On the taste trail: Malaysian-style thunder tea rice and fried yong tau foo after a scenic Punggol walk
This week's journey takes us through a scenic section of the North Eastern Riverine Loop in search of quintessentially Hakka classics like thunder tea rice and yong tau foo. Our roughly 50-minute, 4km walk begins at the western entrance of Coney Island near Punggol Settlement.
Following the Punggol Promenade Nature Walk to Punggol Promenade Bridge, we'll make our way inland past the Wave Bridge and continue alongside Singapore's longest man-made waterway, the 4.2km Punggol Waterway. (Fun fact: Linking Sungei Punggol and Sungei Serangoon, it holds as much water as 200 Olympic-sized pools and is bordered by nearly 5,000 trees.)
Don't miss the Kelong Bridge with its unique stilt design, a nod to Punggol's fishing village past. SAFRA Punggol is another prominent landmark before we cross the Adventure Bridge into Punggol Waterway Park.
From there, it's just a short 5-minute stroll to Hakka Leipopo at One Punggol Hawker Centre. The brainchild of Kumiko Tan, 44 and her husband Khoo, also 44, their brand was built on family memories.
'I was originally a piano teacher, but my journey into Hakka cuisine began because of my husband. He has always loved lei cha fan (thunder tea rice) since childhood, but he could never find the exact taste he remembered,' Kumiko shared.
It wasn't as simple as asking for the recipe from her mother-in-law, who did not have anything precise written down.
'She told me, 'I don't remember – I just agak-agak (estimate)',' Kumiko said, adding that her mother-in-law also used to grind ingredients the traditional way with a guava stick in a stone bowl. Khoo helped her when he was younger, which made his yearning for his favourite childhood dish all the stronger.
It took Kumiko two years of experimenting to capture the nostalgic taste Khoo and his Hakka mother could be proud of. Both husband and wife are originally from Johor Bahru, which explains why Khoo couldn't satisfy his lei cha fan craving here in Singapore.
'Our lei cha fan is more Malaysian-style because we use dried shrimp (hae bee), not ikan billis. We have to fry the hae bee at a very high temperature to make it crispy, but not oily,' Kumiko revealed.
As for her mother-in-law's pestle and mortar, Kumiko has since inherited it for home use, a symbol of her husband's heritage and her hard work. Encouraged by friends, she first began selling lei cha fan as a passion project in 2019, arranging customer pickups with her two young children in tow.
'One was a baby back then, the other was about six years old. I would use our stroller to deliver the lei cha,' Kumiko said with a laugh.
The COVID-19 pandemic turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the couple. Homesick Malaysians and other housebound customers boosted demand, prompting Khoo and Kumiko to open their first Hakka Leipopo stall in December 2021.
Available in white rice, brown rice, or low-carb rice-free versions, their lei cha fan is a riot of textures and tastes. Toppings of salty-sweet chye poh (preserved radish), cabbage, roasted peanuts, toasted sesame seeds and crispy hae bee add a deeply savoury crunch.
Kumiko takes particular pride in her fresh vegetable selection, lovingly fried with garlic and hae bee for fragrance. There's chye sim from Cameron Highlands ('because it's not bitter and the taste is better'), French beans ('sweeter and crunchier than long beans'), and what she calls non-negotiables for authenticity – tau kwa (firm tofu) stir fried with leek and pucuk manis (mani cai, or sweet leaf, which is 'a must for its sweet aftertaste').
My order of brown rice lei cha fan cost an extra 50 cents – fair trade for more fibre and nutrients. Digging into my colourful garden in a bowl, I discovered it was essentially two meals in one. Kumiko and Khoo recommended I enjoy it 'dry' first, then with the herbal soup, or 'tea'.
True to its name, it certainly brought the thunder. A tasty green tempest of mint and Thai sweet basil blended with roasted peanuts, the smooth and creamy lei cha paste came alive with a splash of hot water.
'We use more peanuts to balance out the herbs, so the taste isn't so strong,' Kumiko explained. 'Ours is more harmonious because we don't over-emphasise any of the ingredients.'
The soupy downpour of hot thunder tea transformed crunch into lush, porridge-like comfort, flooding the bowl with layers of flavour. Rich nuttiness from the brown rice, sesame seeds and peanuts mellowed the greens, leaving behind just a gentle, healing whisper of herbs.
