Hawker Hustlers: Origanics’ Darryl Tong aims to makes vegetarian food healthy and tasty for all

When you think of hawker-style vegetarian food, what comes to mind? Some may say that mock meats are often too-salty or artificial. Basically, not quite like “the real thing”. 

Hawker Darryl Tong, 32, hopes to change this impression of vegetarian cuisine with his stall Origanics.

Having set up roots as a canteen stall at National University of Singapore (NUS) in 2021, he has since opened a second store at Buangkok Hawker Centre in December last year, and a third just this month at Woodleigh Village Hawker Centre.

On the menu are items you don’t typically find at other vegetarian stalls. Think: “Char siew” Sarawak kolo noodle, braised “duck” rice and the like.

And yes, Darryl tries to faithfully replicate each dish without compromising on taste. 

How Darryl’s journey begin

After completing his National Service in 2014, Darryl decided to head into F&B, following the footsteps of his father who had owned a vegetarian hawker stall at Toa Payoh Lorong 7. Darryl spent about a year there, learning the basic techniques of cooking.

After realising how much he enjoyed the trade, he ventured out on his own with a vegetarian canteen stall at Temasek Secondary in 2016. There, he sold vegetarian dishes such as lor mee and bee hoon, before moving to western recipes — spaghetti bolognese, carbonara et al. 

“I didn’t have much financial capital and just wanted to learn as I go,” Darryl recalls. “So I thought that was a good platform to start.”

A year later, he moved to CHIJ Katong Girls School — not too far away from his first stall — where he remained for another four years. 

He eventually felt it time to move beyond school canteen stalls, citing controlled prices, which in turn, limited his earnings.

He next moved towards the west, opening Origanics’ first stall at NUS’ Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences. 

Today, the menu revolves around cai fan dishes, with mock meat items including buttermilk “chicken” and sweet & sour “fish”. Also available: A selection of around 12 to 15 vegetable dishes such as tofu, pumpkin and bitter gourd. 

“I found that young adults, especially university students, are very open to vegetarian food in general,” Darryl says. “Many are health-conscious and aware of issues such as climate change and the humane treatment of animals.” 

During this time, he researched and perfected new recipes, which we can see today at his Buangkok and Woodleigh stalls. He also went overseas to try other vegetarian foods.

“I would also do online research on which vegetarian products are currently available on the market,” he adds. 

Whilst his food in NUS has been well-received, Darryl hoped to grow his brand even further. Another factor was how traffic at the stall waned during semester breaks.

Opening a stall at Buangkok Hawker Centre proved to be the perfect opportunity, as it drew a consistent crowd.

Says Darryl: “The centre (run by Fei Siong Group) has also been very supportive of young hawkers like me who are determined and passionate about what we do.”

Creating healthy and tasty vegetarian dishes 

If you peruse the menu the Buangkok stall, you’ll find some interesting additions: “Char siew” Sarawak kolo noodles (S$4.50), lor mee (S$4), braised “duck” rice (S$4.50), mee siam (S$4) and “kway chap” (S$4). 

One bestseller is the braised “duck” rice. 

The “duck” meat is made from mushrooms that have been braised for a couple of hours, while the rest of the ingredients — coriander, cucumber, braised beanskin curd, and tofu — are freshly sliced each morning. 

We had a chance to try the braised “duck” rice and were thoroughly impressed. In fact, my colleague felt it fared even better than non-vegetarian versions he had tried at other stalls, which sometimes takes on a rubbery texture. Here, the mock duck was tender, flavourful and not gamey at all. 

Another popular option is the “char siew” Sarawak kolo noodles, with noodles imported from Sarawak, which is now available at the new Woodleigh stall. 

“For the char siew sauce, we use an aromatic oil and make the chilli from scratch ourselves,” Darryl adds. “The sauce itself has a caramelised flavour and is made with malt sugar, which is less sweet and a natural ingredient.” 

In general, Darryl makes his vegetarian food with less salt and seasoning. He also typically uses vegetable stock powder in place of MSG. Another secret is using black sugar (which is naturally rich in antioxidants) instead of refined sugar. 

We also had a chance to try the fried “fish” bee hoon soup, which is currently available exclusively at Origanics’ new store at Woodleigh Village Hawker Centre. 

The “fish” is made entirely out of mushrooms and amazed us with how much it actually tasted like fried fish. The fish was crispy, well-seasoned and addictive — you definitely couldn’t stop at just one bite!

“My dad taught me how to cook the “fish”, but I had to go through a lot of trial and error to get the mushroom batter and soup base right,” recalls Darryl.

Future plans and inspiring younger hawkers  

Origanics has since opened another stall at the new Woodleigh Village Hawker Centre. The menu there focuses primarily on different types of noodles such as mala kolo noodles, “chicken” cutlet kolo noodles, as well as Origanics’ signature caramelised “char siew” kolo noodles. Also on offer: The fried “fish” bee hoon soup.

“The demographic there is younger married couples, who might want to experiment with non-traditional vegetarian items,” he says. ”That’s why I decided on a menu that specialises in noodles.” 

Aside from expanding Origanics’ hawker footprint, Darryl’s long-term dream is to open his very own cafe. To become a better F&B entrepreneur, he has also returned to school, having previously dropped out back when he was a teenager. He is currently taking a business administration diploma course at Ngee Ann Polytechnic. 

“The whole time I was working at NUS and other canteen stalls, I knew nothing about business or finance,” says Darryl. “I realised I needed such soft skills to make this business sustainable. Going back to school has been an eye-opening experience, as we are exposed to lots of real-world scenarios that can be applied to day-to-day business.”

Darryl also hopes to be a mentor to other young hawkers and inspire them to push the envelope when it comes to vegetarian food. 

“I want to encourage the younger generation to move into this industry,” he says. “I don’t mind sharing my skills and cooking techniques with them — I enjoy seeing people doing what they love.”

He adds, “If younger hawkers are open to learning and working hard, I will be more than happy to support them through mentorship opportunities. This is one way I can champion and preserve vegetarian cuisine in Singapore’s F&B landscape.”

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While redemptions last, capped at one redemption per person.

For more stories on young hawkers, read about Style Palate’s European fusion fare at the new Woodleigh Village Hawker Centre. And for more ideas on what to eat, check out the newest openings around town.

Origanics is on the GrabFood delivery service and offers free delivery (up to S$3 off with GrabUnlimited).

Do explore the GrabFood Dine Out service for awesome deals.

You can also book a ride to try Origanics at Buangkok.