Lei cha for love: How Hakka Leipopo’s founder learnt the dish for husband, now runs three stalls

“I actually learnt how to cook thunder tea rice because my husband loved it!” says Kumiko Tan, the founder of Hakka Leipopo, with a sheepish smile on her face.

Life is a funny thing: Thunder tea rice was never meant to be such a big part of Kumiko’s life, who was a full-time piano teacher just four years ago.

But as fate would have it, the affable 43-year-old now finds herself running one of Singapore’s fastest growing thunder tea rice brands.

In three years, Kumiko has already opened three outlets, with the latest one located at Anchorvale Village Hawker Centre.

What is thunder tea rice?

Thunder tea rice, or lei cha, is a dish that comes in two distinct components: A mound of rice, topped with a motley of chopped greens, and a side of thick, earthy broth that almost looks like matcha.

The dish, which has Hakka roots, has been amassing public intrigue in recent years. But getting a good bowl of thunder tea rice in Singapore can still be a struggle.

Part of the reason is the time and effort required in assembling the notoriously time-consuming dish. 

According to the Hakka Leipopo bosswoman, it takes at least five to six hours to prepare at home.

There are a myriad of steps involved, from washing the numerous ingredients, to having to chop them finely, then frying them all.

Naturally, with all this effort involved, thunder tea rice stalls aren’t easily found in our hawker centres. To have a young hawker willing to take on the challenge of preserving the heritage dish is even rarer — which is exactly what makes Hakka Leipopo so charming.

“There are a lot of steps and intricacies involved in making thunder tea rice, which is why I think the dish will eventually be lost to time,” Kumiko says.

“The problem isn’t difficulty, but the fact that it’s so tedious. I’ve had customers tell me they know how to cook it, but they are wary of the gruelling process!”

Recreating the taste of home

Why is Kumiko so passionate about thunder tea rice, despite the effort demanded?

Hakka Leipopo is a brand that’s actually deeply connected to the dish’s origins — Kumiko and her husband both have Hakka roots!

You can say that thunder tea runs in their veins.

Says Kumiko: “My husband is the type who can eat thunder tea rice for an entire week. We are both from Malaysia and he’s loved the dish since young.”

However, the pair couldn’t quite satisfy their thunder tea cravings in Singapore.

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Even though their family is Hakka, the older generation didn’t keep precise recipes of their family dishes, which meant they couldn’t quite make the dish themselves, either.

She recalls: “We couldn’t find that familiar taste of home here in Singapore, so he challenged me to research and come up with a recipe for the dish, since I love cooking.” 

Through the course of her research, she found out some interesting tidbits about the dish: “The dish has long existed in China and was a dish meant to be filling and nourishing. When it reached Southeast Asia, some elements of the dish changed to fit the local palate.”

“For example, Singapore-style thunder tea rice is mellower in profile and tends to use ikan bilis, while Malaysians prefer heavier flavours and dried shrimp,” she adds.

She doesn’t believe that there can be a singular “best thunder tea rice”. What Hakka Leipopo serves are the nostalgic flavours closest to her heart.

“There are specific ingredients that we use because it’s what we were used to, such as green beans, which certain stalls avoid due to shelf life and cost,” says Kumiko.

From home-based business to hawker

With all this research and know-how, Kumiko eventually found herself starting a home-based business in 2019, just a while before the Covid-19 pandemic rolled about.

Even then, there was a silver lining: Home-based businesses flourished during the pandemic and Hakka Leipopo quickly saw an uptick in orders.

Alas, the couple ran into a little snag a few months into operations.

They’d gotten calls from the authorities, who informed them about hygiene-related complaints against the business.

An officer even paid the couple a visit in their home.

After the inspection, Kumiko says the officer found nothing amiss. The couple has since chalked up the complaints to envious competitors looking to stir up trouble.

The officer did advise Kumiko to obtain a basic hygiene certificate, although home-based businesses are not required to do so — more of a pre-emptive measure to “protect” the business.

This incident was the impetus for the hawker-based Hakka Leipopo brand as we know it today. She says: “The incident frustrated, but also spurred me on. I was already being low-key and yet the complaints kept coming.”

She had thought: “Why don’t I just go out and start something proper?”

