Illustration of Thunder Tea Rice

Hakka · Singapore hawker food

Thunder Tea Rice

Thunder Tea Rice is a Hakka hawker dish loved across Singapore. Here is what it is, what to order and where to try it, starting at Beauty World Centre, Bukit Timah.

What is Thunder Tea Rice?

Lei cha means pounded tea. Tea leaves, herbs, nuts and seeds are ground into a green soup, eaten with rice topped with chopped greens, tofu, peanuts and anchovies. Thunder Tea Rice is part of Singapore's hawker culture, recognised by UNESCO in 2020 as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Where to eat Thunder Tea Rice in Singapore

The food centre hidden upstairs in Beauty World Centre. In Hawker Fantasy, the Thunder Tea Rice food gem is found at Beauty World Centre, Bukit Timah.

Open Beauty World Centre, Bukit Timah in Google Maps ↗

What to order
Lei cha rice with greens, tofu and peanuts, and a bowl of green tea soup
Tip
Take the escalator all the way up

We don't rank individual stalls. Every hawker centre has its own favourites, so ask the regulars and follow the queue.

More hawker dishes