Renowned for serving some of the best Chinese food around, Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant constantly impresses with their stellar array of dishes that—while remarkable in both taste and presentation—, never wanders too far away from its cultural roots. Specialising in both Cantonese and Sichuan cooking, the restaurant employs chefs native to each respective city, ensuring that their food is kept authentic.

The ideology behind Cantonese cooking is fairly simple—ingredients have to be at their peak of freshness and the flavours of dishes should be well-balanced and not greasy. In addition, flavour components such as spices and aromatics are typically used in moderation such that it supports rather than overwhelms.

Inspired by the flavours and cooking methods of Hong Kong, Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant at PARKROYAL on Kitchener Road is proud to unveil 19 different claypot delights as part of ‘Secrets Of A Claypot’, a menu that masterfully demonstrates the age-old method of Cantonese claypot cooking. Overseen by Executive Chef Leung Wing Chung, every dish is elegantly presented and executed with finesse and expert technique, but at the heart of it, it still remains a humble claypot of food that boasts deep and pronounced flavour.

Available from now until 31 December 2018, available at S$28++, indulge in the smoky, flavourful likes of their esteemed Claypot Rice with Assorted Waxed Meat, aromatic Braised Beef Tendon with Curry Sauce, delicately prepared Double-boiled Fish Soup with Matsutake and so much more!

Our readers can quote ‘ladyironchef’ to enjoy every second clay pot at just S$8.80!

Hailing all the way from Hong Kong—where the claypot cooking and double-boiled soups are deeply etched in the country’s culinary culture—, Executive Chef Leung Wing Chung brings to the table several decades of experience and mastery in Cantonese cooking.

Ever since we had our first taste of Chef Leung’s claypot rice dishes and double-boiled soups, we have never set our sights anywhere else. A true master in the craft, he controls everything flawlessly and makes it look so easy too—from shifting the position of the claypot constantly over the charcoal fire to focus heat on specific areas to stirring and adding ingredients with nothing but a pair of chopsticks.

CLAYPOT RICE WITH CHICKEN, LIVE FROG AND BLACK GARLIC

A fairly new addition to Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant’s repertoire of claypot rice dishes is the Claypot Rice with Chicken, Live Frog and Black Garlic (S$28++).

Nutritious and believed to possess several health benefits, black garlic was a rather interesting ingredient to feature. Not only does it present a host of benefits, but it also lends the dish a sweet flavour and a fragrant complexity that perfumes the frog, chicken and rice.

For this dish, in particular, Chef Leung goes easy on the dark sauce and oil to allow the naturally sweet flavours of the frog and chicken to come through more prominently and underscoring the dish nicely was claypot rice’s trademark smokey flavour.

CLAYPOT RICE WITH ASSORTED WAXED MEAT

Featuring a medley of salted, smoked and cured meats, the restaurant’s signature Claypot Rice with Assorted Waxed Meat (S$28++) is, hands down, our favourite of the lot. The thin slices of lup cheong and liver sausage provide sweetness and richness whereas the waxed pork belly provides a sharp salty kick along with a buttery pork flavour that just contributes to a massive savoury explosion.

We are also insanely fond of their rice that is both perfectly fluffy and delicious. The crispy, burnt edges are where the money is and besides having a smoky taste to it, the crunch it provides between mouthfuls elevates the dish entirely.

Cooking solid claypot rice isn’t rocket science, but it does require a significant amount of skill. A simple composition of ingredients, it truly boils down to two things—fire control and timing—of which the chefs here are able to manipulate exceptionally well.

Making sure to tilt the claypot to a different every few minutes, Chef Leung carefully ensures that the base of the dish achieves an even layer of crust and also allows any excess water to evaporate fully. Once the lid is removed—confirming that the dish is soon to reach completion—a savoury dark sauce is poured over the top and everything is mixed together.

BRAISED VENISON WITH VERMICELLI IN SPICY CHILLI SAUCE

A dish that is both aromatic and satisfying, and great for sharing, is their Braised Venison with Vermicelli in Spicy Chilli Sauce (S$28++). Imbuing Sze Chuan peppercorns and dried chilli into the dish gave the venison strips a fragrant lift and also a slight tingle on our tongues.

