• Food
  • Family
  • Beauty & Health
  • Style
  • Great Women
  • Events/Win
  • Food
    • Eating Out
    • Cooking Tips
    • Festive Food
    • Asian Recipes
    • Food
    • Celebrity Recipes
    • Dessert Recipes
    • Healthy Recipes
    • Quick & Easy Recipes
    • Western Recipes
  • Family
    • Family
    • Save Money
    • Parenting
    • Sex & Marriage
    • Travel
  • Beauty & Health
    • Beauty & Health
    • Skincare
    • Makeup
    • Hair
    • Awards
    • Diet & Nutrition
    • Fitness
    • Wellness
  • Spa Awards 2022
  • Style
  • Great Women
    • Career
    • Great Women of Our Time
    • Real Life
  • Entertainment
  • EVENTS/WIN
  • #SchoolForLife
  • Hair Awards
  • Great Escape
  • Explore Singapore
  • Also available at:
Privacy Menu
SPH Media

Copyright © 2022 SPH Media Limited. Co. Regn. No. 202120748H. All rights reserved.

  • Food
  • Family
  • Beauty & Health
  • Style
  • Great Women
  • Events/Win

Eating Out

7 Places You Can Still Get Hakka...

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Eating Out

7 Places You Can Still Get Hakka Abacus Seeds Or Suan Pan Zi

From home-based businesses to restaurants and food centres

by Michelle Lee  /   March 13, 2022

Aromatic, savoury and satisfyingly chewy, yam abacus seeds or suan pan zi is a traditional dish that comes from the Hakka dialect group and are essentially thick discs of steamed or boiled yam and tapioca dough. Often served during the Lunar New Year (they signify wealth), they are then usually stir-fried with the likes of dried shrimps, black fungus and mushrooms.

But they’re also a fast-disappearing heritage food, which can be attributed to the fact that they’re time-consuming to make. But there are still a handful of places you can find them, and here’s where to look.

READ NEXT

Where To Get The Best Min Jiang Kueh And Martabak Manis In S…

4 Traditional Kueh Makers To Satisfy All Your Kueh Desires…

How Preserving Traditional Recipes Has Bonded This Mother & …

https://www.womensweekly.com.sg/gallery/food/eating-out/best-places-order-hakka-abacus-seeds-suan-pan-zi-singapore/
7 Places You Can Still Get Hakka Abacus Seeds Or Suan Pan Zi
Mimiteo's Kitchen
custom

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 ($18) are made fresh before delivery, and stir-fried with dried mushrooms, shrimps and cuttlefish, as well as minced pork.

Available via pre-orders open for selected dates only, with limited sets available. Visit her Instagram page for updates.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by MIMITEO'S KITCHEN (@mimiteoskitchen)

Pang's Hakka Noodles
custom

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.

He currently has two Pang’s Hakka Noodles stalls, one at Sprouthub in Henderson and one in the food court of commercial building ARC 380 in Lavender, where diners can enjoy springy noodles, yong tau foo, red wine chicken and Hakka fried pork balls.

His abacus seeds ($26.88 for 500g) have to be ordered in advance and picked up at his Sprouthub stall. Made with imported Taiwanese yam, there’s also an abacus seeds kit ($13.80) that you can order to cook at home. The kit comprises frozen abacus seeds, dried cuttlefish, dried shrimp, shredded black fungus and Chinese mushroom slices, along with cook instructions.

Order here.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Pang's Hakka Noodles (@hakkapang)

Mei Zhen Hakka Delights
custom

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 are priced from $4 to $8.80, have gotten good reviews for its chewy texture, umami fragrance and crunchy shallots. You can also choose to have it served with a dollop of chilli sauce.

Shunfu Mart Food Centre is at 320 Shunfu Rd, Singapore 570320. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Melissa 🇸🇬 (@melmeleats)

Plum Village Restaurant
custom

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 ($9), 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.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Li Ruifang (@leshane)

Bugis Street
custom

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.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Little Tiger Adventure (@littletigeradventure)

Madam Yam
custom

This home-based business was conceived in 2020 and focuses on just one dish: Abacus seeds.

At 500g per portion which is meant to serve two to three persons, it offers two versions: one with cuttlefish ($18) and one with scallops ($20). You can also add a bottle of Papa’s Chilli ($8) to your cart to add a spicy garlicky punch.

Order here.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by 𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐦 𝐘𝐚𝐦 (@madam.yam)

The Beef House
custom

This stall nestled within Gar Lok Eating House draws lines for its beef ball noodle soup and homemade young tau foo, but you can also snag a portion of abacus seeds that are slathered in a thick sauce and flecked with dried shrimp, mushrooms and black fungus.

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

Read Next

Where To Eat & Drink: A Botanical Afternoon Tea, NY Pizzeria Roberta's & More

All The Sakura-Themed Treats To Celebrate The Spring Season

A Guide To Cooking Classes You Can Do In Singapore

 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by hellozizi (@hellozizilovepanda)

  • TAGS:
  • abacus seeds
  • hakka abacus seeds singapore
  • hakka food singapore
  • hakka suan pan zi
  • traditional food singapore
SHARE THIS ON

What’s Hot

Eating Out

9 Affordable Omakase Restaurants With Pr...

Eating Out

10 Locations Where You Can Feast On Fish...

Eating Out

11 New Cafes, Restaurants & Eateries In ...

Eating Out

10 Places In Singapore For Mouth-Waterin...

Eating Out

The Best Places In Singapore For A Juicy...

Eating Out

The Best New Bakeries In Singapore To Vi...

Eating Out

8 Restaurants Where You Can Savour Delic...

Eating Out

Beo Crescent Food Centre: 10 Best Hawker...

Eating Out

Get Your Curry Puff Fix At These 9 Top P...

Eating Out

Where To Eat & Drink: Fann Wong's Yuzu C...

Eating Out

Jurong West 505 Food Centre: 10 Best Haw...

Eating Out

7 New Restaurants & Cafes Around Bugis T...

Don’t Miss These
  • Awards This Firming Facial Will Turn The Clock Back On Your Skin
  • Awards This Laser Treatment Gives You A Lit-From-Within Glow – #...
  • Awards Get The Body You Have Always Wanted With This Fat Freeze ...
  • Awards Trim And Tone Your Body In No Time With This Body Sculpto...
  • Awards The Anti-Ageing Facial That Protects Your Skin From Digit...
  • Awards This is the perfect escape from urban life to relax, rech...
Editor’s Picks
  • Eating Out 9 Affordable Omakase Restaurants With Prices From $38++
  • Diet & Nutrition Savour The Deliciousness Of Chocolate While Being Kind To Your Gut
  • Food Where To Find The Best Kway Chap in Singapore
  • Eating Out 10 Locations Where You Can Feast On Fish And Chips In Singapore
  • Organising A KonMari Consultant's Hack For Saving Time & Money At Home
  • Eating Out 11 New Cafes, Restaurants & Eateries In Joo Chiat And Katong To Visit Now
  • Food Where To Get Assam Laksa In Singapore Without Leaving The Country
  • Food 10 Places That Serve The Best Claypot Rice In Singapore
Don't Miss Out Ever Again!
Tips & tricks to stay sane + win invites to our events!

By signing up, you indicate that you have read and agreed with our Privacy Statement
Footer Menu
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Conditions of Access
  • PDPA
  • Privacy Policy
?>">
SPH Magazine

Copyright © 2022 SPH Media Limited. Co. Regn. No. 202120748H. All rights reserved.