Whether you call it lei cha or thunder tea rice, this nutritious Hakka dish is a local favourite, especially among office workers looking for a nutritious lunch. If you so happen to work or study near One-north MRT Station and love lei cha, you’ll want to put Love U Food on your list. Located in Fusionopolis, this standalone lei cha eatery often sports long queues during peak mealtimes.
Image credit: @loveleifoodsg
The founders of Love U Food are Malaysians, and the recipe has been passed through their family’s generations. If you come early in the day, you can see the owners prepping the lei cha paste from scratch, with fresh greens and herbs.
Image credit: @claudeats
The bestseller here is their Lei Cha ($6.30), where you get a bowl of thunder tea rice topped with all the usual ingredients: roasted peanuts, chye poh, sliced green beans, braised cabbage and more. Alongside the rice, you get their thick, herbaceous lei cha broth.Â
Image credit: @mid_foodoc
We highly recommend getting your order of lei cha with a portion of Hakka Fried Pork Cutlet ($3.50). Thick-cut pork belly bits are marinated in tau cheo, a salty fermented bean paste before they’re fried to super crispy ends.Â
Image credit: @loveleifoodsg
If you want the fried pork, but not all of the greens that come with traditional lei cha, try the Hakka Fried Pork Cutlet with Lei Cha ($7.50). You get a bowl of rice soaked and cooked in their signature lei cha broth and a bowl of said soup. Instead of the usual medley of toppings, however, this order comes with a fried egg and a serving of their popular pork cutlet.
Image credit: @loveleifoodsg
Love U Food also sells other Hakka dishes, such as Yong Tau Foo, from $5.80, and Fried Egg with Bittergourd ($6). Surprisingly, Lu Rou Fan ($6.30) also features on their bestseller list, so there’s something on the menu for diners who aren’t the biggest fans of lei cha’s grassy flavour.
Pro-tip: come during off-peak hours to skip the queue. It’ll also be easier for you to bag a table at the eatery itself, so you can enjoy your food piping hot.
For more eats in the area, check out our Star Vista food guide, and our One-North food guide.
Address: 1 Fusionopolis Way, #B1-17, Fusionopolis, Singapore 138577
Opening hours: Mon-Fri 11am to 8pm
Website
Love U Food is not a halal-certified eatery.
Featured image adapted from @loveleifoodsg and @claudeats.
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