Plum Village Hakka Restaurant (“Plum Village”) is the only Hakka Restaurant remaining in Singapore. It is owned and operated by Mr Lai Fak Nian. Plum Village is nestled comfortably in a two-story shop house at the old estate in Jalan Leban, off Thomson Road between Ang Mo Kio Ave 1 and Yio Chu Kang Road.
The menu of Plum Village is the size of A4 paper and contains about 18 dishes, representing Hakka people from different provinces in China. Each dish is painstakingly created from scratch and some of the items are subject to availability. We decided to order the recommended set meal for 4 pax priced at $56 plus the Beancurd Skin Pork Stomach Soup ($10).
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| The Menu |
The first dish to arrive is Salted Chicken. Plum uses Kampong chicken for this dish, providing a stiffer texture for the breast meat, but delivering a better wholesome flavour of the chicken. True to its name, the dish is on the salty side, however, the sauce is filled with the essence of the chicken and what a flavour bomb.
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| Salted Chicken |
Hakka Yam Abacus is a well-known dish representing Hakka food in Singapore. The yam abacus has a lovely chewy texture, but the ingredients that infuse the flavour are dried shrimp, dried cuttlefish, Chinese mushroom, minced pork and fish sauce. Awesome.
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| Hakka Yam Abacus |
Pork with Preserved Vegetables. As a Hakka, I know this dish very well. My family version is the pork belly is braised with sweet mei cai. However, I find the versions in Singapore and Malaysia, most of them used salty mei cai. The version at Plum Village is of a very good standard. The pork belly has a good ratio of meat and fats, absorbs the flavour of the mei cai and soy sauce, and cooked to the point of fork tender. Even though the set menu included a noodle dish, we still decided to order two bowls of white rice to share. What a “rice thief” dish.
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| Hakka Yam Abacus |
Stuffed Yong Tau Foo. For Hakka Yong Tau Foo, the tofu is stuffed with minced pork instead of fish paste. The tofu base used is firm, while the minced pork is fatty and gives this dish a nice meaty flavour.
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| Stuffed Yong Tau Foo |
Complimentary Fried Hakka Noodles. The thin egg noodles are similar to e-fu noodles, bouncy and lightly fried with mushroom and minced pork. Don’t expect any wok hei, but the flavour remains robust and delicious.
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| Complimentary Fried Hakka Noodles |
We also ordered Beancurd Skin Pork Stomach Soup ($10). The pig’s stomach is clean and absent of any foul smell. The broth is robust with a touch of pepper. Good to start the meal.
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| Beancurd Skin Pork Stomach Soup |
At the end of the meal, we were served complimentary dessert of red bean soup.
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| Red Bean Soup |
The décor of this place is stuck in the 1980s. The tables are covered with white plastic table cloth, while the lights are dim and yellowish. Really brought out the nostalgic vibe. Service is no fuss and friendly.
Overall, Plum Village is the place to go if you want to experience Hakka food in Singapore. The food is tasty, pocket friendly but cooked with heart. We enjoy all the dishes here and we hope to dine here again before they close. Cheers!!
Food & Drink: 7.5/10
Value: 8/10
Service: 6/10
Ambiance: 6/10
Budget per Person: $11 - 25
Plum Village Hakka Restaurant
16 Jln Leban
Singapore 577554
T: +65 6458 9005
F: https://www.facebook.com/PlumvillageHakkafood/
OH:
Mon, Tue, Thu – Sat: 11.00 – 14.00; 17.30 – 21.00
Sun: 12.00 – 14.00; 17.30 – 21.00
Closed on Wednesday.
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