New Lucky Claypot Rice @ Holland Drive Food Centre - Charocal Cooked Claypot Rice, Up To An Hour Wait

Fans of claypot rice will know of New Lucky Claypot Rice at Holland Drive Food Centre. It used to be located at Clementi before moving to its present location. The claypot rice here is still cooked the traditional way from the raw rice grains over charcoal fire. Hence the wait can be as long as an hour or more if you did not make prior reservation. Scroll down to the end of the article to know how to beat the queue, if you do not want to wait an hour for your food.

Claypot Rice 4.2/5

The Claypot Rice ($10) comes with very little chicken meat, so we usually ask to add more chicken meat at an extra cost of $5. The claypot rice is served bland with a bottle of oil and dark sweet sauce. Customers can add the amount of oil and dark sweet sauce to their own preference.

Claypot Rice 4.2/5

So why to people come afar to savour their claypot rice? First of all, the outer layer of the claypot rice is cooked to a aromatic charred crispy crust while the rest are fluffy and moist. The sausages and salted fish further enhanced the flavur of the fragrant rice. Most importantly, the chicken cooked under the high intense charcoal heat is still juicy and tender.

Vegetable 3/5

Watercress Soup 3.5/5

Having the claypot rice only can be quite boring. Knowing that Singaporean likes variety, the stall also sells Vegetables and Soup. They are not the best but I am content for the variety and it only costs me an additional $8 for both the vegetable and soup.

As promise, here is the tip to eat at New Lucky Claypot Rice. Never walk in or be prepared to wait for at least an hour. The best thing is to call and place your order before turning up. The stall will give you a queue number over the phone and a rough estimated time when the food will be ready. Make you way down at the appointed time and you will find your claypot rice will be served to you in minutes. Just walk up to the staff and tell them your queue number. Oh remember to tell the person over the phone that you want to add chicken meat.


New Lucky Claypot Rice
Blk 44 Holland Drive
#02-19
Singapore 270044
Tel: +65 67787808
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Buona Vista (CC Line, EW line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Tue, Thu-Sun: 1100am - 145pm, 5pm - 830pm
(Closed on Wed)

Direction:
1) Alight at Buona Vista MRT station. Take Exit A or B. Walk to traffic light junction. Cross the road and turn left towards the housing estate. Walk to destination. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

Hive by Wala Wala @ Furama Riverfront Hotel - Biggest Bar and Restaurant in Singapore

After a good 23 years, Wala Wala has ventured into opening its second outlet Hive by Wala Wala at Furama Riverfront Hotel, the biggest bar and restaurant in Singapore. The new venture consists of 4 concepts housed under one roof. It consists of a wine retail shop, bakery, cigar room, a restaurant and bar.

House Cocktail Bee Hive 4/5

The bar at Hive offers an extensive range of 35 different types of beers, ciders and unique range of whiskies. From the in house wine retail shop, customers can also choose to buy home or dine-in. A steal at Hive will be there House Cocktail Bee Hive ($23), a refreshing and easy to drink cocktail. For every purchase of the cocktail, customer gets to bring the glass, Of course they will give you a new one.

Hive Charcoal Barbequed Chicken Wings with Courvoisier XO Sauce 4/5

How can we have drinks and not bar bites right? I would recommend the Hive Charcoal Barbequed Chicken Wings with Courvoisier XO Sauce ($15). The chicken wings are grilled to a nice charred on the exterior, yet tender and juicy inside.

Surfer's Salad 3.5/5

Hive also doubles up as a restaurant offering both Asian and Western menu. The Western menu will focus on salads, pasta and grilled meats. We had the Surfer's Salad ($12) from the western menu. The salad comes with prawn, mussel, squid, crabstick, onion, pepper, garlic, olive and mixed greens. It is a light but yet flavourful salad hold together by the cocktail dressing.

Claypot Mac & Cheese 3/5

Mac & Cheese serves in claypot? This must be a first. The Claypot Mac & Cheese ($8) was creamy and cheesy. However I felt the flavour of the cheese was kind of light. It needed something that is more intense and rich.

