Entree Kibbles: Vegetarian Thunder Tea Rice from Temple Street Lei Cha @ Bugis (Near the Famous Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple) [Singapore]

Visually, many people would assume the thunder tea rice (a Hakka specialty) is vegetarian until they give it a try and realize there are hidden dry shrimps (those super tiny ones) and sometimes, ikan bilis (anchovies).

While the "meat" is not likely to be substantial, it still isn't vegetarian. But is there a vegetarian option for thunder tea rice? There is and to be honest, I wouldn't have tried if not for the fact that I was accompanying my mom on the 15th day of the lunar month; one of two typical days (the other being the 1st day) most Buddhists would go on a strict vegetarian diet.

I was near the famous Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple, an area also known for its concentration of vegetarian eateries, and chanced upon Temple Street Lei Cha. Their thunder tea rice isn't vegetarian, except on the 1st and 15th day of every lunar month.

The concentrated green puree before hot water was added to make it into the broth we know of. Maybe next time I should have a taste beforehand to see what it tasted like.

My nutritional, vegetarian meal for the day! Frankly, I did ask if I could have the meat version but the stall only offer vegetarian thunder tea rice on the two auspicious days. Oh well, I should be happy as I am gaining some merit for not eating meat; I think.

It's so hard to remember what vegetables go into the thunder tea rice; I know there's preserved radish, beancurd, long beans and cabbage. The rest would be lost on me. By the way, I simply love the addition of peanuts; the crunch with burst of nuttiness in every mouthful!

On its own, the broth wasn't that flavourful but the magic came when I soak the rice with the broth and mix up the contents! It was such a comfortable and healthy lunch; my father would have been proud of me as he feels I am too much of a meat eater.

For S$4.00, this would be one of the cheapest thunder tea rice around in the city area! Although I wouldn't say it's the best (I found the overall taste to be a bit too bland for my liking), it's still worth the effort for me to clean it all up! p.s. brown rice is available at a top up of S$0.50.