Bonus: You can take the thunder home too – Hakka Leipopo's signature lei cha sauce comes in handy sachets (S$12 for eight).
The lei cha fan was more than nice, but I also needed a little naughty. Enter another Hakka classic: Yong tau foo. Each indulgent piece – brinjal, bitter gourd, tau kwa, tau pok (tofu puff) and tau kee (bean curd skin) – was generously stuffed to bursting with a juicy, chunky mix of fresh minced pork and mackerel, then deep-fried till golden and crisp.
For dipping, their house-made garlic-vinegar-chilli sauce was aromatic and addictively spicy. It was so good I eschewed tradition and I shamelessly swirled some into my lei cha fan too.
Individual pieces of yong tau foo cost S$1.20 each, but for big eaters, the Set B combo of lei cha fan with yong tau foo (S$11.70) offers more bang for buck.
'It gives you seven pieces of yong tau foo – buy six, get one free – so it's more worth it,' Kumiko agreed.
After enjoying the storm of thunder tea flavours, that was the silver lining. Despite using costlier, high-quality ingredients, prices are kept wallet-friendly.
'We've maintained the price of lei cha fan (with white rice) at S$5. I think it's quite reasonable for a big portion,' Kumiko enthused. 'Because there are many vegetables, it's like good fortune. So on the seventh day of Chinese New Year, it's considered auspicious to eat lei cha.'
A fitting sentiment for their Punggol location – in Malay, the name refers to the act of hurling sticks into trees to harvest fruit. Just like the neighbourhood, Hakka Leipopo's story is rooted in a bounty of flavour and family history.
Kumiko and Khoo have been together since they were 16 and nearly three decades on, their desire to spread their shared Hakka heritage through home-style dishes – just like Popo (grandma) used to make – has blossomed into something special.
From a humble home-based business to three thriving stalls in Bukit Merah View, Anchorvale Village and One Punggol, their journey has been a true labour of love. But they're not done yet.
'We hope that we can expand,' Kumiko confided. 'Just one more stall!'
With loyal customers who have supported them since the stroller delivery days and a Singapore Enterprising Hawker Award under their belt, their future looks as abundant as their food.
Hakka Leipopo is located at One Punggol Hawker Centre, #02-26, 1 Punggol Drive, Singapore 828629. It's open 10am to 4.30pm on Thursday; 10am to 7.30pm on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday through Sunday. It's closed on Mondays.
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Straits Times
26-05-2025
- Straits Times
Fighting fire with fire: Behind Iceland's lava barrier project
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The barrier network, funded by the Icelandic government, is constructed from cooled lava dating back 800 years – remnants from the last time the Svartsengi system erupted. So far, enough volcanic rock to fill 1,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools has been used in the construction. Around 70 workers have been working around the clock to build these barriers, some of which are as tall as a seven-storey building. When the most recent eruption occurred in April 2025, these walls were able to divert molten lava away from the spa, the nearby town of Grindavik and the critical Svartsengi power plant, which provides heat and electricity to over 30,000 homes and Iceland's main international airport. To fund the project, the Icelandic government initially pledged 6 billion Icelandic krona (S$60 million) through a nationwide housing tax. The government funding has since nearly doubled to 11 billion krona. Mr Vidir Reynisson, director-general of Iceland's Civil Protection and Emergency Management, said the success of Iceland's efforts to protect the nearby town from being scorched by lava is due to planning that began years ago. After centuries of dormancy, seismic activity was first detected in the Reykjanes Peninsula in 2020. A study was done to determine whether a prolonged period of volcanic unrest was imminent. 'We also wanted to know which critical infrastructure we needed to protect and who would be at risk,' Mr Reynisson said. The government then commissioned Verkis, Iceland's oldest engineering firm, founded in 1932, to explore possible solutions. Ms Horn Hrafnsdottir, the project's lead engineer, was initially surprised by her new appointment given that her area of expertise was in hydropower plants and flood risks. Yet, her background gave her the expertise to repurpose a model that maps river currents to predict lava flow. When another volcanic system nearby, Fagradasfjall, erupted in 2021 after the eight-century dormancy, Verkis decided to trial a lava defence system. 'There's no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to lava protection systems,' Ms Hrafnsdottir noted. 