Chargrilled Honey Glazed Pork Ribs 4/5

I find the Asian menu is more interesting compared to the Western menu. I mean who expects claypots to be served in a bar where you see more beer and wine bottles. Upon serving the Chargrilled Honey Glazed Pork Ribs ($36), the staff will flambeed the pot of pork ribs with Marker's Mark Bourbon, lighting up the claypot into flames. The aroma of the whisky filled the air and infused into the sauce. However the real highlight is the succulent pork rib which fell off the bone with ease. Customer also has the option of rice or baguette to go with it.

Claypot Ox Tail 4.2/5

My favourite dish for the dinner is the Claypot Ox Tail ($12). The stew-like sauce absorbed all the essences of the ingredients. This is best savoured by dipping the baguette into the sauce to soak up the gravy.

Being the biggest bar and restaurant in Singapore, Hive by Wala Wala aims to to be the place to go to for all music lovers, foodies and partygoers. Music aside, patrons can look forward to having their palettes teased by Hive's selection of western and local delights all day. For lunch, local delights such as roast meat and noodles will be available. After 6pm, it is switched to offering izakaya style yakitori treats. Very soon, Hive bakery and ice cream bar will be available to satisfy your sweet tooth too.


Hive by Wala Wala
Furama Riverfront Hotel
407 Havelock Road
#01-01
Singapore 169634
Tel: +65 88761109
Facebook
Website
Nearest MRT: Chinatown (DT Line, NE Line), Tiong Bahru (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Thu: 12pm - 1am
Fri-Sat: 12pm - 2am
Sun: 12pm - 1am

Direction: 
1) Alight at Chinatown MRT station. Take Exit C. Walk to bus stop along Upper Cross Road, Opposite Subordinate Court (Stop ID 06171). Take bus number 51 or 186. Alight 2 stops later. Walk along Outram Road to Furama Riverfront Hotel. Walk to destination. Journey time about 12 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Tiong Bahru MRT station. Take Exit B. Walk to bus stop at Tiong Bahru MRT station (Stop ID 10169). Take bus 123. Alight 4 stops later. Cross the road. Walk along Outram Road to Furama Riverfront Hotel. Walk to destination. Journey time about 15 minutes. [Map]

Ipoh LSY-Pot (大众瓦煲鸡饭专卖店) @ Bukit Indah [Johor Bahru]

During my last trip to Johor Bahru, Irene and her husband brought us to this restaurant at Bukit Indah to try the Claypot Loh Shu Fun and Ipoh-Bercham Claypot Rice. Inheriting the recipe from their mother, the two brothers opened the second Ipoh LSY-Pot outlet in Johor Bahru. The original outlet is in Ipoh, Perak.

Claypot Loh Shu Fun 4/5

Claypot Loh Shu Fun 4/5

The piping hot Claypot Loh Shu Fun (RM$7.50) comes with needle like rice flour noodles which is semi-transparent and it comes with a slightly chewy bite. In the claypot, there are prawns, sliced pork, egg and fish cakes. What holds the noodle dish together is the flavoursome gravy, making it such an enjoyable bowl of bee tai bak. Guest can also choose to add a dash of black vinegar to further accentuate the whole enjoyment.

Ipoh-Bercham Claypot Rice 4/5

The other signature item at Ipoh LSY-Pot is the Ipoh-Bercham Claypot Rice (RM$8.50) that comes with tender chicken pieces, salted fish and sausages. Cooked over charcoal fire, the aroma of the rice and other ingredients filled the air when the claypot is served to the table.

Ipoh-Bercham Claypot Rice 4/5

The finishing touch to enjoy the Ipoh-Bercham Claypot Rice is to add their homemade dark sauce made from 8 different ingredients. Give it a good toss to coat every single rice grains to appreciate the beautiful chemistry of the rice and sauce coming together.

While the Claypot Loh Shu Fun and Ipoh-Bercham Claypot Rice are worthy for visit, it is unfortunately not very accessible and close to the causeway. Unless you drive or take a taxi, it may not be easy to get to. I do hope you have the chance to try it and let me know whether you like it or not.


Ipoh LSY-Pot 
31 Jalan Indah 15/1
Taman Bukit Indah
81200 Johor
Johor Bahru, Malaysia
Tel: +6072326098
[Map]

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 1100am - 3pm, 530pm - 10pm
Sat-Sun: 11am - 10pm

Pot Luck @ IMM

Couple of weeks back I was at IMM to run some errands and decided to have dinner at Pot Luck, Zi Char In The Pot. Basically all the dishes are served in a claypot. To order, simply tick on the order form, bring it to the cashier for payment and the food will be served to your table.

