Geylang Claypot Rice: Still using Charcoal!
With oil prices soaring, we should all turn to alternative fuel sources like charcoal for instance. That would be good news indeed except for one problem --NEA. Yes our friends at NEA will not allow this wonderful food enhancing fuel source in any of their hawker centres or coffeeshops, so we can only find them in private places.
I can understand that charcoal can infuse a nice smoky flavour when used to grill meat, but I have yet to comprehend the scientific basis behind using charcoal to cook claypot rice or fry hokkien mee. How can the smell of the charcoal somehow permeate a metal wok or claypot to infuse flavour to the food? According to the Lor 29 Geylang Hokkien Mee uncle, it is supposed to have something to do with the wider coverage of the flame such that the whole bottom surface of the wok is sizzling hot. So with claypot rice, maybe it has something to do with the flames coming up the side of the claypot and making all burnt rice round the sides of the claypot?
It takes quite a while for the claypot to get to your table since they cook everything from scratch. I have eaten here quite a few times in the past before they opened their new extension. It used to be that you needed to call up to order your claypot rice before you came or risk waiting an hour to eat. However, with their newly opened extension, I managed to get my claypot rice within 20mins.
For me, the beauty of eating claypot rice lies in the crunchy burnt bits of rice that is stuck to the side of the claypot mixed with the flavour of the salted fish. Alas there wasn't enough salted fish that day so it lacked a bit of ooomph. 4/5
There are two dishes that you won't waste your calories on though. The deep fried soon hock is wonderfully crispy on the outside and moist on the inside and the sauce has got just the right amount of sweet umami to make you want to eat more rice. 4.25/5
The other dish that the whole family loved was the tofu prawns. They make their own egg tofu here so it was wonderfully silky and tasty. The sauce again was excellent and the prawns were fresh. The kids finished up all the tofu. 4.5/5
Unbranded durian $5 each
The best thing about eating around Geylang is that you can find Durians there all year round. However, the best time of the year for Durians is still around this time when they are in season! I know we have a lot of Durian lovers out there, so this should get you to start drooling!
Conclusion
Claypot rice was a little disappointing this time around, but the other two dishes were still as good as before! Now with their new air con extension, they are even opened for lunch!
Geylang Claypot Rice
639 Geylang Road
Jn of Lor 33
67444574, 67443619
11.30am to 2.30pm
5pm to 12am
20 comments:
Hi leslie!
are those burnt bits of of rice carcinogenic? or is it just a myth?
Lucky for you...still get to savour claypot rice cooked using charcoal in Singapore. Surprsingly I see that vegetables are added in it too.
In Penang, most of the hawkers already uses gas and the burnt rice doesn't taste as good as those with charcoal.
There is a popular charcoal claypot rice at Blck 328 Clementi Ave 2. Tel: 67787808. I think it's called Fortune Claypot rice or something.
Waiting time is very long, at least 40-60 minutes wait. I usually call up first before going there to avoid the wait.
Yup, the clementi one uses charcoal as well. Compare with both, Clementi one better. They close on Wednesday though.
The Clementi stall is called New Lucky... :)
Yeah, New Lucky Claypot!!! Thanks for the clarification.
Oh ! I know that Clementi coffee shop you all are talking about..Would see a crowd whenever I walk past on weekend nights especially... : )
Love the picture and the sound of the egg tofu prawns..yum yum !
Hi Dr. Tay, after i see yr reviews on this place makes me eager to try the food..
Can i ask just a rough estimation, how much is the soon hock fish, tofu prawns and the claypot rice? as I have heard and read about some food nazis in Geylang, I hope i would not be ripped off when I am there...
Lastly do they allow customers to call them on the phone and pre order first before we make our way to their place so that we wont need to wait too long for their food?
Thanks
Sorry I forgot to keep the receipt. The Soon Hock is about $30-35. Tofu Prawns around $18 and Claypot Rice around $10-15 I think. Yes you can call up first to order your rice.
One of the better ones around, they let you add your own soy sauce to your desired amount, taking into account the healthy-conscious.
As for me, I take no guilt in scrapping out all the "guo ba" and crunching it down! Not enough salted fish? If you are tempted enough, throw in those few pieces of lard and indulge.
Their tofu prawns is nice, albeit a tad pricey @ $12 for the smallest portion, but there was one duck dish that stood out which is cooked like imperial-braised style. Forgot the name but very tender.
Of course, cooked over charcoal definately tastes better, even for Cantonese style slow simmer soup....yummy! Just like BBQ, if u use those wood that has a fragrance, cooked food will taste much better too!
This Geylang Lor.33 one is one of the best claypot rice Ive had. The side kick dishes are great too~
The toufu is really a must try! the fish also not bad, love the gaclic. Abit dissapointed wit the claypot rice. And they provide quite good survice
Obviously you haven't tried the claypot rice at the Chinatown hawker centre... the wait is long but its much better
You are talking about the one with the three sisters is it?
my family loves the food there too... the geylang one.
it is really tasty. the duck is also not bad too.
actually the food is not cheap... usually, our bill goes above hundred...
The other cheap and good claypot rice is the one in Chinatown Food centre.
Hi Zen,
I thot the CP stall in Chinatown has moved to Clementi, ie they are the same stall? I recognise the sisters who run the business in clementi. They were featured on Ch8 before. They also serve double boiled soups. Both the soup and the CP rice are great Canton fare. And they also have fengzhao with black mushrooms. But like my previous comment under hong mao wantonmee, it think the FZ at the latter stall is better cause the taste is more robust. And yes, a little oiler.
I guess when I am in the mood for CP rice, I dont need any other dish cause the flavour is already quite intense. You also get lots of choice from all types of preserved sausages to salted fish to chocken immersed in chinese wine and ginger and dark soy.
So the tze char option from the geylang stall is best ordered with plain rice. I once had CP rice plus their yummy tze char at geyland and it was a bit overkill. sensory overload. everything was strong in flavour. i could not tahan... but worth visiting of course. just order in moderation.
Hmm... I think the popular Chinatown one is run by an elderly couple. Was there another stall which moved to Clementi? Which part of Clementi and what is the name of the stal?
sgp claypot rice can nvr beat kl.the basic ingredients is rite,but nt made in malaysia.gys ever tried before cp rice rite in frt of u and they put a raw egg rite between? stir it and the rice is sticky...damn shiok. sgp no fight
Post a Comment