'Each volcanic system poses different threats.' Magma diverted from the town of Grindavik, a fishing town which had nearly 4,000 residents. It has been largely evacuated since November, but infrastructure has mostly been spared from lava damage due to the barriers. PHOTO: ERIC TEO The Svartsengi system near the Blue Lagoon is particularly unpredictable as it lacks a central cone, where volcanic material is usually vented. Instead, magma from the system emerges through a fissure, which means that it can rupture at any point across the region. After news of the eruptions in the area, travel agencies reported sharp spikes in cancellations, with many tourists postponing their visits and others cancelling their Iceland trips altogether. 'It's sort of a bucket list item. You go to Paris for the Eiffel Tower; Blue Lagoon is very much the Icelandic equivalent. So for our industry, it is important that the lagoon stays open,' said Mr Johannes Skulason, managing director of Iceland's Travel Industry Association. Tourists still flock to the Blue Lagoon despite the risk. PHOTO: ERIC TEO The engineering team from Verkis reviewed other methods that can be used to protect people and infrastructure from lava, such as lava cooling, which entails spraying water on lava to slow down its flow, and aerial bombing, which aims to divert lava flow. But they found that lava barriers – which have been used during eruptions in Hawaii and Mount Etna in Italy – showed the most promise. Their conclusion was based on laboratory tests, simulations and past case studies from around the world. 'This 2021 eruption at the Fagradasfjall volcanic system was in the middle of nowhere, and there was no risk to any infrastructure or inhabitants. 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There were also gaps in the barriers that had to be plugged. With lava rapidly approaching the equipment, however, Mr Sigurosson was forced to make a quick decision. 'We ran straight for the machines, brought them to safety and continued building the barriers higher when the lava was just metres away,' he said. 'We were running on pure adrenaline.' It is business as usual at the Blue Lagoon, but the surrounding landscape has changed. Barriers are now visible throughout the area. PHOTO: ERIC TEO While the efforts have been successful so far, the country cannot afford to take its foot off the gas. Experts forecast that the volcano could be active for up to three centuries. 'We are always going to wait for the next episode and the one after that. After each eruption, we always had to make some changes in the design and building of the barriers. We always need a plan B, C, D,' Mr Reynisson said. While there is no end in sight, morale remains high among those involved in this engineering feat. 'I think everyone working on this project believes they are doing something for the greater good,' said Istak's Mr Sigurosson. 'That is the driving motor of the workforce.' Eric Teo is a final-year undergraduate at NTU's Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information. This feature was prepared as part of the school's Going Overseas for Advanced Reporting (Go-Far) module in Iceland, which took place from July 27 to Aug 6, 2024. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
20-05-2025
- Straits Times
SQ321 incident: One year on, passengers recall how extreme turbulence upended their lives
The interior of Singapore Airlines Flight SQ321 after it made an emergency landing at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport on May 21, 2024. PHOTO: REUTERS SQ321 incident: One year on, passengers recall how extreme turbulence upended their lives SINGAPORE – It has been six months since giving birth to her second child in November 2024, but Ms Saw Rong still cannot carry the baby girl. She fractured her back a year ago when extreme air turbulence hit a Singapore Airlines (SIA) flight she and her husband were taking from London to Singapore. Ms Saw, who is in her 30s , was two months pregnant then. On May 21, 2024, she and other passengers were flung up into the air on Flight SQ321 when sudden, extreme turbulence caused the Boeing 777-300ER to drop 178 feet, or about 54m, in 4.6 seconds. It wreaked havoc in the cabin, leaving a British passenger dead from a suspected heart attack and dozens injured, some seriously. One of the pilots declared a medical emergency and diverted the plane, carrying 211 passengers and 18 crew members, to Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport. The impact fractured Ms Saw's back, and she underwent spinal surgery in Bangkok, where she was hospitalised for about a month. She has not been able to carry anything heavy since, her sister-in-law Eva Khoo told The Straits Times on May 19 . One year on from the ill-fated flight, Ms Saw and her husband, Mr Ian Khoo , continue to receive treatment for their injuries in Malaysia, where they live. They are 'scared and traumatised' by the experience, and have not set foot on a plane since flying home from Bangkok in 2024, said Ms Khoo, who has been speaking for the family on this matter. Mr Khoo was thrown up from his seat when turbulence struck, and his head hit the overhead luggage compartment before he crashed down onto the floor of the aisle. He suffered head injuries, and his vision also appeared to have been affected, as he confused certain hues and perceived dark shades as lighter ones, Ms Khoo told ST from a Bangkok hospital in 2024. Even now, he still has numbness in his hands, his sister said. S he thinks it will take a long time for the couple to recover, mentally and physically. 