Uncovering the lid to a steamy waft of drool-inducing fragrance, the reminiscence of home-cooked food like mother used to make, and that iconic caramelisation formed at the charring bottom.
Such are the inimitable aspects of claypot cuisine that it is widely known and loved for. But if you think claypot food equates to the standard rice bowls and frog leg porridge, you’re in for a tantalising surprise. Here are 13 dishes that prove all sorts of yumminess can be served up in the quaint and classic claypot!
When comfort food staples of both East and West meet, a claypot full of chicken and cheesy macaroni is what you get. Drenched in cheese and bechamel sauce with green peas and chicken chunks aplenty, this makes for a satisfying meal without getting too jelak (cloyingly rich).
What’s more, it’s served from a cozy kopitiam stall located right under a HDB block. And because of that, you can satiate your tummy and taste buds for just $5!
Check out our full review on Eatbook.sg.
The Cafe Menu
Address: 433A Sengkang West Way, #01-01, Singapore 791433
Opening Hours: 12.30 pm – 9.00 pm daily. Closed on Sun.
Website
Source: @smithankyou
Springy egg noodles skillfully tossed in a wok with fresh prawns, squid rings and juicy clams. Subsequently doused in a soup so good you’ll be slurping up each drop. Just when you thought this dish couldn’t possibly top itself, a handful of crackling roast pork lay oh-so-perfectly as the crowning glory. At $10, the portion is a feast fit for 2.
Queues are known to get maddeningly long, so head by during off-peak hours if you want a taste of this critically acclaimed signature.
Kim Keat Hokkien Mee
Address: 92 Toa Payoh Lorong 4, #01-264, Singapore 310092
Opening Hours: 11.30 am – 9.30 pm daily. Closed on Tue.
Website
Source: @eileen_eats_alot
Everybody loves a good bak kut teh broth that’s robust and peppery. When you take away the soup, however, you get to enjoy the tender pork ribs on a whole other dimension.
Well-marinated chunks of meat soak up all the sauce such that each succulent bite leads to a taste explosion. For $7, the claypot does an excellent job of lending a degree of smokiness and charring to all of its contents within. Brace yourself though, the ribs are combined with a heaping of dried chillies that pack quite a punch.
Soon Huat Bak Kut Teh
Address: 257 Jalan Kayu, Singapore 799458
Opening Hours: 10 am – 10 pm daily
Website
Source: @hungryamanda
Some days you’re feeling mighty fancy, but you still want to tuck into some homely local fare that makes you all warm and fuzzy inside. Well, treat yourself to some top notch claypot tang hoon noodles with juicy crayfish. With a potent herbal broth containing a splash of XO cognac, the slippery glass noodles swirl amidst the massive crustacean together with wolfberries, shrooms and an egg.
Offered at an absolute steal of only $14, you’d be cray not to try this atas claypot for yourself.
Wok Master
Address: City Square Mall, 180 Kitchener Road, #02-51/52, Singapore 208539
Opening Hours: 10 am – 10 pm daily
Website
Source: @juicyfingers
Forget hotpots and K-barbecues. Next supper gathering, rally your pals for a popiah party. A giant claypot of hearty popiah filling grants freedom to craft your perfect roll however you deem fit. Besides the basic filling of shredded turnips and crunchy jicama (a root vegetable also known as bang kuang), feel free to stuff bean sprouts, fresh greens, and even omelette slivers into your very own masterpiece.
Complete with a full set of sauces and garnishing, this makes for a communal dining experience more fun than you can ever imagine having with just popiah.
Good Chance Popiah
Address: 149 Silat Avenue, #01-58, Singapore 160149 | New World Centre, 1 Jalan Berseh, #01-15, Singapore 209037
Opening Hours: 11.00 am – 02.30 pm & 6.00 pm – 9.30pm daily. Closed on Mon (Silat Avenue) | 11 am – 9.30 pm daily (New World Centre)
Website
Source: @aijiak
Vegetarians, rejoice! This organic eatery at Tanjong Pagar spells good news for CBD-dwellers who wish to ease off the sinful grub, without having to resort to salads and grain bowls. It’s also perfect for vegetarians who don’t want to miss out on bak kut teh!
A meatless version of the comforting dish is presented bubbling away in a claypot ($14.80 with a bowl of rice). Don’t fret, just because it’s vegetarian doesn’t mean it’s not filled to the brim with delicious and high quality liao (ingredients). Scour for yummy veggies like corn and mushrooms. There are also bundles of gluten and soy goodies amidst the herbal soup!
O’bean Organic Soya Vegetarian Place
Address: 30 Tanjong Pagar Road, Singapore 088453
Opening Hours: 11 am – 9.30 pm daily. Closed on Sun
Website
Source: @dumplingmumplings
There’s nothing plain about these dumplings. With each silky bite yielding a burst of delectable flavours and ingredients, you may just consider going vegan after this!
