These days, vegetarian dining is even more expensive compared to non-vegetarian or fast food. A plate of plain rice with 3 options of dish will easily cost up to RM10 and this does not include drinks. Therefore, for vegans it is very a hard to look for vegetarian food with reasonable pricing. However, there is one of the very few places that offer good vegetarian food at a reasonable price, that is the Temple of Fine Arts.
In order to get to the Temple of Fine Arts (TFA), you need drive through Jalan Perak, until you reach a 3-way junction (the right turns to Jalan Macalister and the straight route is to Jalan Macalister and Island Hospital). You will need to take the left turning which is to Jalan Berek. Take the 3rd junction on your right to Lebuhraya Babington and keep a lookout for TFA on your right.
Temple of Fine Arts is also known as TFA. Just like the name of its place, it is a place for fine arts. The definition of “Fine Arts” is not limited to the Culture itself, but also on the Religion and Food as well.
As for food, there is a restaurant located behind the temple.
The dining area is an open concept which is very wide and cozy.
The dining area is also overlooking a nice garden where you can enjoy some greenery while enjoying your vegetarian meal.
The carving of the statue is very fine, which explains the name of this temple.
Papadum, this Indian crackers were very crispy and packed with flavor. It was perfect to be dipped with the various type of curry here.
There were more than 10 options of vegetarian dishes available.
The chapatis were freshly made and were kept warm in a heat retaining container.
By taking only a small portion of each dish, the plate was already almost full. Among the options were Biryani rice, plain white rice, yoghurt rice, different types of dhal, vegetables and different types of curry.
Most of the dishes here were spicy but the taste of the food was nice and delicious.
The Masala tea and brewed coffee were very nice as well.
Overall, the food here was very delightful and the best part of all is the payment of the food is by donation basis. It depends on how much you can afford to pay. Finding a place to park is not a big issue as there are ample parking space surrounding the neighborhood.
Editor’s Review (5 Stars Rank):
| Taste |  |
| Price (more stars, more reasonable) |  |
| Food Presentation | |
| Service | |
| Overall |  |
Quick Facts:
| Family Friendly |  |
| Parking | |
| Pork Free | |
| Alcohol (beer) |  |
| Credit Card | |
| Smoking | |
| Reservation | |
| Private Room | |
| WIFI Available | |
Operation hours: 11:30am – 2:30pm, Closed Monday.
Contact: 04-228 8575
Address: 1 Babington Avenue 10450 Penang
GPS: 5° 41′ 85.71″ N, 100° 31′ 34.78″ E
I love the place as it’s all staffed by volunteers yet the level of service received can rival hotels. Donations go towards funding clinics for the poor. Only thing is that if dining at night, mossie repellent is a must! 😀