'The incident had a very big impact on them,' Ms Khoo said. 'They thought they were going to die.' On whether Ms Saw and Mr Khoo have accepted compensation offers from SIA, Ms Khoo said they are in negotiations with the airline 'until both parties can come to an agreement'. Ms Saw Rong fractured her back one year ago on Flight SQ321, and still cannot carry her second child (left), who was born in November 2024. PHOTO: EVA KHOO In response to questions from ST, SIA said it had sent compensation offers to passengers in June 2024. 'While some passengers have accepted these offers, we continue to engage with the others directly or via their appointed representatives,' the airline said, adding that it was unable to provide more details for confidentiality reasons. The airline has offered each passenger with minor injuries US$10,000 (S$13,000) in compensation. SIA also offered an advance payment of US$25,000 to passengers with more serious injuries to meet their immediate needs ahead of discussions over the final compensation amount. Such advance payments are not considered an admission of liability. Passengers had seconds to fasten seat belts In preliminary findings released eight days after the incident, Singapore's Transport Safety Investigation Bureau (TSIB) said passengers had eight seconds to react after pilots turned on the 'fasten seat belt' sign before the aircraft encountered turbulence. At 3.49.21pm (Singapore time) on May 21, 2024 , while cruising at 37,000 feet, the wide-body jet started to vibrate and fluctuate between plus 0.44G and plus 1.57G for 19 seconds, likely after entering an area of convective activity, or upward and downward currents of air often associated with thunderstorms. G-forces measure rapid acceleration or deceleration by comparing it with the normal pull of gravity on earth, which is considered plus 1G. Hence, at plus 1.57G, a person would feel like they were 1.57 times their body weight. At the same time the G-force fluctuated, SQ321 while on autopilot started to rise rapidly. In response, the autopilot pitched the aircraft downwards to return to 37,000 feet. At 3.49.32pm, one of the pilots turned on the seat-belt sign. Eight seconds later, the aircraft experienced a sudden drop in altitude, causing unbelted passengers and crew to be flung up. According to the preliminary investigation, the plane's vertical acceleration went back to positive 1.5G within four seconds, causing those who were flung up from their seats to fall back down. The plane dropped 178 feet, from 37,362 feet to 37,184 feet. As a result, some passengers and crew members were injured. For six past turbulence-related accidents, the TSIB released its final reports anywhere between 8½ months and nearly 2½ years after they happened. Most were made public within 19 months. ST has contacted the Ministry of Transport, which oversees the TSIB, for an update on the investigation. 'My life has changed forever' An Australian woman, Ms Kerry Jordan, 53, who was aboard the flight with her husband, suffered a spinal injury and was left a quadriplegic. Ms Jordan, a former high school dance and drama teacher, told ST she was discharged from hospital in April 2025 and was 'only now beginning to confront my new reality'. 'My injury is so severe that I require assistance 24/7 just to be able to get out of bed and face the day confined to my wheelchair,' she said. Ms Jordan, who is permanently incapacitated, said she is now living in temporary accommodation because her home – a free-standing, two-storey house in Adelaide – could not be adapted to her current situation and would need to be completely rebuilt, at a cost of about A$ 2 million (S$1.66 million). She said SIA had provided compensation of US$170,000, per the Montreal Convention, but this was far from adequate for her needs. 'My life has changed forever,' she said. Singapore is a signatory to the 1999 Montreal Convention, and it has been incorporated into the law here. Under the Convention, claims of up to about US$170,000 can be made for death or bodily injuries arising from international aviation accidents, regardless of whether the airline was at fault. For claims exceeding this sum, the airline may avoid liability if it can prove that the damage was not due to negligence on its part, or was due solely to a third party. One issue that may arise is whether passengers heeded any warnings to belt up. Ms Amelia Lim, a 44-year-old Malaysian public relations executive, said she was trying to fasten her seat belt when the turbulence happened. 'I felt my seat drop and I flew off my seat,' she told ST. 