Plum Village 梅村酒家

I already confessed to be a Hakka a while back but fact is I have NEVER dined at any Hakka rest. before. Since Plum Village scored pretty well and was featured recently in the papers I thought why not? First time unlucky ..was turned away as it was full house on Friday night. Tired again yesterday but kiasu a lil ..made reservations in the afternoon for dinner....turend out no need as it was not busy yesterday.

Rest. looks like ntg much. Not much effort on decor or ambience. To be honest that doesn't matter much to me. The FOOD is the main draw after all.

We had the mei cai kuo rou, xuan pan zhi, salt baked chicken, yong tau foo, Jiao yan pork ribs & a plate of vegetables. The latter 2 dishes are not hakka so I won't bother to waste time tlaking abt them.

Mei Cai Kou Rou is something I grew up on. The first taste and I knew this was not my cuppa tea. I grew up to another sort of flavour Plum Village has failed to capture. To be fair, I guess it maybe alrite to most others...but I'm not impressed.

The Salt baked chicken and the yong tau foo was both great, both wonderfully flavourful and a joy to taste. The salt baked chicken comes with a particular dipping sauce that compliments it to a tee! I'm not sure what is it made of but enough to say it's natural and not processed.

The xuan pan zhi aka Abuscus seeds was somewhat disappointing too. Then again I am comparing it to my familys' recipe. To be fair..the yam dough is not bad...but the way it was cooked didn;t maximize the flavours. The dough tasted like dough only while most of the flaour went to the mushrooms.

I want to not dissuade anyone from trying this place. I'm merely comapring it to what I know - a limited universe in this area as I only believe in good hakka food at home. Prices though I find is a bit on the steep side for small portions.

Plum Village doesn't exude the vibes of a restaurant. Rather, it feels more like a family reunion at Grandma's where there is a lot of chatter and everyone just makes themselves feel at home. Nothing fancy about the decor with the staff reminding me of aunts who more or less leave you to your own devices, occasionally stopping by to top up your tea. The unpretentious feel here is rare nowadays and leaves you with a sense of nostalgia.

Hakka Yong Tau Fu was good. Both the beancurd and fish/meat paste were smooth and tasty. My Hakka Mum whips up quite a decent Yong Tau Fu which I have so far found hard to match but the ones here have really given me something to think about. The accompanying gravy was outstanding as well, thick and savoury which goes well with white rice.

The Mei Cai Kou Rou or Pork Belly with Preserved Vegetables was delicious too. Though less oily than the renditions I am accustomed to, the Pork Belly was still soft and supple. I'm glad I have found a version that doesn't leave me with the oleaginous aftertaste.

Though not truly of Hakka origin, I felt the Pai Gu Wang was what really stole the show. A staple dish in any zi char stall, the Pai Gu Wang here was extra memorable because it managed to retain it's crispiness even after the coating of sweet and sour sauce. Delectable? Orgasmic was more like it.  

Thoroughly impressed, I had a take-away of Suan Pan Zi(Abacus Beads) for Mum. Though she didn't find it great, I thought that it was a decent attempt with the taste of yam evident in every bite.

Hakka cuisine has always taken a back seat in my book compared to it's Hokkien, Teochew and Cantonese counterparts but Plum Village has definitely changed my perception. Now, I can embrace being a half Hakka again.

Bon Appetit!  

Plum Village, set in a rustic part of Singapore, is an equally old-fashioned, slightly run-down eatery that serves food that is cooked with both passion and skill. The food brings a smile to one's face when tasted and reminds the customer of granny's patient, painstaking home-cooking. There is also great value in terms of price versus food quality here, which is always a welcome plus.

Go for the 'Mei Cai Kou Rou', 'Suan Pan Zhi' (a textural treat!), 'Sung Fish Head' (quite amazing) and 'Salted Chicken' (may not be to everyone's taste though). I'm sure you'll leave feeling quite satisfied and happy!

We went to Plum Village after a morning walk through the track in MacRitchie reservoir. What I mean by morning walk is the grueling 12 km nature trekking through the jungle of the reservoir. So you can imagine how exhausted we are. Anyway, exhausted people still need to fill their tummy right. Dunno, why? My MIL (Mother In Law) suggested Plum Village. I never been to the place, but I seen it on TV. Its one of the Hakka restaurant that has been in Singapore for a while.

