Singapore’s culinary masters share their go-to spots for claypot rice

Nothing screams comfort food like a hearty bowl of claypot rice. While it may seem like a fairly simple dish, it is full of complex flavours and textures that complement well with each other—from juicy and tender chicken bits to the char-ness of the rice, it doesn't get better than this. 

If you are craving for a comforting bowl of claypot rice, why not head to some of our local chef's go-to places instead? We ask our local culinary experts to reveal their favourite places to visit when craving a bowl of claypot rice. 

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1. Cantonese Claypot Rice

Chef Jason Ang, Restaurant Absurdities

"A couple of years ago when I was in the area, I decided to take the opportunity to check out how much the Tiong Bahru precinct has changed, and most importantly, find some good-ol’ nostalgic food. I was glad that I made that decision because it led me to this food-gem, Cantonese Claypot Rice, located right in the middle of Beo Crescent Hawker Centre. Since then, I’d always go back to the same stall whenever I need that old school Cantonese-style claypot rice fix. 
 
Key ingredients such as chicken, salted fish and lap cheong (Chinese sausage) are my go-to whenever I eat claypot rice. At this stall, you will get claypot rice filled with well-marinated chunks of chicken, a morsel of high-quality salted fish to give the dish a pop of brininess that’s fragrant but not overly salty. An abundance of glistening lap cheong with its rendered fats coats the rice below, accompanied by a healthy amount of cabbage sprinkled over the claypot, cutting through all that savoury goodness. Like most claypot rice, the dish is only served on a made-to-order basis which costs less than $6 for a single portion, making it super-value for money. Do not forget to add some chilli sauce to give the entire dish an extra kick to elevate your claypot rice experience!"

Cantonese Claypot Rice | Blk 38A Beo Cres, #01-66, S(169982) 

2. Malaysia Boleh

Head Chef Pak Chee Yit, Madame Fan

"I came across this place when I learned that the eatery is a concept that gathers authentic street hawkers from Malaysia under one roof to satisfy Singaporean's craving for Malaysian food. I like the authenticity and the sincerity of the dish—you would know if enough effort has been given to a claypot dish by its char-ness on the base of the pot. In terms of authenticity and flavour, you can taste that it's masterfully executed within each mouthful. The rice is perfectly cooked with the right fluffiness while absorbing the juiciness of the marinated chicken as it slow-cooked in the pot."

Malaysia Boleh (multiple locations) | 1 Jurong West Central 2, #03 - 28 Jurong Point, S(648886) | 6370 1155

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3. New Lucky Claypot Rice

Chef de Cuisine Cheung Siu Kong, Summer Pavilion

"I have been a patron of this claypot rice stall for the past 10 years as the quality of the food has remained consistent throughout. Despite the modernisation of cooking techniques, this stall continues to cook its claypot rice over charcoal, despite the long cooking time required. The stallholder reinforces each claypot with metal wires to prevent them from cracking, due to the high heat from the coals. 
 
I personally enjoy the authenticity and smoky flavour of their rendition of claypot rice. While claypot rice might appear to be a simple dish, it takes skill and experience to achieve the complexity of flavours by melding the taste of the standard ingredients such as rice, chicken, Chinese sausage, salted fish and sauce, plus achieving the right amount of char on the rice."

New Lucky Claypot Rice | 44 Holland Drive, #02-19, Holland Drive Market & Food Center, S(270044) | 6778 7808

4. Geylang Claypot Rice

Chef Carlos Montobbio, Esquina

"My former sous chef, Mateu Villaret, brought me there one day when we were in the area, more than four years ago, and I have been returning often since that day. They renovated the place recently, while I have to say that I preferred the older looking version of it to the current one, the food is as good as it has always been.

I feel like everything cooked there, including the claypot rice, of course, is been done with a lot of care and attention. I think they do the claypot rice upon order, as it usually takes about 30 minutes to arrive. The other side dishes they have there are really good too, so I always order a few while I wait for the claypot rice. Salted egg sotong and the French beans with shrimps are my favourites."

Chef Eric Neo, InterContinental Singapore

"I was introduced to their restaurant 10 years ago by chef friends who had tried their claypot rice and have patronised it since then.
 
Their version of the claypot rice is still cooked using charcoal, and the marination of the chicken pieces are flavourful and extremely tender. The salted fish adds on another level of flavor, together with the umami from the dark soya sauce and the lard oil, all coming together in a delightful harmony of flavor that is best enjoyed hot."

Geylang Claypot Rice | 361, 363, 365 Beach Road S(199576) | 6744 4574

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