Thunder Tea Rice, The Ancient Veg Grain Bowl Sedentary Folks Should Eat Now  

Enter thunder tea rice. Whether you think of it as the Hakka version of Japanese ochazuke or an ancient Chinese veggie grain bowl, it remains a niche, sometimes polarising dish in Singapore. Known as lei cha in mandarin, which translates to “thunder tea”, apparently ’cos of the ruckus the traditional mortar and pestle makes as it pulverises ingredients like mugwort, basil, tea leaves and nuts into the base for a bright green soup that’s poured over assorted chopped vegetables, tofu and rice. According to the South China Morning Post, the nutritious vegetarian dish was created during the warring Three Kingdoms period in China to feed soldiers and keep them nimble and healthy.

The dish is not exactly common in hawker centres because it’s so time-consuming to make. Also, let’s be real — the average hawker-going Singaporean would probably rather order a plate of greasy curry pork chop rice over a bowl of veggie-topped grains drenched in astringent tea soup.

That being said, this storied dish has been slowly gaining some traction among the health-conscious set. At least on our social media feeds. And one version of lei cha that we’ve been seeing often is chef Pang Kok Keong’s, founder of Pang’s Hakka Delicacies as well as French patisserie Antoinette.

As practically thunder tea rice virgins (we’ve only had one or two not-great versions in the past), there really is no better bowl to (re)start with than chef Pang’s elevated version, sold under his heritage-hip brand. He says it’s painstaking work chopping all the veggies into tiny pieces and frying each component separately. And then there’s picking the leaves off the herbs, roasting the peanuts and blending everything together. But the results are worth it. His tea soup, a lovely shade of fresh-cut grass, is so thick it’s like a pesto. In fact, it sorta tastes like an Asian pesto, with its invigorating herbaceous whiffs of coriander, Thai basil, mugwort, mint, mellowed with rich ground peanuts and sesame seeds.

“I didn’t add tea here so people of all ages, including kids, can eat it,” explains chef Pang. Good news for those who don’t like their lei cha too bitter. The soup drapes the crunchy vegetables — including the unusual but welcome addition of succulent winged beans, kidney beans and chewy brown rice — like a thick, wholesome, addictive gravy. Our fave bits are the ikan bilis, hae bee and chai poh, which lend crunch and umami. You could add some hot water to thin out the paste, how it’s traditionally done, but why dilute the intense flavours here? That this is actually super good for us with all its antioxidant, nutrient-dense properties is a bonus — we’d happily eat it every week just ’cos it’s so yummy. The low-GI brown rice also left us pleasantly sated without making us want to snooze after lunch. Tip: you can refrigerate extra bowls for consumption a day after purchase if you aren’t planning to eat all three (the minimum order) in one sitting.

Because life is all about balance, also consider stocking up on these lard-tossed noodles for when you’re in dire need of some soothing carbs. They look plain but pack lots of flavour. The wheaty strands, made by a noodle factory according to Pang’s own recipe, boast a good ramen-like bite. These are tossed with the accompanying tiny container of minced pork, a tasty lardy paste and super fragrant slow-fried, crisp lard cubes.

Stash some noodles in the freezer and pair with greens for a quick and satisfying DIY meal anytime.

As far as Hakka kuehs go, these are even heavier than the usual ones. Cooked shredded radish is mixed with sauteed minced pork, hae bee, dried cuttlefish, mushrooms, then blended with tapioca starch and coriander into gummy orbs. Not our fave.

Admittedly, this has nothing to do with Hakka grub — but we’re quite fond of this new bake from chef Pang’s Antoinette bakery. Each large bun looks like a chubby flower with ‘petals’ that’s easily torn off to munch on. The roasted, pungent notes of caramelised garlic hit you first — it’s glazed in garlic butter and Japanese mayo — followed by the sweetness of its sugary cream cheese filling. Some find the sweetness jarring but we think it kinda works here. Warm it up in the oven so the crown turns nice and crusty.

Pre-order Pang's Hakka Delicacies' dishes at least a day in advance before 3pm via https://take.sg/s/6590217507. Self-collection at 30 Penhas Rd. Delivery available island-wide for $8 from 1pm - 6pm (except Wed).

Add bread (not cake) orders from Antoinette onto any Hakka Pang order. Otherwise, order separately via https://antoinette.oddle.me/en_SG ($8 delivery fee with min order of $55).