Lunch hours are a drag if you work in the CBD. You have a choice between having really expensive sandwiches in a quiet cafe or reasonably cheap rice and three questionable dishes with 27,542 other CBD workers. So you either spend $15 or $3, depending on whether you brought tissue paper to chope a seat at one of the ubiquitous lunch halls.
It was reasonable weather to walk more than a block for lunch yesterday, so I walked two blocks towards Carl’s Jr.’s, but I saw the lunch crowd (at 12.45pm) there and decided I wasn’t gonna wait more than 5 minutes for a $10 meal.
Across the lane from Carl’s were several lunch halls slash coffee shops which had a few empty tables that didn’t have packets of tissue paper on them, which meant no one had reserved them yet. So I went and sat down. Then I got up to get food. Then I kept looking back at my un-choped seat and cursed myself for not bringing a packet of tissue paper.
Luckily, there was a food stall which was quite near my vacant seat, so I could rush the two steps there, get my food, and rush back before anyone could toss a packet of tissue on the table. (Seriously, I’ve seen people aim and toss a pack of tissues to reserve their seat. Even funnier when they miss).
You know it’s a good lunch hour when the weather’s reasonable, you manage to get a seat and buy a lunch that is slightly different from the usual fare. Well, it sounds different:
Thunder Tea Rice. Maybe it sounds less fierce in Chinese. Try it in Hokkien, and say it to your mother and see if she slaps you or not.
Actually, not bad lah. For $3.50, I had the brown rice version of TTR, which is actually some rice with lots of diced vegetables, some tofu, some ikan bilis, some peanuts, and a bowl of green muck which looks like condensed green tea with some mint.
I read here that it’s the meal of dieting “admin executives”:
Initially when I look at the Thunder Tea that serve at the stall, I hesitate when I look at the colour, but after trying it several times, the thunder tea is a very good food with all the natural ingredients used without any flavourings. The food really helps in my diet as it is a truly “Slimming tea” and it is affordable as well. I do not have to pay to go slimming centre now. Taking the food daily help in my figure. Two thumbs up for the food. For all ladies looking for a slim figure without any physical and mental suffering, I would recommend to take this food regularly. Not only that, the staff at the stall are all very friendly and warm person. It just makes you feel like having a meal with your family.
-Shirley Oh, Admin Executive
It was only after I read the review from “Mdm Doris Tan, Civil Servant”, that I had any inkling as to why it might have been named Thunder Tea Rice:
For those suffering from constipation, I would strongly recommend it. I can enjoy the good food without paying high price.
iTunes is playing an illegal copy of Wintertime Blues from the album “Master of Disaster” by John Hiatt of which I have the original CD.
Technorati Tags: food, Thunder Tea Rice, Singapore
Hi.
Actually Thunder Tea Rice, or “Lei Cha Fan” (pronounced in Cantonese or Hakka) is a Hakka invention, where peasants of old used to make a simple meal out of ground up tea leaves, simple stir fried vegetables, ground peanuts & ikan bilis. The idea is to pour the tea into the rice, give it a good mix, and whack.
Me? I prefer to keep it separate and take the tea like a soup. Amazing the things you can learn from the in laws :o)
PC
Hi.
Actually Thunder Tea Rice, or “Lei Cha Fan” (pronounced in Cantonese or Hakka) is a Hakka invention, where peasants of old used to make a simple meal out of ground up tea leaves, simple stir fried vegetables, ground peanuts & ikan bilis. The idea is to pour the tea into the rice, give it a good mix, and whack.
Me? I prefer to keep it separate and take the tea like a soup. Amazing the things you can learn from the in laws :o)
PC
Oh.. there’s another one along Geylang Lor 13.. thought that was the only one… shall make a trip down. It’s at Marina Sq, isn’t it? :oP
Oh.. there’s another one along Geylang Lor 13.. thought that was the only one… shall make a trip down. It’s at Marina Sq, isn’t it? :oP
Hilarious. The terrible crowds at lunch is one of the reason’s I’m glad I don’t work in Shenton Way.
Hilarious. The terrible crowds at lunch is one of the reason’s I’m glad I don’t work in Shenton Way.
Argh fighting for lunch, can’t be doing with that, I prefer to wait till 2-3pm then I can get a seat and don’t have to elbow my way through queues.
Argh fighting for lunch, can’t be doing with that, I prefer to wait till 2-3pm then I can get a seat and don’t have to elbow my way through queues.
These Thunder Tea Rice really not my cup of tea… Found the taste slightly too raw for me.
But I like the Little Abacus dish from Hakka, chewy and nice!
These Thunder Tea Rice really not my cup of tea… Found the taste slightly too raw for me.
But I like the Little Abacus dish from Hakka, chewy and nice!
Another piece of Hakka trivial *sigh*… the “abacus” or “sson pang zi” is not an indigenous Hakka dish, but mainly prepared by the Hakka folks originating from ?? (Da Pu).. my favourite Chinese New Year dish!
Another piece of Hakka trivial *sigh*… the “abacus” or “sson pang zi” is not an indigenous Hakka dish, but mainly prepared by the Hakka folks originating from 大鋪 (Da Pu).. my favourite Chinese New Year dish!
thunder tea
lightning tea
typhoon tea
all count to nought if u puff
i kid u not
quit smoking
think of yur family
thunder tea
lightning tea
typhoon tea
all count to nought if u puff
i kid u not
quit smoking
think of yur family
in hakka, it’s pronounced “lui cha” not “lei chai”. cantonese and hakka are different, altho they did mix a lot in the same province, guan dong.
in hakka, it’s pronounced “lui cha” not “lei chai”. cantonese and hakka are different, altho they did mix a lot in the same province, guan dong.
Please help me to find a good recipe how to make Hakka Lei Cha Fan. Thank You.
Please help me to find a good recipe how to make Hakka Lei Cha Fan. Thank You.