With over 30 years of history, Geylang Claypot Rice is founded by Mr Ng Kim Hock who specialises in claypot rice. The humble restaurant is also listed on the Singapore Michelin Guide 2016 this year for their signature tasty rice cooked over charcoal. Besides the claypot rice, there are other starred dishes to go along with the rice.
The restaurant occupies two units where one side can accommodate about ten large families, whereas the other side (that is attached to their main kitchen) can sit a few smaller tables as well. Reservations are highly recommended during the weekends.
The menu is displayed as a signboard on the wall, and almost every item up there comes highly recommended too.
The menu offers over over ten dishes, some of the must-order is definitely the claypot rice, pumpkin crayfish and pork-ribs king.
One thing to note is that it takes about 25 minutes for the claypot rice to be cooked and served. Customers can actually call in to make their orders before arrival or for takeaways, so as to save on the waiting time.
It might look like a lot for three ladies, but we polished every plate clean! It’s that delicious.
The signature claypot rice is priced at $14 for 2 pax, $25 for 4 pax and $35 for 6 pax. It consisted of a pot of pipping hot rice topped with well-marinated chicken, bits of salted fish, pork belly and vegetables.
The dark soy sauce was added in and mixed well with the ingredients and rice.It had an overall sweet, savoury and smokey taste, alongside tender meat and the occasional crunchy pieces of charred rice.
The Pumpkin Crayfish ($30, 100grams for $5) has got to be my favourite. Cooked to a golden hue, the stacks of crayfish looked appetisingly delicious. The meat was soft and fell out of the shell easily, a sure sign of its freshness. Each one was nicely coated in the pumpkin sauce, not overly thick nor sweet.
The Pork-ribs King ($12) was recommended to us. Each piece was large and cooked till tender. I enjoyed the fragrance especially with the addition of the spring onions on top of the meat. The sauce was also slightly sweet and sticky on the meat, and the portion felt rather huge for its price. Worth every penny.
If you are the kind who needs soup to go with your meal, try the Hairy Gourd Pork Rib Soup ($8) that came with a generous portion of pork ribs. The soup was rather tasty and would probably suit those who enjoy a very typical Cantonese style soup, hearty and soothes the soul.
Last but not least, we also had some vegetables amongst all the meaty and heartier dishes. The Stir Fried French Beans ($8) was crunchy and the taste was further enhanced by the crispy shrimps on top. Too good that we were all fighting over for it.
For drinks, you may order the traditional chilled jelly that comes in a plastic holder. It will look like ice jelly once you pour it over a cup of ice. Best enjoy in a hot weather.
In a nutshell, Geylang Claypot Rice serves really good comfort food that will make us come back again and again. I have a friend who have been a loyal support of this claypot rice for over ten years. Recently, they have also opened another branch at Serangoon Gardens with a sleek, modern outlook and several new items on the menu.
Expected Damage: $30
