Yuan Fa Claypot Rice (源发瓦褒饭) at Chinatown Complex Market Smith Street

Chinatown Complex market at Smith Street houses many, many great hawker stalls. When my (relentless) craving for claypot rice struck again during lunch one day, I am thankful that this awesome hawker centre is just within walking distance from my office. I decided to give Yuan Fa Claypot Rice a try, since my favourite Lian He Ben Ji Claypot Rice is only opened at night for dinner.

The rice for the 2-person portion ($8) was too much for both of us. But it may be because the chicken chunks and chinese sausage were too little to share between us. The rice was a little on the soft side, and did not have the smokey flavour of rice cooked from scratch in a claypot. I guess there really is a difference between cooking the claypot rice using a gas stove and on a charcoal stove like Lian He Ben Ji Claypot Rice does.

The flavour of the claypot rice at Yuan Fa paled in comparison to the claypot rice at Lian He Ben Ji Claypot Rice. The claypot rice here could have done better with more chinese sausage and salted fish. I thought adding in more dark soya sauce would help in enhancing the taste, but well, nothing could replace the flavours from the chinese sausage and salted fish.

The saving grace at Yuan Fa Claypot Rice is their watercress soup ($2). It was homely, and had well-balanced flavour. There was also a generous portion of watercress in it. And at $2, it is a very economical option as compared to the usual $4-$6 charged by other hawker stalls that are selling double-boiled soups.

I would still prefer the claypot rice at Lian He Ben Ji Claypot Rice at Chinatown Complex market. The next time my claypot craving strikes me at lunch, I would be sure to hold it off until dinner time and I would go satisfy it at Lian He Ben Ji Claypot Rice.

Singapore Food Blog Review by Kumory

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Yuan Fa Claypot Rice 源发瓦褒饭

#02-222 Chinatown Complex Market Blk 335 Smith Street Singapore
9272 7868
Closed on Tues