, alongside his aunt Madam Parameshvari Kulanthaivelu and her sister Ms Rajeswari. They have opened more outlets and now serve not just South Indian food, but North Indian food and fusion cuisine as well.”

The minister noted how Ananda Bhavan had retained its USP while adapting to the changing business landscape. “They have remained resilient yet agile through the years, quick to adopt new technology and innovation while remaining rooted in its tradition of serving quality vegetarian food to its customers.”

Recognising the contribution of the Indian-origin establishment to the diverse culture of Singapore, the minister wrote: “Establishments like Ananda Bhavan are gems which represent decades of history and rich tradition – and we will work to deepen appreciation of the heritage they honour.”

“[The] National Heritage Board recognises Ananda Bhavan through the Street Corner Heritage Galleries Scheme, and [has] collaborated with them to showcase their history through galleries displaying historical documents, photographs and artefacts to share their stories,” wrote the minister.

Tan said in conclusion: “Thank you Ananda Bhavan for hosting us, and for plating up 100 years of tradition.”