Ke Ren Lai Hakka Restaurant — Restaurant in Johor

Affordable Healthier Choice, Hakka Lei Cha and Delicious Pig’s Trotter

Hakka Lei Cha Rice 3* - Acquired taste best describe it. The crunchiness and flavor of peanut give life to the dish. Sambal chilli should be added for more flavor. The ingredients are; white rice, white cabbage, peanuts, chopped long beans, vegetables and fried beancurd.

Hakka Drunken Chicken 4* - Chicken meat was decently tender. The soup tasted quite good with a strong wine aroma and a sharp sweet taste but a pity both doesn’t really harmonize well with each other. A plus point was the dish was served piping hot and managed to retain the heat for a really long time thanks to the oil and claypot.

Pig trotters in sweet black vinegar 4.5* - Definitely to my liking, sweet and sour proportions was just right (which is a little on a sweet side) and a little spicy. The trotter meat was cooked to be tender and fresh. Collagen and fats melted in your mouth. The dish remained hot the entire time.

Yam Abacus 3* - Button shape yam was chewy with a hint of yam flavor. It was stir fried with minced pork and black fungus which was slightly too salty. Dipping the sourish chili will divert some of the saltiness away.

Fun Fact 擂茶别名三生汤 擂茶 - More accurately translated as ‘ground tea’ as compared to...

Ke Ren Lai I chose this Hakka restaurant for dinner. While the food selection is a bit limited, it’s clear that they put effort into each dish, making them stand out from other places. For context, Hakka cuisine is part of a distinct Chinese dialect group, often known for specialties like Lei Cha and Suan Pan Zi.

This time, I ordered the Grilled Orange Sauce Fried Chicken Set. The chicken was well-fried and served with rice and vegetables. Instead of the usual sugar coating often used for fried chicken, this restaurant coated theirs with an orange sauce, which gave the dish a sweet and citrusy freshness. It was a nice twist.

I also tried the Pig Stomach with Pork Pepper Soup Set. The flavor reminded me slightly of Bak Kut Teh, but it had its own unique profile—more earthy, with a gentle herbal mix that wasn’t overpowering. Overall, it was quite enjoyable.

The dining experience was pleasant, enhanced by good music and a relaxing atmosphere.

My ratings:

Food Quality: ⭐ 3.5/5 Food Portion: ⭐...

My father drove around randomly… and stumbled across this restaurant. Walked in & got seated fast. The menu had a lot of varieties and also included desserts. I ordered the noodles w karage. Noodles were not very chewy but still acceptable, The karage had 2 pieces of chicken which were crispy and crunchy, however it was not that juicy but had lots of flavour! There was also chilli on the side if u want to add in some, which packs a punch of flavour, it is also spicy w a kick. I also ordered the fried mushrooms. The mushrooms were battered nice and light. Extremely crispy and addictive with a seasoning that’s salt and sweet…. Highly recommend the thunder tea milk as it is unique and can cleanse ur palate....