They suppose to serve the traditional Hakka dish such as Yong Tau Foo, Suan Pan Zi (Abacus Beads), Mei Cai Kou Rou & Chicken with wine. Anyway, consider this. We have 6 dead tired people and one baby. So we decided to order, eat and go home to rest.

The top 3 dishes by far: 1. Suan Pan Zi (Abacus Beads) - Different from those you find in Hawker center, you can actually taste this dish hot, fresh from the wok. The combination of the hae bi (dried shrimp), mince pork and mushroom really bring out fragrant smell in this dish that wet your appetite.

2. Mei Cai Kou Rou (Mei Cai with Fatty Pork). This dish is basically the Hakka answer to the Hokkien Kong Ba Pao. Different from Kong Ba which is salty, Mei Cai Kou Rou have a sweet flavor to it. As someone born in a Hakka family, I really treasure this dish. Because of the long preparation time, we normally only eat this dish at home on special occasion. Back to Plum Village, this dish does not disappoint. The meat is tender and not too fatty plus the sweetness of the Mei Cai really goes well with a bowl of white rice. I confess, I finished 1 bowl of rice with this dish.

3. Salt Chicken. It seems to be a dish with simple ingredients. However, in the hand of the master chef, the right combination of simple ingredients can turn into a fantastic dish. ha..ha.. I'm getting a bit over my head here. Anyway, the salted chicken is tender, boneless with a hint of salt, pepper and five spice powder. Served with special sesame sauce, this dish really make you feel at home. The decor of this place can look a bit old, probably still using the same furniture when it started on this premises. Service is attentive but nothing out of the ordinary. Drinks selection quite limited, as they only have tea, water and coke. No other variety of soft drink, maybe they don't feel the need to earn more income from drinks ** (Hint to the owner, drinks = more $$$ )

Overall, Plum Village is a place where you can go for your regular meal. The pricing is friendly to the pocket, and they truly serve authentic Hakka dish that make me feel at home :) After the sumptuous meal, we all feel recharged, but a good shower and quick nap will make it better. To Plum Village, I'll be back for more .......

Instead of settling for hawker food, decided to come here at the eleventh hour after my bro confirmed he's meeting mum and me for dinner. Been itching to come Plum Village as it is one of the highly raved restauarants at this stretch of shophouses at Jln Leban and I reckoned it's more economical to come in a larger clique, given the standard portions served.

Stepping into the restaurant, we were slightly apprehensive at the lack of patrons. However, I was adamant about giving it a try. The decor of the bantam eating house reminded me of the likes of humble Chinese restaurants in Taiwan/Shanghai.

Since it was a last minute affair, I didn't have time to consult my holy almanac aka HGW on what are the must tries. Ordered these from memory: Mei Cai Kou Rou ($10.80), Salted Chicken ($13.80), and Pai Gu Wang ($11); all in small portions.

First up was Mei Cai Kou Rou. I'm not a usual fan of this dish as I don't really have a proclivity for fatty meat. However, I must concede I'm pretty impressed by this dish here. The Mei Cai was aperitive without being overly piquant. Kou Rou was delicate and it literally melted in the mouth. My bro affirmed that it's better than the quotidian fare normally found. My only complaint is that this dish is rather expensive for the serving given; 3 pieces of Kou Rou on a bed of Mei Cai.

Next, came the Pai Gu Wang. Between you and me, this is my fave out of the 3 ordered! The skin is slightly crisp without compromising the tenderness of the flesh within. Flavor is robust and sauce is fully infused with the meat. It's been mostly deboned and is a friendly esculent to masticate. Love love love it! Small portion comes in 6 pieces.

Finally, salted chicken was served. Hmph. This is the first time we had salted chicken and it's...well, salty, although not overly. The taste is especial, I guess. Maybe it's an acquired taste. Meat is tender and deboned. All of us concurred that we prefer the regular conventional way of cooking for chicken. Oh well, but it's an experience and there is a first for everything!

Service wise, water and tea are refilled frequently, by no less the lady boss. However, I'm disappointed that no free dessert nor card system was presented to me. Maybe they scrapped them already?

