Best Hakka Food in Singapore: 13 Best Spots (2026)
Hakka cuisine is one of Singapore's quieter culinary heritages, built on hearty, thrifty dishes like abacus seeds (chewy yam-and-tapioca "coins"), stuffed yong tau foo, lei cha (thunder tea rice) and braised pork belly with preserved mustard greens. Most of the city's Hakka cooking now lives in neighbourhood hawker stalls and a small number of long-running family restaurants rather than big dining rooms. The spots below span heritage sit-down institutions, modern cafe-style Hakka bowls and beloved yong tau foo and lei cha stalls across the island.
Last verified: September 2026. Hours and prices can change — we re-check our guides regularly, but do confirm before a special trip.
- Plum Village Hakka Restaurant
- Ah Lock & Co
- 928 Ngee Fou Hakka Yong Tau Foo
- Mei Zhen Hakka Delicacies
- Hup Chong Yong Tau Foo
- The Beef House
- Pang's Hakka Noodles
- Thunderbolt Tea by Boon Lay Traditional Hakka Lui Cha
- Hakka Leipopo
- Martin's Kitchen
- Hakka Thunder Tea Rice
- Fei Ma Hakka Yong Tau Foo
- Toa Payoh 93 Soon Kueh
The list
Plum Village Hakka Restaurant Hakka (heritage, sit-down) · $$$
A 50-plus-year-old family Hakka restaurant known for hand-rolled yam abacus seeds, salt-baked chicken and claypot pen cai; the owner has said he plans to wind down operations within a few years, so it is worth visiting while you can.
- Cuisine: Hakka (heritage, sit-down)
- Price: $$$ · Dishes from ~$8++; abacus $11-$22++; salt-baked chicken $20-$40++; set meals ~$56-$78++; pen cai claypot from ~$138++
- Must-try: Hakka yam abacus seeds, Salt-baked chicken, Braised pork belly with preserved vegetables
- Where: 16 Jalan Leban, Singapore 577554
- Area: Sin Ming
- Hours: Thu-Tue 11am-2:30pm, 5pm-9pm; closed Wed
- Halal: No
Ah Lock & Co Modern Hakka (rice bowls) · $$
Modern, halal-certified Hakka rice bowls and min jiang kueh in Guoco Tower's basement, popular with the CBD lunch crowd.
- Cuisine: Modern Hakka (rice bowls)
- Price: $$ · Under ~$15 per person; signature rice bowl ~$9.80, black beef rice bowl ~$13.80-$15.90; min jiang kueh from ~$1.60
- Must-try: Hakka signature rice bowl, Hakka black beef rice bowl, Munchi min jiang kueh
- Where: 7 Wallich Street, #B2-22/23/24, Guoco Tower, Singapore 078884
- Area: Tanjong Pagar
- Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar
- Hours: Mon-Fri 10am-8pm; Sat-Sun 10am-6pm
- Halal: Halal-certified
928 Ngee Fou Hakka Yong Tau Foo Hakka (yong tau foo) · $
Long-running Upper Thomson stall serving handmade yong tau foo and dumpling soup with rice.
- Cuisine: Hakka (yong tau foo)
- Price: $ · Assorted yong tau foo from ~$6; white rice $0.50, yam rice $1; dumpling soup ~$3
- Must-try: Handmade yong tau foo, Dumpling soup
- Where: 930 Upper Thomson Road, Singapore 787122
- Area: Upper Thomson
- Nearest MRT: Springleaf
- Hours: Daily 9am-6:30pm
Mei Zhen Hakka Delicacies Hakka (snacks, abacus seeds) · $
Three sisters now run this Shunfu Mart stall their family has operated for over 35 years, making taro-skin soon kueh and abacus seeds from scratch each morning; go early before it sells out.
- Cuisine: Hakka (snacks, abacus seeds)
- Price: $ · ~$3-$9.40 per person; yam cake $3-$6, taro turnip dumpling ~$1.50, abacus seeds ~$5-$8
- Must-try: Abacus seeds, Taro-skin soon kueh, Yam cake
- Where: 320 Shunfu Road, #02-26, Shunfu Mart, Singapore 570320
- Area: Marymount
- Nearest MRT: Marymount
- Hours: Wed-Fri 6:30am-1pm; Sat-Sun 6:30am-2:30pm; closed Mon-Tue
Hup Chong Yong Tau Foo Hakka (yong tau foo) · $
Fourth-generation yong tau foo stall (in business since 1952) in Toa Payoh, with meat- and fish-paste pieces made fresh daily and an anchovy-based broth.
