9 places to get Hakka abacus seeds in Singapore

This home business is helmed by a stay-at-home-mum, who first learned to make the dish from scratch because of her husband’s love for it. Her smooth chewy abacus seeds ($20 per portion) are made fresh before delivery, and stir-fried with a generous serving of dried mushrooms, shrimps and cuttlefish, as well as minced pork.

Available via pre-orders open for selected dates only, with limited sets available. Fastest fingers first, they’re often sold out (At the time of writing, they’re sold out for May). Visit her Instagram page for updates.

After closing down French patisserie Antoinette, chef-owner Pang Kok Keong dived into another type of cuisine to showcase and preserve his heritage: Hakka fare.

After several relocations, he has reopened at Jalan Bukit Merah (opposite ABC Brickworks) where diners can enjoy springy noodles, Hakka yong tau foo, red wine chicken and Hakka fried pork balls.

His popular abacus seeds ($5.50) are also now a menu mainstay. The chewy hand-shaped discs are made with premium Thai yam, and stir-fried with garlic, leeks, dried cuttlefish, dried shrimp, shredded black fungus and Chinese mushroom slices.

Pang’s Hakka Noodles is at Block 2 Jalan Bukit Merah, Singapore 150002. Opens 9.30am to 8pm daily.

Plum Village Restaurant is one of the handfuls of Hakka restaurants remaining in Singapore and one of the oldest. The heritage restaurant is best known for its authentic Hakka yong tau foo, alongside dishes like pork belly with mustard greens (mei cai kou rou) and salt baked chicken.

Then, of course, you’ll want to sink your teeth into its suan pan zi (from $10), all handmade by the owner Lai Fak Nian and his wife. They’re soft and stir-fried with garlic, seasoned minced pork and chunks of yam for extra texture and flavour.

Plum Village Restaurant is at 16 Jalan Leban Singapore, Singapore 577554. Visit its website for more information.

As its name suggests Mei Zhen Hakka Delights located within Shunfu Mart Food Centre serves up a repertoire of Hakka fare, from turnip dumplings to soon kueh, glutinous rice and Hakka-style yong tau foo.

The yam abacus seeds here are priced from $5.50, and have gotten good reviews for thier chewy texture, umami fragrance and crunchy shallots. You can also choose to have it served with a dollop of chilli sauce.

Mei Zhen Hakka Delights is at Shunfu Mart Food Centre, 320 Shunfu Road, Singapore 570320. 

This home-based business was conceived in 2020 and focuses on just one dish: Abacus seeds. Each moreish disc is made with fresh yams and tapioca flour, then hand-moulded into shape.

At 500g per portion which is meant to serve two to three persons, it offers two versions: one with cuttlefish ($22) and one with scallops ($24). On top of that, there’s wood ear fungus, mushrooms and minced meat. You can also add a bottle of Papa’s Chilli ($10 for 200ml) to your cart for a spicy garlicky punch.

Order here.

This stall nestled within Gar Lok Eating House draws lines for its beef ball noodle soup and homemade yong tau foo, but you can also snag a portion of abacus seeds at the affordable price of $2. Each springy suan pan zi is larger in size and slathered in a thick sauce that’s flecked with dried shrimp, mushrooms and black fungus.

Gar Lok Eating House is at 217 Syed Alwi Rd, Singapore 207776.

On the ground level of Bugis Street, you’ll find a stretch of food stalls with various street food offerings. Amongst them is a stall doling out abacus seeds, alongside muah chee, pancakes, and tutu kueh.

We’ve personally tried this one, and you won’t be disappointed by the generous portion of luscious morsels ($5) covered in shallots, mushrooms, and spring onions, and doused in a starchier savoury sauce that’s both addictive and comforting.

At 3 New Bugis Street, Singapore 188867.

A Beautiful Day Cafe Tearoom

Credit: The Singapore Women's Weekly

8/9

We most certainly didn’t expect to find abacus seeds at this quaint Victorian-style cafe at Paya Lebar so we were a little surprised to find the dish on the menu.

Despite its interiors, the menu has a mix of Western and Asian-inspired plates. The abacus seeds are pricier here and a little starchy for our liking, but were overall flavourful and not too oily, with a good amount of mushrooms, black fungus, pork mince and crisp moreish garlic bits.

The dishes are supplied by Zing by Xi Yan, which is located just next door, so you can abacus seeds here, too.

A Beautiful Day Cafe Tearoom is at #01-09 Parkplace Residences @ PLQ,2 Paya Lebar Road, Singapore 409053.

Dive into plump, more al dente abacus seeds at this hawker stall in the Jalan Besar enclave (it’s in the same coffee shop as the popular 88 HK Roast Meat Specialist), which also doles out carrot cake, char kway teow, hokkien mee and oyster omelette. If you prefer your abacus seeds less saucy, you’ll like the ones here, fried with minced pork, mushrooms and dried shrimps.

Ming Hui Bugis Street is at 153 Tyrwhitt Road, Singapore 207566.

This article was originally published in Singapore Women's Weekly.