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!

Hong Kong - Four Seasons Claypot Rice at Arthur Street, Yau Ma Tei (四季煲仔飯)

Four Seasons Claypot Rice is just a block down from Hing Kee Restaurant - its close contender. The bold red words printed on bright yellow paper simply cannot be missed.  All the claypot rice at Four Seasons are cooked from scratch- rice grains and fresh ingredients in a small corousel on a charcoal flamed stove. 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. 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.

Unlike Hing Kee, Four Seasons only has indoor seating. We found the interior of Four Seasons really charming- traditional calender and handwritten menu on the walls, beautiful tiles on the floor, stools that had seen better days- everything was so authentic and homely. I would prefer the claypot rice and the atmosphere at Four Seasons as compared to Hing Kee, and would brave the queue for the yummy claypot rice anytime.

Hong Kong Food Blog Review by Kumory

☁☁☁☁☁/☁☁☁☁☁

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!

Hong Kong - Hing Kee Restaurant at Temple Street, Yau Ma Tei (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. There was also a huge poster informing patrons of their shopfronts and to warn them against copycats. Now, that means they are that good that people would bother to imitate right? Competition of claypot rice here at Temple Street is fierce indeed. Just down the next block, a queue was also forming in front of Four Seasons Claypot Rice.

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. In comparison, we found the portion to be bigger at Four Seasons. Their chicken was also more well-marinated and the rice more fluffy.

The oyster cake at Hing Kee was cripsy, but it was also drenched in oil which quickly turned a little unpleasant after being exposed for too long. Although the oysters were fresh, the egg and batter was a little bland. The chili that accompanied the oyster cake was a little watery and failed to create a punch.

We would stick to claypot rice at Hing Kee- afterall, it is what they are good at. The rice was skillfully cooked, and the overall hearty. A plus point of Hing Kee as compared to its contender Four Seasons Claypot Rice is its location- we were able to people watch and immerse ourselves in the hustle and bustle of the night market for we were sitting right behind a stall selling household knick-knacks that screamed "Shut up and take my money!".

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

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

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

☁☁☁/☁☁☁☁☁

Yuan Fa Claypot Rice 源发瓦褒饭

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

Lian He Ben Ji Claypot Rice at Chinatown (联合本记砂煲饭)

I have been having bouts of claypot rice craving ever since Galen's mummy fed us some one Sunday evening. It was a long and hard day at work, and I had a very strong craving for claypot rice out of a sudden as I was leaving office. I decided to walk to Chinatown Complex at Smith Street in search of a good one.

Lian He Ben Ji Claypot occupies 2 stalls on the second storey of the Chinatown Complex market and hawker centre. Prices starts at $5 for claypot rice, and $2.50 for a bowl of double boiled soup. The typical waiting time for the claypot rice is 20 to 30 minutes, and up to 45 minutes during peak hours as everything is cooked from scratch in the claypot on a charcoal stove. It is a good thing that the store is located at a breezy corner of the hawker centre, so it was still a bearable wait though my tummy was grumbling and the craving was getting stronger by the second. You could call and order in advance, but surely the wait is also part of the experience right?

I ordered at around 7.35pm and my food arrived at around 8pm. Such happy, tantalising sight!

I looooooove soup, especially lotus root soup, so I ordered one as a reward for myself after a draining day at work. Nothing beats soup in comforting an old and weary soul. Okay, not that old and not that weary but I love soup. Oh okay, I’ve said that already. The lotus root soup was packed with lotus root slices and tender pork ribs that slipped right off the bones. The soup was homely, and did not taste like it was laden with MSG.

Many claypot rice stalls have taken shortcuts but Lian He Ben Ji Claypot promises that everything is cooked from scratch on the charcoal stove. The rice has a tinge of yellow and not as fluffy or white like what you get when you cook rice in a rice cooker. The chicken meat was well marinated and was tender and juicy. There was also a generous portion of lap cheong (Chinese sausage) and lap yok (Chinese preserved meat), and of course, salted fish which enhanced the flavour of the whole pot. Everything worked together so well like a wonderful spell.

I’m usually not a rice person, I would prefer noodles or pasta over rice any time, but I finished the entire pot of claypot rice on my own. It was so tasty, I considered ordering a second portion (I know right, I’m horrible.). I managed to stop myself only after (much) persuasion that I would definitely come back very soon, with my mother perhaps. I know she would definitely love this.

Singapore Food Blog Review by Kumory

☁☁☁☁☁/☁☁☁☁☁

Lian He Ben Ji Claypot Rice (联合本记砂煲饭)

#02-198/199,Blk 335 Smith Street Chinatown Complex Market Singapore 

5pm-10pm (Closed on Thursday)

62272470 (For orders in advance)

P/S: If you happen to crave for claypot rice during lunch time, you could pay a visit to Yuan Fa Claypot Rice located at Chinatown Complex market too. But I'll highly advise you to hold the craving til dinner time and wait for the claypot goodness at Lian He Ben Ji.