Black Pepper Beef 3.5/5

I tried a couple of dishes, starting with the Black Pepper Beef ($11.99). Sliced to thin pieces, the beef did come across quite tender with the complementing black pepper sauce carrying a fiery kick to it.

Claypot Cabbage with Mushrrom 3.5/5

The Claypot Cabbage with Mushroom ($8.99) is stewed to a nice crunchy sweetness, not too soft. Only disappointment is I could hardly find any mushrooms.

Curry Chicken 2.8/5

The Curry Chicken ($8.99) was a love and hate affair. I love the creamy and lemak curry. However the chicken pieces were small and hardly any meat.

Overall the standard of the food is decent but not fantastic. Price is quite reasonable too. Could be a decent choice if you want to beat the crowd and have a quick dinner.


Pot Luck
IMM
2 Jurong East Street 21
#01-101A
Singapore 609601
Tel: +65 68996636
Facebook
Nearest MRT: Jurong East (EW Line, NS Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 1130am - 10pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Jurong East MRT station. Take Exit A or D. Walk to Westgate shuttle bus pick up point to IMM. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Jurong East MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to JCube shuttle bus pick up point to IMM. Journey time about 13 minutes. [Map]

Sek Tong Gai (食通街) @ Tanglin Halt

When I heard from a friend that even Les Amis chefs like to visit Sek Tong Gai (食通街) to eat after a late night service, I was eager to visit the restaurant and check out the food there. I had a foodies meetup session with Nat, Elaine and Elle so I took the opportunity to suggest checking out the restaurant. Armed with my camera and a group of friends, we headed down to the Sek Tong Gai which was formerly known as Sin Lee Chinese Cuisine in Tiong Bahru.

Spinach with Tang Hoon in Claypot 4.2/5

Usually I will order the 3 eggs with vegetables whenever I eat at Chinese restaurant. The Spinach with Tang Hoon in Claypot ($21) is a delicious alternative. Cooked in a tasty broth together with dried scallops and dried shrimps, the claypot is jam packed with flavours and textures with the silky smooth tang hoon infused with the rich flavours.

Claypot Chicken with Salted Fish 4.2/5

This may look like three cups chicken but no it is actually Claypot Chicken with Salted Fish ($18). While the chicken may not be very tender, the savoury sauce marriage the chicken perfectly with the salted fish lifting the flavour to a whole new level of enjoyment.

Steamed Pork Ribs 4.2/5

I have to admit I was not very keen to order the Steamed Pork Ribs ($21) initially as I thought it would be just an ordinary home cooked dish. I was glad that the rest of group persisted or I would have missed savouring this delicious dish. While the timing of cooking the pork ribs can be a bit better, what impressed me most is the sauce used. It was so good and flavourful that I had to resist ordering a bowl of rice to go with it as I am cutting down on my carbo intake.

Soon Hock in Claypot 4.5/5

For me the star of the dinner is the Claypot Soon Hock (market price) cooked with beancurd, minced meat, mushroom and brinjal. For the size of the fish we had that night, it cost us $97. The beancurd was silky smooth and the brinjal was not too mushy that still had a crunch. Lastly the fresh soon hock was moist and tender.

I am glad that I have finally try the Cantonese cuisine at Sek Tong Gai (食通街). I left feeling not only satisfied but impressed with the dishes I had. It may seen like some ordinary zichar dishes but I can tell that there were many thoughts in each dish especially how they were beautifully paired with the different sauces.


Sek Tong Gai
47 Tanglin Halt Road
Singapore 141047
Tel: +65 64744547
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sektonggai.sg
Nearest MRT: Commonwealth (EW Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon: 6pm - 2am
Wed-Sun: 6pm - 2am
(Closed on Tue)

Direction:
1) Alight at Commonwealth MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk straight to Sheng Siong. Turn right and walk towards Tanglin Halt Road. Cross the road and walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes. [Map]

Sin Heng Kee Porridge @ Hougang Street 61

The best food to have during a cold rainy day is a bowl of congee that is both comforting and keeps the body warm. I am glad that there is a popular congee place near my home in Hougang. Located at the corner of block 685, Sin Heng Kee Porridge occupies the floor area of a coffee shop selling only porridge and drink. They must be selling a lot of congee to be able to pay the rental for such a huge premises.

