Cover Inside Super Uncle Claypot, one of the hottest restaurants in Poblacion, Makati (Photo: courtesy of Super Uncle Claypot)
Inside Super Uncle Claypot, one of the hottest restaurants in Poblacion, Makati (Photo: courtesy of Super Uncle Claypot)
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Poblacion hotspot Super Uncle Claypot offers Chinese comfort food that resonates with a diverse Filipino market
Friends who start a business might soon discover that these ventures do not always work out. But finding commonalities in terms of travel, food and culture might prove to be a strong enough connection to ensure a shared—and peaceful—path to success. When the owners of Super Uncle Claypot decided they wanted to open a restaurant together, they knew they had to go out there to learn about what is good and authentic as a shared experience.
“It started with us friends thinking of a concept to bring to Manila. We attended fairs, went to Guangzhou for the Canton Fair and we went food tripping,” narrates co-owner and head of communications and human resources Ritzi Salazar. “While exploring the best food spots in the area, we happened into a popular claypot rice restaurant, ChaoJi Liwan, owned by Mr Chao. We lined up to experience their claypot rice, and instantly fell in love with the concept. At the end of the trip, we went home with suitcases full of bubble-wrapped claypots.” After months of back-and-forth between the budding restaurateurs and the claypot rice expert, they were able to convince Mr Chao (who has endeared himself to the ladies to the point that they started calling him “uncle”) to share with them the ancient technique of cooking authentic claypot rice. “He worked with us as teacher and apprentice,” Salazar says, “and made him our shifu who taught us the special technique.”
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Above Super Uncle Claypot’s chicken and mushroom with sausage (Photo: courtesy of Super Uncle Claypot)
Above Spareribs with sausage claypot (Photo: courtesy of Super Uncle Claypot)
Super Uncle Claypot’s chicken and mushroom with sausage (Photo: courtesy of Super Uncle Claypot)
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Super Uncle Claypot offers claypot rice that Salazar describes as “simply comfort food.” No frills, nothing fancy—just authentic claypot rice made the way it should be. It is cooked slowly in the pot, achieving the perfect crust at the bottom, which is characteristic of a properly made dish. Despite it being distinctly Chinese, the concept proves to resonate with a local dining crowd that has adopted it as comfort food, coming in as late as 1am for some late-night indulging. “We believe it has clicked because ‘rice and ulam’ is very Filipino,” Salazar explains. “We also have our own version of ‘tutong’. We love soy sauce. All these are not new to Filipinos, but putting them all together in one pot might be new and pleasantly surprising for those who aren’t familiar with claypot rice. This comfort food is something Filipinos could eat every day, at any time of the day.”
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Super Uncle Claypot in Poblacion, Makati City (Photo: courtesy of Super Uncle Claypot)
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The business partners (Salazar, along with Avi Chua in charge of the kitchen and business development, and Kate Caga, who handles finance and operations) look to have put a lot of thought into the interiors that are transportive yet very much of their adopted environment. “Apart from the food, the vibe of the place is also very welcoming, chill, artsy, very Hong Kong street vibe, where people from all walks of life can relax, enjoy good music, eat comfort food, have good cocktails or an ice-cold beer. It’s a place for ‘claypots and cocktails’ if you want to chill and unwind,” she says. From the time they opened until now, Salazar also noted how the market has evolved from the typical Poblacion party crowd to something that is more of a mixed bag. “There have been more diners as of late; children, senior citizens and even people from the Visayas and Mindanao. We’ve been getting more customers even during lunch time.”
Above Chicken mushroom with sausage, sisig sotanghon, and Auntie spritz (Photo: courtesy of Super Uncle Claypot Poblacion)
Chicken mushroom with sausage, sisig sotanghon, and Auntie spritz (Photo: courtesy of Super Uncle Claypot Poblacion)
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For first-time visitors, Salazar recommends their bestsellers—pork spareribs, chicken and mushroom and beef brisket with tendon. All can be elevated with extra sausage, egg and/or salted fish. For those looking for some heat, a generous dollop of the house chilli garlic sauce comes highly recommended to complete the dining experience. They have just started breakfast and roasting in their recently opened Greenhills branch, so expect the roasts to come to Poblacion soon.
When they opened their doors, Salazar admits that they never expected Super Uncle Claypot to be critically well-received, not to mention a commercial success. Soon, they will be opening in Glorietta and Forbestown BGC to be able to share their authentic claypot rice experience with a wider audience. Proof, in fact, that Uncle Chao’s claypot rice is no flash in the pan and has been embraced as comfort food by Filipinos of all ages as they keep coming back for more.
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Jaclyn Clemente Koppe is a food and lifestyle writer, as well as a consultant to some of the country’s beloved food and beverage brands. Her passion for food and drink is only surpassed by her devotion to her family, most especially to her soulmate, Pepa the poodle.
