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I am someone who is an avid dabao-er — most of the time, I’d rather have my hawker dishes to go so that I can enjoy them from the comfort of my own home. However, one of the dishes I can never takeaway is claypot rice. These delicious bowls are served piping hot within claypots that they are cooked in, making the dining-in experience one that you cannot forgo. I decided to check out one of Singapore’s most famous claypot rice stalls, Lian He Ben Ji Claypot Rice.
Lian He Ben Ji Claypot Rice, located within Chinatown Complex Food Centre, was a struggle for me to find, as it was literally tucked away at the back of the huge hawker centre. When I finally found it, I was surprised to find that there was no queue, despite what I’d previously heard about the stall — I later found out that there was in fact, a queue, and the patrons had merely already placed their orders and were sitting down to wait.
I was informed that there would be a 30 minute waiting time, due to the preparation of the dishes. Each claypot is steamed over a stove for 5 minutes before ingredients are added to it. The rice is then placed over an intense charcoal fire for a minimum of 25 minutes.
After placing my order, I sat at a nearby table and waited for my dish to be served.
What I tried at Lian He Ben Ji Claypot Rice
I ended up waiting for my rice for around 45 minutes — when the dishes were cooked, the staff ran around the area, serving them to the various customers that were seated near the stall. I realised just how popular the stall was, as practically every table within a 30m radius of them were occupied by patrons who had been waiting for their rice, just like me.
Lian He Ben Ji Claypot Rice offers 3 types of rice, with their Mixed Rice being the most popular option. The dish was available in 5 different portion sizes, ranging from S$8 to S$20. I got the individual serving at S$8, which came topped with chicken, lup cheong (Chinese sausage), salted fish and vegetables.
The juicy-looking pieces of chopped chicken caught my eye, and I loved how tender they were. The chicken was comforting and not too chewy, with a homely taste. It was definitely my favourite element of the dish.
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The lup cheong, on the other hand, contributed greatly to the fragrance of this dish, giving the claypot rice a boost of sweetness. When paired with the more savoury elements of the Mixed Rice, it was effective in offering a strong contrast in flavour, making it all the more addictive.
As I was savouring the dish, I found myself biting into incredibly salty and mushy pieces of salted fish. While I enjoyed the flavour boost provided by the fish, on its own, it was a little overwhelming and filled my mouth with the taste of salt. However, mixing it into the rest of the rice was a delight, as the saltiness balanced out the more neutral taste of the rice.
Aside from my bowl of claypot rice, I was also given a pot of dark sauce to add to my rice — I was happy about this, given how the rice, when served, wasn’t flavourful or saucy enough for my liking. I ended up pouring in a liberal amount of dark sauce (perhaps I overdid it a little, so be careful of that when you’re pouring), which instantly lifted the dish, giving it a richer and more savoury taste.
Final thoughts
I honestly wasn’t all that blown away by Lian He Ben Ji Claypot Rice’s Mixed Rice. I thought that the ratio of rice to toppings were a little off, with there being a bit too much rice. Plus, the dish as a whole wasn’t as fragrant or aromatic as I had hoped.
Despite that, I loved how comforting the Mixed Rice was, with the various elements coming together to create a harmonious blend of flavours. The S$8 price tag is a little steep in comparison to other hawker dishes, but the portion is pretty sizeable, and I could not finish the whole thing, even though it was an individual portion.
If you’re in a rush, Lian He Ben Ji Claypot Rice is probably not a great spot to get a late lunch or dinner. However, if you have the time to wait, definitely give them a try for a comforting meal.
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