The soft and chewy pillows come with an abundance of carrots, corn and greens. Served with a bowl of rice for $13.80. It all makes for one very satisfying meal that tastes superb while also fuelling your body with a whole lot of nutrients. Skip the fast food and make this your new lunchtime go-to instead! Your waistline will notice the difference.
O’bean Organic Soya Vegetarian Place
Address: 30 Tanjong Pagar Road, Singapore 088453
Opening Hours: 11 am – 9.30 pm daily. Closed on Sun
Website
Source: @charrlenee_
All the goodness of ramen, served up piping hot in a claypot. AND it’s organic and vegetarian! With the plethora of ingredients from wholesome veggies to delicious meat substitutes, this meal ($11.80) is akin to going on an adventure from start to finish. The best part by far lies in the special soy broth.
A signature of O’Bean’s, the stock constitutes a special blend of all-natural flavours that results in a savoury sort of soy milk. Trust us, this is something you’ve got to try for yourself just once. And be hooked forevermore!
O’bean Organic Soya Vegetarian Place
Address: 30 Tanjong Pagar Road, Singapore 088453
Opening Hours: 11 am – 9.30 pm daily. Closed on Sun
Website
Steamboats and claypot soups both bubble and boil the food within to elevated heights of taste and tenderness. When combined, this concept of steamboating in one big claypot ($25.90 onwards) is a winner.
Rather than plain ol’ broths that you find at run-of-the-mill steamboat establishments, Qi Xiang has concocted a special dark soy sauce chicken broth that’s so thick, it’s practically a gravy. And for the gastronomically adventurous, they offer a frog leg version ($28.90 onwards) of the steamboat as well! Because let’s face it, frog legs can never truly be separated from the realm of claypot delicacies.
Check out our full review of Qi Xiang on Eatbook.sg!
Qi Xiang Chicken Pot
Address: Bee Sek Coffee Shop, 973 Upper Serangoon Road, Singapore 534725
Opening Hours: 4 pm – 1 am daily
Website
Source: @immichellechong
Yet another renowned hawker delight that’s served up in claypot form. They offer $3.50, $4.50 and $5.50 versions, depending on how ravenous your appetite is.
Bathed in rich and fragrant coconut gravy and topped with munchy tau pok and fishcakes galore, the noodles here are rather addictive. It’s completed with a smidgen of their signature chilli but if you crave more heat, the stall owners will gladly provide you with a whole sauce dish of it on the side!
Depot Road Zhen Shan Mei Claypot Laksa
Address: Alexandra Village Food Centre, 120 Bukit Merah Lane 1, #01-75, Singapore 150120
Opening Hours: 9 am – 5 pm daily. Closed on Sun
Imagine you’re faced with the first world problem of craving fried rice, porridge, and claypot rice all at the same time. But you only have one stomach! Well, that’s where Royal J comes in to save the day. Imparting some irresistible wok hei goodness to diced yam porridge, the rice is fried up and served in a claypot sprinkled with toothsome fried shallots ($6, for 2 people).
Little pieces of crispy pork lard are also hidden in the delicious goop, like treasures waiting to be unearthed. Never has something as theoretically simple as porridge been so sinfully tasty!
Check out our full review on Eatbook.sg.
Royal J’s Seafood
Address: 30 Foch Road, #01-02, Singapore 209276
Opening Hours: 11 am – 2.30 pm & 5 pm – 11 pm daily
Website
This is the upgraded version of meatballs that you need in your life. Tender minced pork is kneaded together with a fragrant blend of diced mushroom and bamboo shoots. Braised to succulent perfection, it is then served piping hot in a claypot with signature sauce ($12.80).
Not the most common of dishes in Singapore, this delicacy is actually referred to as Shi Zi Tou or “Lion’s Head”. It is a staple of Huaiyang cuisine hailing from Jiangsu, China. If it was good enough for the emperors, it sure is good enough for us!
Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao
Address: 241 Holland Avenue, Singapore 278975
Click here for full list of outlets
Opening Hours: 11 am – 10 pm daily
Website
Source: @dktan
Yong tau foo hits the spot whether you crave something warm on a rainy or just a lighter, more wholesome meal to fill you up. The “soup or dry” debate still remains, though. Why not get the best of both worlds, and savour your favourite yong tau foo ingredients simmering away in a claypot bathed in yummy brown gravy ($14)?
More palatable than bone-dry morsels and no overshadowing of flavours as they get washed away by soup, this is the ultimate way of enjoying the legendary YTF.
Kok Sen Restaurant
Address: 30-32 Keong Saik Road, Singapore 089137
Opening Hours: 11.30 am – 10.30 pm daily
Fact: All foods taste infinitely better when served in a claypot. Regular plates and bowls? Too basic. Whether it’s all-American comfort food, local hawker favourites or even healthy versions of scrumptious ramen. Chuck it in a steaming claypot, and your rumbling tummy is set for an epic meal ahead.
Just as an added bonus, it makes even the simplest of dishes look just a tad more photogenic! So long as the food is sitting pretty in a stylish and oh-so-rustic looking claypot, it’d look right at home on your Instagram feed.
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