- Cuisine: Hakka (yong tau foo)
- Price: $ · ~$1.80-$8 per person; individual pieces from ~$0.80
- Must-try: Fish-paste okra, Meat-paste tofu, Fish-paste beancurd skin
- Where: Blk 203 Toa Payoh North, #01-1121, Singapore 310203
- Area: Toa Payoh
- Hours: Daily 7am-7pm
The Beef House Hakka (traditional snacks & beef) · $
Lavender coffee-shop stall pairing chewy yam-skin soon kueh and pumpkin-yam abacus seeds with its sliced beef kway teow.
- Cuisine: Hakka (traditional snacks & beef)
- Price: $ · Most items under $10; soon kueh ~$2, abacus seeds ~$3, sliced beef kway teow ~$4-$6
- Must-try: Pumpkin-and-yam abacus seeds, Yam-skin soon kueh, Sliced beef kway teow
- Where: 217 Syed Alwi Road, Gar Lok Eating House, Singapore 207776
- Area: Lavender
- Hours: Sat-Thu 8am-5pm; closed Fri
- Halal: No
Pang's Hakka Noodles Hakka (noodles / yong tau foo) · $
Bukit Merah stall known for thin Hakka yong tau foo noodles tossed with minced pork, plus a curry version.
- Cuisine: Hakka (noodles / yong tau foo)
- Price: $ · Signature YTF noodles ~$6.30; curry YTF noodle ~$6.80
- Must-try: Signature Hakka yong tau foo noodles, Curry yong tau foo noodles
- Where: 2 Jalan Bukit Merah, Get Together Coffee Shop, Singapore 150002
- Area: Bukit Merah
- Hours: Daily 9:30am-8pm
Thunderbolt Tea by Boon Lay Traditional Hakka Lui Cha Hakka (lei cha / thunder tea rice) · $
Geylang East stall specialising in Hakka lei cha (thunder tea rice) with white or brown rice and generous vegetables, plus crispy Hakka pork; vegetarian options available.
- Cuisine: Hakka (lei cha / thunder tea rice)
- Price: $ · ~$4.50-$5 per person; white rice lei cha ~$4.50, brown rice ~$5; Hakka crispy pork ~$2
- Must-try: White or brown rice thunder tea (lei cha), Hakka crispy pork
- Where: 129 Geylang East Avenue 2, #01-100, Singapore 380129
- Area: Geylang East
- Hours: Wed-Mon 9am-4pm; Tue 9am-2:30pm
Hakka Leipopo Hakka (lei cha & yong tau foo) · $
Bukit Merah hawker stall serving lei cha and yong tau foo with fresh pork-and-mackerel fillings, with set meals under $12.
- Cuisine: Hakka (lei cha & yong tau foo)
- Price: $ · ~$5-$12.20 per person; lei cha and yong tau foo set meals under ~$12
- Must-try: Hakka lei cha (thunder tea rice), Hakka yong tau foo
- Where: 115 Bukit Merah View, Bukit Merah View Market & Hawker Centre, #01-61, Singapore 151115
- Area: Bukit Merah
- Hours: Mon-Fri 9:30am-1:30pm; closed Sat-Sun
Martin's Kitchen Modern Hakka fusion · $$$
River Valley restaurant blending Hakka flavours with European and Mexican techniques, from abacus-seed "gnocchi" to thunder-tea barramundi.
- Cuisine: Modern Hakka fusion
- Price: $$$ · Appetisers ~$11-$19++, mains ~$26-$30++, cocktails ~$18++
- Must-try: Abacus-seed yam "gnocchi", Thunder-tea barramundi, Hakka noodles
- Where: 56 Zion Road, Singapore 247781
- Area: River Valley
- Hours: Daily 11am-3pm, 6pm-10:30pm
- Halal: No
Hakka Thunder Tea Rice Hakka (lei cha / thunder tea rice) · $
Margaret Drive stall in Queenstown serving thunder tea rice and assorted handmade yong tau foo.
- Cuisine: Hakka (lei cha / thunder tea rice)
- Price: $ · Thunder tea rice ~$5.50; assorted yong tau foo ~$1.30 per piece
- Must-try: Thunder tea rice (lei cha), Assorted yong tau foo
- Where: 38A Margaret Drive, #02-34, Singapore 142038
- Area: Queenstown
- Hours: Wed-Sun 10:30am-3pm
Fei Ma Hakka Yong Tau Foo Hakka (yong tau foo) · $
Family-run Tanjong Pagar Plaza stall with freshly made yong tau foo and an optional prawn-paste laksa gravy.
