Hokkien-style braised pork rice at a specialist!
Hokkien-style lor bak rice — braised pork belly with shiitake mushrooms, tau kwa, braised egg and coriander over white rice.
Tried a Hokkien-style braised pork rice (lor bak / 卤肉饭) — the proper braised-pork-belly version, not the diced lu rou. 😋
What was in the kraft paper bowl:
- A bed of fluffy white rice at the base.
- A thick slab of braised pork belly (滷肉) — that signature Hokkien glossy-soya look, with visible layers of fat-meat-skin. Tender enough to pull apart with a spoon.
- Two big braised shiitake mushrooms soaking up the same braising sauce — umami-deep, slightly chewy.
- A piece of braised tau kwa (firm beancurd) — slightly chewy on the outside, soft inside.
- A whole braised egg with the soya-marinated dark shell visible. Yolk just-set.
- A handful of fresh coriander leaves for the herbal pop.
- A small side dish of red chilli sauce for the dipping kick.
The difference between Hokkien-style and Taiwanese lu rou fan: Hokkien gives you a thick chunk of pork belly with all the fat layers intact (rather than diced), and the braising sauce leans more soya-savoury than five-spice-fragrant. Shiitake mushrooms instead of suan cai. Different mouthfeel — heavier, more luxurious.
Total: hawker-premium pricing.
Overall: 4.3 / 5. Pork belly was tender (fat melted properly), shiitake mushrooms were the underrated star, the egg was textbook. Heritage-style done with care. 😍👍🏼