With her ambition sparked, the first brick-and-mortar Hakka Leipopo stall eventually materialised in December 2022 at Bukit Merah View Hawker Centre.

Kumiko’s brand then expanded to One Punggol Hawker Centre in Oct 2023 and Anchorvale Village Hawker Centre in June.

Hawker life has its own rewards

With almost three years under her belt, some might wonder if the former piano teacher had envisioned being where she is today, or if she regrets the career switch.

On the contrary: Kumiko has long held a passion for cooking. Prior to Hakka Leipopo, she’d already cooked at home regularly for her loved ones and enjoyed learning traditional recipes from family.

“I have loved cooking since I was young. One of our date activities is actually to visit bookstores and look at cookbooks!” she says.

Referring to her husband, she adds, with a tinge of bemusement in her voice: “We originally had a dream of opening a restaurant after we retired. Now that we’ve been doing this for almost three years, we realise what a ludicrous plan that was.”

Despite that, she admits she never actually considered making it a full-time job. 

That’s fair, since she had spent over a decade teaching piano — a career that’s more comfortable, stable and allowed her to spend her days in an air-conditioned room, too.

“It’s a different kind of satisfaction! It’s great to receive the affirmation of our customers,” says Kumiko, grinning widely.

She adds: “One of my most memorable interactions was with a regular customer, whose 100-year-old mother used to make lei cha all the time. Her mother is unable to make it anymore due to age, so she was happy to be able to rediscover that familiar taste.”

While she’s happy with what she’s achieved with Hakka Leipopo, Kumiko also hopes to open a full-fledged restaurant that’s not just limited to thunder tea rice.

While there are no real plans as of yet, the dream is to highlight all the traditional Hakka dishes that she’s familiar with, such as abacus seeds. 

With the lack of Hakka speciality restaurants in Singapore, that’s something we’ll look forward to!

Hakka Leipopo’s thunder tea rice

According to Kumiko, Hakka Leipopo’s thunder tea rice is all about harmony.

Each Hakka lei cha (S$5, add 50-cents for brown rice) bowl is piled up with mounds of greens, including mani chye (sweet leaf) and green bean, accompanied with heaps of peanuts and dried shrimp.

At the side is an earthy and herbaceous soup that’s made from ground-up vegetables and herbs such as basil.

Many recommend eating it by first mixing everything up first, eating half of it and then, add in the broth to the remaining half.

On its own, Hakka Leipopo’s rice is a fascinating mix of textures — a bit of fresh snappy beans here and there, slivers of soft leafy vegetables in between, and crunchy peanuts to add some oomph.

Overall, it’s very comforting and earthy with the dried shrimp and peanuts adding a pleasantly controlled dose of umami and fragrance.

Adding in the broth adds a grassier flavour to it, with hints of basil and mint sharpness layering nicely over the rice. Clean, wholesome and, as cliche as it is to say, healthy tasting.

For those who enjoy their thunder tea rice more earthy and potent, Hakka Leipopo also has a separate, more intense stock that some guests can ask for, if they prefer a more bitter profile!

Although the thunder tea rice is the highlight, Hakka Leipopo also specialises in Hakka yong tau foo made the authentic way, stuffed with a combination of fresh pork and mackerel fish paste.

The yong tau foo is available as a seven-piece platter for S$7, or as part of a combo with the thunder tea rice (S$8.30 for three pieces, S$11.70 for seven pieces).

The key is the filling, which is both delightfully juicy and filled with umami. It pairs wonderfully with ingredients such as the silky tofu or the tender eggplant. 

Oh, and it’s especially yummy when dipped in the moreish chilli that comes with a nice bit of spice.  

Maybe it’s because Kumiko makes everything with love, so it’s all so comforting — if you’re looking for the best Hakka thunder tea rice in Singapore, add Hakka Leipopo to your list.

Trust us.

For more ideas on what to eat, read our stories on the best makan spots in trendy Holland Village and a first look at the first Singapore outlet of a famous dutch patisserie! 

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

Do explore the new GrabFood Dine Out service for awesome deals.

You can also book a ride to Hakka Leipopo if you’re on the hunt for the best thunder tea rice in Singapore!