Plum & Rice: Pink Rice Brown Pork

Outshadowed by the more prominent hawker centres in Bedok like Blk 85, Blk 511 and Bedok interchange, it is perplexing that we do not hear more about Blk 216 given that it offers more variety than any of the former. Unfortunately also unlike the former, this hawker is only open in the morning, so kudos to me for managing to drag myself out of bed to visit it for the first time in my 20 years of living in the East. Nice one, Eatify.

There are so many tempting options to choose from, including famous stalls like nasi lemak and lor mee that had long, snaking queues. I eventually settled on Plum & Rice, opened by 3 young entrepreneurs carrying the torch of the fading hawker scene.

Set A  $4

For 4 bucks, you get a bowl of umeboshi rice, a serving of braised pork belly, pickled vegetables and refillable soup. The pinkness comes from rice cooked with pickled plums and is topped with oats and seaweed, giving it a fragrance and a slight tinge of sourness. The pickled veggies were a little stale for my liking, but the soup was heartwarming and effectively woke my half asleep tummy. 

Honestly speaking, i had no high hopes for the braised pork which looked tough and chewy. I have to apologise for my poor judgment because fuck me, this was awesome. That fat just disintegrated when it touched my tongue and i was stunned for a moment where it disappeared to. Kicking myself for not getting extra the braised meat for a mere $2.

The umeboshi rice was the perfect companion. A chunk of tender meat and a mouthful of fragrant rice, truly a match made in food heaven. Every bite of the well marinated pork was a melt in your mouth delight and when the last morsel was finished i died a little inside. 

7.5 / 10

Special shoutout to the 3 young guys for mastering the art of melty, braised pork belly and keeping the hawker scene alive. Respect.

Ume Fact! : Ume plums are very astringent and can't be eaten raw - they'll give you a tummy ache. But in salted or alcohol-preserved form, they are perfectly safe to eat.

Location: BLK 216 Bedok Food Centre and Market

Address: 216 Bedok North Street 1 #01-45, Singapore 460216

Nearest MRT: Bedok EW5

Opening Hours: 8:00am - 2:00pm

Closed on Mondays