Hakka Leipopo: Light… but not on taste
To balance the heavy, rich festive treats you may have indulged in, we’re introducing a stall with lighter offerings – which are nonetheless VERY loud in flavour.
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We’re right in the middle of festive season here in Singapore. If you’re anything like us, you would have enjoyed quite a few sinfully delicious, once-a-year treats by now. And are looking forward to quite a few more over Chinese New Year.
You may also be looking to offset these indulgent feasts with something a bit healthier. If so, come with us to Hakka Leipopo’s outlet at Bukit Merah View Market & Hawker Centre for some thunder tea rice and yong tau foo.
What in the name of Thor is thunder tea?
In case you’re unfamiliar, this Hakka dish has little to do with the Norse pantheon.
The thunder tea is a green soup made by grinding tea leaves and various herbs into a paste, which is then mixed with water. As for the rice, it is typically mixed with a variety of vegetables, peanuts and light seasoning into what is essentially a rice salad.
Why does it sound so… metal?
There are a few theories regarding the dish’s interesting-sounding name. The most widely accepted one is that the Chinese word for ‘grind’ sounds the same as the one for ‘thunder’.
We assume the early creators of the dish was savvy enough to recognise that ‘thunder tea rice’ is a lot more marketable than ‘ground tea rice’.
Another theory that complements this is that the grinding of the soup base in a stone mortar and pestle makes a loud noise that resembles rolling thunder.
Well, how was the meal?
First of all, it was very aesthetic. The camera ate this up with a happy clicking sound.
Before mixing with the rice underneath, we managed to identify cabbage, choy sum, pucuk manis, French beans, peanuts, sesame seeds, tofu stir-fried with leek, and dried shrimp for an extra umami punch. We’re not sure what else they have in there but everything came together beautifully to deliver a great mix of textures and subtle layers of delicate flavour.
After a few bites, Leipopo recommends that you pour the green thunder tea over everything before you continue eating. But that’s up to you – as we had a few in our group who just prefer to enjoy the rice and thunder tea separately.
The tea itself is a very light green – looking paler than others we’ve had before. However, one sip confirmed there’s nothing light about its flavour.
We tasted basil, a hint of mint, and the fragrance of coriander. All the ingredients in it melded cohesively to create a punchy yet balanced, smoothly rounded taste that gets more addictive with every sip.
We do have to qualify, however, that thunder tea is known to be a bit of an acquired taste and may not be everyone’s cup of… y’know. Even in our little group there are some who love it and some who are a little less enthusiastic.
But if you enjoy both, eating them – either separately or mixed together – will give you a healthy, tasty and satisfying meal.
But it wasn’t 100% guilt-free, was it? 😉
Ah, yes. We come now to the hefty, meaty, deep-fried Hakka yong tau foo – worth every sinful calorie.
If you’re concerned about not meeting your protein intake goals, Leipopo offers 5 varieties of yong tau foo on the side. You can have your thunder tea rice in a set with any 3 or 7 pieces of your choice.
Every piece is stuffed with a generous amount of juicy, bouncy, savoury meat that will satisfy any carnivore. This is served alongside their house-made chilli dipping sauce – a sweet and tangy number that nicely balances out the grease in the yong tau foo.
Can I customise my bowl?
Absolutely! You can have white rice, brown rice, extra rice, or no rice if you’re cutting carbs. You can also add or remove any ingredients you choose from the rice bowl, have just the thunder tea on its own, order just the yong tau foo… they’ll let you have pretty much any combo you can think of – at a price, of course.
Do they have other outlets?
Yes! If you’re near the north-east, Hakka Leipopo has stalls at Anchorvale Village, Punggol One and Punggol Coast Hawker Centres. But obviously we have a soft spot for the one located in our town. 😀
Give me the deets on the stall in our town
As mentioned, it’s at Bukit Merah View Market & Hawker Centre. The stall is #01-61 and they’re open Monday to Friday, 9.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m.
You’ll find tasty, relatively healthy food made with care; nice and friendly owners; a well-known hawker centre with plenty of other great eats. There’s every every reason to check this place out – so come by soon!