Signature Porridge 4/5

Sin Heng Kee Porridge serves the Cantonese style porridge which is the gooey type. I tried the Signature Porridge which was flavourful and smooth. You know sometime the congee is served bland and you need to add in your own seasoning. I did not need to do so at Sin Heng Kee Porridge. I only wish that the youtiao is served crispy. A look at the picture you will know this is not the best youtiao to go with the congee.

Claypot Frog Leg Porridge 4/5

Not only does Sin Heng Kee Porridge sells the Cantonese style porridge, it also offers Claypot Frog Leg Porridge in the menu. I did not realise this is on the menu until the recent visit. I tried the ginger and scallions frog leg porridge which was light, smooth and comforting. I also like the fact that the frog leg came in big chunks allowing me to enjoy the sweet and tender meat.

Raw Fish 2.5/5

I love having Raw Fish but quite disappointed to say the one served at Sin Heng Kee Porridge was not up to expectation. The bad knife skill spoilt the texture of the sashimi. It has a rough texture that needed to work my teeth harder to break it down.

If I am to visit Sin Heng Kee Porridge again, I would skip the raw fish and go for the congee only. I did notice a lot of people ordering the sliced abalone instead of the raw fish during my visit. May I will try the sliced abalone in my next trip here.


Sin Heng Kee Porridge
Blk 685 Hougang Street 61
#01-150
Singapore 530685
Nearest MRT: Hougang (NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 7am - 930pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Hougang MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to bus stop along Hougang Central (Stop ID 64541). Take bus number 72. Alight 4 stops later. Walk to junction of Hougang Ave 4 and Hougang Street 61. Cross the road onto Hougang Street 61. Walk to destination. Journey time about 15 minutes. [Map]

2) Alight at Hougang MRT station. Take Exit A. Walk to Hougang Central Bus Interchange (Stop ID 64009). Take bus number 116. Alight 4 stops later. Walk to junction of Hougang Ave 4 and Hougang Street 61. Cross the road onto Hougang Street 61. Walk to destination. Journey time about 15 minutes. [Map]

Lau Wang Claypot Delights @ Serangoon Central

Located at the corner of block 263 at Serangoon Central is this humble little coffeeshop style eatery selling a variety of hot piping claypot delights. Today with Nat and Nicole, we took a 10 minutes walk from Nex Shopping Mall to Lau Wang Claypot Delights. In seems like the place has another stall that operates in the morning selling noodles dishes too.

Claypot Frog Leg Herbal Soup 3/5

Dinner began with the piping hot Claypot Frog Leg Herbal Soup ($8/$15). While the soup was very flavourful I felt the herbal taste can be stronger. I am not sure how the others found the tender frog leg but I thought a little bit more seasoning was needed to remove the gaminess.

Claypot Minced Meat with Eggplant 3/5

I have never grown up to like eggplant but as age catches up with me, I seem to love the vegetable even more. The Claypot Minced Meat with Eggplant ($4.50/$6.50) was actually quite delectable. I do like my eggplant to be on the mushy side which was exactly what I got. However it was a bit too oily.

Dried Chilli Sliced Fish 3/5

The Dried Chilli Sliced Fish ($4.50/$6.50) comes with large slices of snakehead fish as well as bitter gourd. However the fish tasted on the bland side, needed more seasoning.

Claypot Sesame Oil Chicken 3.5/5

The Claypot Sesame Oil Chicken ($4.50/$6.50) came with tender chunks of chicken in a delish brown gravy that went very well with the bowl of rice. The dish will be even better if the aromatic sesame flavour can be stronger.

Claypot Ginger & Spring Onion Kidney Liver 3.5/5

My favourite among all the dishes I tried was the Claypot Ginger & Spring Onion Kidney Liver ($4.50/$6.50). Although the kidney was a bit gamey, it did not take away the shine of the pig liver in the brown gravy. The texture of the pig liver was just nice, neither too tough or mushy.

Lau Wang Claypot Delights is not a high end restaurant but the humble little corner eatery in the hood serves up some delightful claypot dishes for patron seeking a satisfying meal that is reasonably priced.


