2nd entry - Ode to Thunder Tea Rice

Within the months of February to May, I have dined a record high number of buffet lunches and dinners. Every special occasion e.g. aunt from Melbourne's visit, my sweetheart's birthday, celebration of performance bonus, farewell/thank you dinner for my colleagues, Mother's day etc warranted a trip to a buffet restaurant. When I went on a luxury cruise on board Superstar Virgo, it was literally a buffet trip because every meal was buffet-styled.

None of the buffets, however, could substitute the humble, nutritious and delicious Thunder Tea (Lei Cha) rice in Geylang. I first tried the Thunder Tea rice, a Hakka creation, with my best friend K, many years ago. We had gone to a particular coffeeshop in Geylang to try the dish after swimming, and it instantly became my favourite dish! The aroma of the hot green tea blending with the chunky vegetables such as pickled radish, groundnuts and winged beans made this flavourful and textured dish as unforgettable as it was irresistible. It became a special dish that my friend and I shared, and we introduced them to our sweethearts who also enjoyed this healthy and economical dish ($3.50 for white rice, and $4 for brown rice, and $0.50 extra for fried "dou gan" or hard beancurd stuffed with minced pork).



I have tried Thunder Tea rice at Amoy Street Food Centre (ground floor) and Suntec City Food Republic (ground floor), and while both have their unique recipes resulting in their distinct flavours, my friend K and I still liked the one at Geylang most. Even when it shifted quietly from Lorong 17 to Lorong 19 (apparently due to rental issues), we were determined to locate the shop. Our search was not in vain, as we were soon rewarded by the delicious dish when we finally found the shop. I even took a namecard from the elusive shop - lest it vanished again.

Alas, K told me today that the stall owners, an elderly couple, have retired and their delicious creation could no longer be enjoyed by its fans. I felt so sad that I immediately went to hunt for the Lei Cha recipe online, but I was unsuccessful in finding one that I felt was close to what I tasted. I wished I could have tasted the dish one last time before it began to fade into the distant memories of Lei Cha...