- Cuisine: Hakka (yong tau foo)
- Price: $ · Very affordable; yong tau foo ~$0.80 per piece (min 6), noodles ~$0.80, laksa gravy add-on ~$1
- Must-try: Handmade meat-paste tau kwa, Fish-paste bitter gourd, Yong tau foo with prawn-paste laksa gravy
- Where: Blk 1 Tanjong Pagar Plaza, #02-04 (Stall 3), Singapore 082001
- Area: Tanjong Pagar
- Nearest MRT: Tanjong Pagar
- Hours: Mon-Fri 9am-3pm; closed Sat-Sun
Toa Payoh 93 Soon Kueh Hakka (abacus seeds & soon kueh) · $
Geylang Bahru stall known for handmade abacus seeds and soon kueh.
- Cuisine: Hakka (abacus seeds & soon kueh)
- Price: $ · Abacus seeds ~$3.30; soon kueh ~$5.50 for five pieces
- Must-try: Handmade abacus seeds, Soon kueh
- Where: Blk 69 Geylang Bahru, #01-68, Geylang Bahru Food Centre, Singapore 330069
- Area: Geylang Bahru
- Nearest MRT: Geylang Bahru
- Hours: Tue-Sun 7am-9pm
At a glance: compare every spot
| Spot | Cuisine | Price | Area | Halal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plum Village Hakka Restaurant | Hakka (heritage, sit-down) | $$$ | Sin Ming | No |
| Ah Lock & Co | Modern Hakka (rice bowls) | $$ | Tanjong Pagar | Halal-certified |
| 928 Ngee Fou Hakka Yong Tau Foo | Hakka (yong tau foo) | $ | Upper Thomson | — |
| Mei Zhen Hakka Delicacies | Hakka (snacks, abacus seeds) | $ | Marymount | — |
| Hup Chong Yong Tau Foo | Hakka (yong tau foo) | $ | Toa Payoh | — |
| The Beef House | Hakka (traditional snacks & beef) | $ | Lavender | No |
| Pang's Hakka Noodles | Hakka (noodles / yong tau foo) | $ | Bukit Merah | — |
| Thunderbolt Tea by Boon Lay Traditional Hakka Lui Cha | Hakka (lei cha / thunder tea rice) | $ | Geylang East | — |
| Hakka Leipopo | Hakka (lei cha & yong tau foo) | $ | Bukit Merah | — |
| Martin's Kitchen | Modern Hakka fusion | $$$ | River Valley | No |
| Hakka Thunder Tea Rice | Hakka (lei cha / thunder tea rice) | $ | Queenstown | — |
| Fei Ma Hakka Yong Tau Foo | Hakka (yong tau foo) | $ | Tanjong Pagar | — |
| Toa Payoh 93 Soon Kueh | Hakka (abacus seeds & soon kueh) | $ | Geylang Bahru | — |
Your questions answered
What dishes is Hakka food in Singapore known for?
The classics are abacus seeds (chewy yam-and-tapioca discs, sometimes called suan pan zi), stuffed yong tau foo, lei cha or thunder tea rice (rice with vegetables and a savoury herb-and-tea broth), soon kueh, salt-baked chicken, and braised pork belly with preserved mustard greens (mei cai kou rou).
How much does Hakka food cost?
Most Hakka eating in Singapore is hawker-priced: a bowl of yong tau foo, lei cha or abacus seeds typically runs around $4-$12 per person. Sit-down heritage restaurants such as Plum Village cost more, with individual dishes from roughly $8++, set meals in the $56-$78++ range and pen cai claypots above $130++.
Are there halal or vegetarian Hakka options?
Traditional Hakka cooking leans heavily on pork, so most stalls are not halal. Ah Lock & Co in Guoco Tower is a halal-certified Hakka concept, but always reconfirm certification directly before visiting. For vegetarians, lei cha (thunder tea rice) is often available in a meat-free version, as the base is rice with mixed vegetables and a herb broth.
Which areas have the best Hakka food?
Good Hakka spots are spread across the island rather than clustered in one enclave. Heritage sit-down Hakka is best represented by Plum Village in Sin Ming, while strong hawker stalls sit in Upper Thomson/Marymount, Toa Payoh, Bukit Merah, Queenstown, Geylang and the Tanjong Pagar CBD.
Do I need to reserve, and should I expect queues?
Hawker stalls do not take reservations and can draw queues or sell out of handmade items (abacus seeds, soon kueh) by early afternoon, so go early; many stalls close by mid-afternoon or have weekly rest days. For heritage restaurants like Plum Village and fusion spots like Martin's Kitchen, it is best to call ahead, especially for set meals or pen cai. Hours and opening days change, so confirm before you travel.
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