Lau Wang Claypot Delights
Blk 263 Serangoon Central Drive
#01-43
Singapore 550263
Tel:+65 90010814
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lau-Wang-Claypot-Delights/168387586650980
Nearest MRT: Serangoon (CC Line, NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 10am - 10pm

Direction: 
1) Alight at Serangoon MRT station. Take Exit E. Turn left and walk down Serangoon Central. Walk towards block 262, continue to the corner of block 261 and 263. Journey time about 10 minutes. [Map]

Hillman Restaurant (喜临门大饭店) @ Kitchener Road

When I was doing my blog post research on restaurants that started business in the 1960s for my OMY Blog Award 2013 article, I get to know Hillman Restaurant which started business in 1963. Founded by the late Mr Wong Lin Ooh and Madam Chan Ah Chee located along Cantonment Road (now the Pinnacle at Duxton) serving Cantonese Claypot cuisines before moving to the current location in 2003. The restaurant has won many recognition and awards in the culinary industry and it is currently run by the 2nd and 3rd generations.. The restaurant has another branch called Manhill Restaurant at Pasir Panjang.

Fried Shark's Fins with Scrambled Eggs 3/5

Stepping into the restaurant, I was surprised to see that it is full house on a weekday night. Without prior reservation, I was lucky to get a table for 3. I noticed that we are the only Singaporean in the restaurant where the rest will Japanese. I also realised that the menu comes in Japanese and most of the table ordered similar dishes. Looks like this restaurant is quite popular among the Japanese community.

After my observation, I ordered the Fried Shark's Fins with Scrambled Eggs ($40/60/80) served with a plate of lettuce which was seem in almost every table. To eat it, pick up some of the fried scrambled eggs, wrapped it with the lettuce and eat it together. While it is an unique experience piecing the different ingredients together, flavour was nothing near to wow about.

Fried Pork Ribs in Chinese Style 4.2/5

The ugly looking pieces of Fried Pork Ribs in Chinese Style ($14/22/30) was surprisingly very tasty with its flavourful marinate and glazed with a beautiful plum sauce. Although the appearance looked dry but its actually quite succulent.

Happy Beancurd 4/5

The Happy Beancurd ($14/22/30) topped with minced pork and spring onions was smooth and silky. A delightful dish that will send one smiling.

Pot Sea Cucumber with Seafood 3.5/5

The signature at Hillman Restaurant is their claypot dishes which was what the founder, the late Mr Wong Lin Ooh has started the restaurant for. I tried the Pot Sea Cucumber with Seafood ($14/22/30) which came with springy sliced sea cucumbers and a mix of greens and seafood. It was an enjoyable dish and the gravy goes well with the rice.

In 1978, Hillman Restaurant was invited to take part in the first Asian Salon Culinaire which is equivalent of today's World Gourmet Challenge (Food and Hotel Asia). The chief judge was Mr Paul Bocuse, legendary French Chef who has a medal of Commdeur de la d'honneur (National Order of the Legion of Honour) and the Meilleur Ouvier de France (The best food craftsman of his lifetime) and owns a 3 Michelin stars restaurant Lyon. The restaurant won a gold medal for the Boneless Chicken Dish, a silver for Claypot Prawns and a bronze for the Cold Dish. In 1984, the restaurant won a silver medal in the International Master Chef of Chinese Cuisine Competition held in China for its Special Coconut Chicken dish. Last but not least in 2008 the restaurant is awarded the prestigious World Famous Restaurant by the World Association of Chinese Cuisine. With all the recognition, its no wonder the restaurant is popular with foreigners. It does not seem like our locals know much about the achievement of this humble restaurant occupying a 2 storey shophouse building along Kitchener Road.


Hillman Restaurant  (喜临门大饭店)
No.135 Kitchener Road
Singapore 208518
Tel: +65 62215073
Facebook:
Website: http://hillmanrestaurant.com/
Nearest MRT: Farrer Park (NE Line)

Opening Hours:
Daily: 1130am - 230pm, 530pm - 1030pm

Direction:
1) Alight at Farrer Park MRT station. Take Exit I. Cut across City Square Mall to the exit to Kitchener Road. Cross the traffic junction and turn left onto Kitchener Road. Journey time about 8 minutes. [Map]