Hong Kong - Best Claypot Rice at Temple Street, Yau Ma Tei

Temple Street in Hong Kong brings about images of dark alleys, triad duels but those are really just what the TVB dramas or Hong Kong movies want us to believe. Temple Street in Yau Ma Tei is actually a vibrant stretch with a night market and tons of eateries. The only face-off going on around here is between the claypot rice stalls. There is some mean competition happening and we found our favourite claypot rice among the two most crowded stalls- Hing Kee and Four Seasons (Say Kee).

1. Hing Kee Claypot Rice 興記煲仔飯

Hing Kee Claypot Rice's popularity is evident. It spans a few shop front and even has tentages in front of their shops. Everywhere at Hing Kee was filled to the brim and they even  have a designated corner for their patrons to queue.

The menu at Hing Kee Claypot rice comes in three languages- Mandarin, English and Japanese. They clearly have the tourists in mind. The variety of claypot rice offered was wide. There is the conventional claypot rice with chicken, beef or pork, and then there is the innovative claypot rice with cheese or curry. There is definitely something that appeals to both the conservative and the creative here at Hing Kee.

To get the most authentic taste, we chose the most traditional dish- the chicken and chinese sausage claypot rice. However, there is nothing ordinary about this dish at Hing Kee. The chicken remained juicy and tender even under the charcoal fire. The same is for the chinese sausage - crunchy on the outside and giving us a wonderful spurt of the juice that was still well retained within. The dark sauce added a nice fragrance to the rice, but we did find it a little too salty for our liking.

The rice at Hing Kee was cooked to such perfection, the rice at the bottom of the pot slipped out in neat pieces. We polished the claypot rice until we saw a very clean bottom, charred beautifully by the charcoal flame. The portion is a little on the small side, and I could have easily finish a second bowl on my own.

2. Four Seasons Claypot Rice 四季煲仔飯

Just a block down from Hing Kee is its close contender- Four Seasons Claypot Rice. The bold red words printed on bright yellow paper simply cannot be missed. Four Seasons spans across a few shops and only indoor seats are available. An orderly queue formed on the outside of Four Seasons. While waiting for seats, an assistant came and took down the orders of all those in queue.

Four seasons menu was in Mandarin and English, sans the (touristy) Japanese. There were the traditional selection of claypot rice topped with chicken, pork or beef, and Four Seasons' creativity comes in with its eel and frog speciality. We decided to get one traditional claypot, and a special one to try.

The chicken and salted fish claypot rice at Four Seasons may look pale, but it was the most amazing claypot rice that I have ever eaten in my life. The chicken was well marinated, with a tinge of sesame oil and matched so well with the ginger strips. The salted fish was very fragrant yet not too overpowering. The dark sauce was a concoction which we found suitable for our palettes- so homely and heartwarming!

Four Seasons' speciality rice of eel and pork ribs also struck a chord in our hearts. We loved the bean sauce that came in the claypot, which greatly enhanced the taste of the eel. The texture of the eel was chewy, as like the pork ribs. The rice at Four Seasons was more fluffy, and not as dry as the one at Hing Kee. The rice at the bottom also came off perfectly, and we polished these two bowls in no time.

Verdict

Hing Kee's edge is the dining right on the main thoroughfare of Temple Street, allowing you to people watch as you indulge in the claypots of homely rice. However, we found the retro interior of Four Seasons even more charming. The claypot rice at Four Seasons were also more well-flavoured, and the fluffy yet charred rice was a contrasting texture that we would never forget. We went back to Four Seasons for a second time because we couldn't get enough of it. Such power-packed awesomeness in little claypots- Four Seasons is indeed your companion in Hong Kong all year round.

Hong Kong Food Blog Review by Kumory

Hing Kee Claypot Rice 興記煲仔飯 ☁☁☁☁/☁☁☁☁☁

15 Temple Street

Yau Ma Tei Kowloon Hong Kong

Four Seasons Claypot Rice 四季煲仔飯  ☁☁☁☁☁/☁☁☁☁☁

46 Arthur Street

Yau Ma Tei Kowloon Hong Kong

ps: Check out our ultimate food guide to Kowloon for more goodies in Hong Kong!