'The next thing I knew, I was on the floor'. She had been on holiday in Britain. She suffered a concussion and whiplash, and had lacerations, chest trauma and 'bruises all over the place', she said. One year on, she suffers from frequent headaches and still requires physiotherapy. While she has continued to travel after the incident – mostly for work – she feels anxious and has 'panic attacks the moment the plane jolts', she said. Before she flies, there is also 'a lot more preparation, checking the weather', she added. She accepted US$10,000 in compensation from SIA. Lawyers prepare for a fight Some have also questioned if Flight SQ321 could have avoided the turbulence. Chicago-based aviation lawyer Floyd Wisner, whose firm is in discussions with SIA on behalf of his clients, including Ms Jordan , noted that other carriers in the area at around the same time had flown around the developing thunderstorm. Based on ST's checks, for example, Swiss International Air Lines Flight LX181 from Bangkok to Zurich was flying in the same vicinity as SQ321 on May 21, 2024. The airline told ST in September 2024 that its pilots made 'significant course deviations' on that day, using the onboard weather radar to navigate around severe weather conditions, resulting in several course adjustments. Mr Peter Carter, a Brisbane-based aviation lawyer, said he is acting for 11 passengers from Australia, Singapore, Britain and New Zealand. His firm is also 'investigating claims for other passengers who have no physical injuries but have major post-traumatic stress disorder'. Damages for mental injury are not normally claimable unless they are linked to physical injury, Mr Carter noted. London-based law firm Stewarts is also representing passengers on SQ321 spanning multiple jurisdictions. With many passengers sustaining life-changing spinal cord and brain injuries, according to Stewarts, claims are expected to easily exceed the Montreal Convention first-tier limit , the firm said in a statement on May 17. 'This is where the real combat between the parties will lie,' it added. Mr James Healy-Pratt, a London-based lawyer, said he is representing 10 passengers with injuries ranging from paralysis and spinal fractures to significant soft tissue and psychiatric injuries. Under the Montreal Convention , passengers can choose to bring claims in relevant jurisdictions, such as their country of residence, the destination country of the flight, or the country where the airline is based. There is also a two-year limitation period for claims to be brought against SIA. The airline on May 20 said: 'SIA deeply apologises to all passengers and crew members for the traumatic experience on board Flight SQ321.' It said it continues to cooperate fully with the relevant authorities in the investigation into the incident. 'We are also firmly committed to providing the necessary support and assistance to the affected passengers.' Vanessa Paige Chelvan is a correspondent at The Straits Times. She writes about all things transport and pens the occasional commentary. Azril Annuar is Malaysia correspondent at The Straits Times. Jonathan Pearlman writes about Australia and the Pacific for The Straits Times. Based in Sydney, he explains matters on Australia and the Pacific to readers outside the Oceania region. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Business Times
06-05-2025
- Business Times
Changi Airport Terminal 5 contracts worth S$4.75 billion awarded
[SINGAPORE] Changi Airport Group (CAG) announced on Monday (May 5) that contracts of around S$4.75 billion in value for substructure and airside infrastructure works at Changi Airport's Terminal 5 (T5) were awarded to various construction companies. The substructure contract valued at S$3.8 billion was awarded as a joint venture (JV) between the Singapore branch of China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) and Obayashi Singapore. The JV will involve the construction of the foundation and basements of the T5 main passenger terminal and ground transportation centre, as well as a portion of the tunnels linking T5 and Terminal 2 (T2). The substructure site covers about 140 hectares with a basement depth of up to 28 m – equivalent to about 5,200 Olympic-sized swimming pools. Previously, CCCC developed two aircraft taxiways connecting runways two and three of Changi Airport's three-runway system as the main contractor, as well as two underground tunnel sections for vehicular traffic underneath the taxiways. As for Obayashi Singapore, it has undertaken major construction projects in Singapore since 1965. These include the 20-year East Coast reclamation project, the Changi Airport air traffic control tower and Jewel Changi Airport. Most recently, it completed the inter-terminal tunnels linking T2 and T5 for the automated people mover and baggage-handling systems. A separate contract of S$950 million was awarded to Hwa Seng Builder for airside infrastructure works. These include the development of remote aircraft stands, connecting taxi lanes and ancillary support buildings. Ong Chee Chiau, CAG's managing director for Changi East, said: 'With a planned capacity of about 50 million passengers annually, T5 represents one of the most complex construction projects in Singapore. Together with our partners, we will ensure that the high standards which define Changi Airport can be replicated or even surpassed in the development works of T5.' The construction of T5 will start in the first half of 2025, and is expected to be completed in the mid-2030s.