Rice is at $0.60/big bowl. Refillable tea is at $0.80/glass. Wet towels are at $0.20/piece and peanut is $1/dish.

I am very enamoured by the Pai Gu Wang! Hm..I think I would like to drop by to try it again and other dishes on the menu, if another opportunity arises.

Went there yesterday evening for dinner with wife.

Went into the restaurant & was greeted by very traditional Chinese restaurant deco.

Boss was there to take our order personnaly.

Ordered following.

1) MeiChai Pork (梅菜扣肉）。

2) Salted Chicken (盐鸡）.

3) Hakka YongTauFu.

4) Pork Stomach Soup.

Wanted to order some more dishes but boss said that what we had ordered is more than enough for 2 pax. Very good service!! Not like some restaurant who simply don't care.

1) MeiChai Pork came first. First mouthful, WAH!! This is definitely one the best MeiChai Pork I had tasted!! 3thumbs up!!

Goes very well with rice! The pork is not too oily (bit of fats between skin & meat).

2) The Hakka YongTauFu came next. simple toufu stuffed with meat fillings. Very traditional Hakka Style. Meat filling tasted just nice, not too meaty, not too much flour. Tasty!

3) The Salted Chicken is served de-boned!! Minimum order is hlaf a chicken. Not saltish at all but you can taste & smell the salt. Texture of the meat is great!!

4) Pig Stomach Soup was also very well done! not too over powering pepper taste, no musky intestine taste at all!

Boss is right, what we ordered is more than enough for 2 pax. Both of us can hardly finish the FREE DESSERT (yes, FREE sweet potato soup)!

Since my dad love Hakka food as well, we tabao the MeiChai Pork & Abercus Seeds (算盘子) for him.

Total bill for all, $58/=!! Very reasonable price to pay for such a wonderful meal with tabao!!

This is truly my favourite restaurant of all time. I have eaten there for more than 10 times since I only discovered this restaurant last year.

Do not be put off by the slightly "obiang" decor.. the food is good.

My favourite is the "salt chicken", which is different from other salt chicken dishes in most places in singapore. This is authetically Hakka, and the chicken is flavourful, moist, and have a most unique taste. ($15 for 1/2 a chicken) It is boneless and skinless. I love the sauce that goes with it.. it is saltish and taste of some special concoction that I really do not know how to describe it. probably a secret recipe.

I like the vegetables too.. try the "stir fry er cai". Cooked to perfection, not overdone, and not too salty. Has a special "wok" taste. However, the vegetables is a bit pricey in comparison to the other dishes ($15 for medium plate).

Another favourite is the Hakka Tofu. It is tofu stuffed with minced meat, fish, and dried salted fish ($1 per piece) drizzled in sauce. The restaurant owner has appeared on TV quite a few times because of his Tofu dish.

I have also tried the other dishes.. the Mei Cai Kou Rou (pork with preserved vegetables) which my dad loves. Im not a pork person, although he is.

I must also mention that the restaurant owner is very generous, in that he has a card system whereby for every 5 times you visit the restaurant, your 6th meal is free (taking the average price of the previous 5 meals. you jus pay the balance for the 6th meal if its more expensive). this has no hidden gimmicks, and it is not miserly, unlike some other restaurants who give u one free side dish with a 101 terms and conditions after you have eaten a 101 dishes there.

try this restaurant and you will not regret it!

Its a cozy restaurant with limited tables. It's good to book a table during weekends.

Ordered their signature dish, ginger wine chicken, preserved veges with pork and suan pan zi. I personally preferred the 酒鸡 and 梅菜扣肉.

Cheap place to have dinner, but quality of food very average. Had the Mei Cai Kou Rou and the special tofu.

The Mei Cai Kou Rou was a little sweet instead of the usual saltiness that I associate with Mei Cai. It was something different, to me at least. The Kou Rou was thick with a few layers of meat and fat and tasted decent.

The special tofu was of the rougher genre, typically called "Dao Gua" or "Dou Gan". It was stuffed with meat in the middle and was nothing special really, but I like the gravy that came with it. It was a little peppery and very salty when consumed alone, but when eaten with the tofu, the saltiness was toned down and it made for a nice combination.