Tender, tasty and straightforward, this saucy dish pairs very nicely with the various claypot rice dishes.

PRAWN WITH BEANCURD SKIN COATED WITH SHRIMPS PASTE

A saucy dish comprising larger-than-usual prawns nestled above strips of beancurd, the Prawn with Beancurd Skin coated with Shrimps Paste (S$28++) is a good alternative to consider if you feel you’ve had way too much meat.

The prawns are immensely fresh and have a nice crunch to it while the strips of beancurd act like sponges to soak up all of that glorious sauce.

BRAISED BEEF TENDON WITH CURRY SAUCE

Aromatic and complex, as any good curry should be, the Braised Beef Tendon with Curry Sauce (S$28++) is an odd side dish to have in a Chinese restaurant but one that we highly recommend nonetheless.

Allowed to simmer and reduce and served dry, the flavour is enriched and concentrated into both the tender beef, beef tendons and potato chunks. If anything, the taste largely resembles that of a rendang but possesses the same warmth and heady aroma of curry. Cooked in a claypot, the flavour was nuanced and smokier in comparison to conventional renditions.

DOUBLE-BOILED FISH SOUP WITH MATSUTAKE

We love our double-boiled Cantonese soups and few impress our palates and comforts our soul the same way that Si Chuan Dou Hua Restaurant can. They have a pretty extensive selection of soups to choose from but the one that stole our hearts was their Double-boiled Fish Soup with Matsutake (S$12++).

Chunks of fish are first fried to intensify its flavour before allowing to simmer along with other ingredients such as apple, snow fungus and of course, matsutake. Delicate in flavour, every slurp was a nourishing hit of umami and savoury.

‘Secrets Of A Claypot’ is available daily for lunch and dinner from now until 31 December 2018. Our readers can quote ‘ladyironchef’ to enjoy every second clay pot at just S$8.80!

Si Chuan Dou Hua
PARKROYAL on Kitchener Road
181 Kitchener Road, Level 3,
Singapore 208533
Tel: +65 6428 3170
Daily: 11.30am – 2.30pm, 6.30pm – 10.30pm
Nearest Station: Farrer Park

This post was brought to you by PARKROYAL on Kitchener Road.

Provisions is Singapore’s first claypot rice and skewers cocktail bar. Yes, you read that right. You can have the traditional claypot rice at this new gastropub in Dempsey Hill. Prices start from S$4 for skewers, S$9 for claypot rice and S$12 for drinks.

Owned by 27-year-old Singapore chef Justin Foo, Provisions serves claypot rice, skewers, Asian small plates as well as bespoke cocktail concoctions.

At Provisions, the humble claypot rice is given a modern twist and you can look forward to creations such as Mushroom Tea Rice (S$9), Seafood Rice (S$6), Oyster & Uni Rice (S$28). 

From the Skewers section, choose from charcoal-grilled skewers including Chicken Thigh (S$5), Prawns (S$9), Pork Jowl (S$7), Pork Belly (S$7) and Beef Sirloin (S$10).

Photos credit: Provisions

Provisions does not charge service charge and GST.

Provisions
7 Dempsey Road #01-04
Singapore
Tel: +65 9783 0792
Tue to Thu: 4pm – 1am
Fri & Sat: 4pm – 2am
Sun: 10.30am – 3pm
Nearest Station: Orchard

Le Chasseur has been widely raved about in numerous reviews by newspapers, magazines and food blogs. A few of my friends are also huge fans of the food there. They are always talking about this hidden gem of a restaurant that serves good zi char. So when a friend was in town visiting, I decided to bring her there for dinner. And from the first dish, we could not stop singing its praises.

The menu is extensive, and you will find that you want to order everything. Perennial favourites include coffee pork ribs ($16), salted fish eggplant ($8.5), fish bee hoon with bittergourd ($7), pork knuckle ($32) and claypot chicken rice ($11)

We started off with the oyster omelette ($9) and stir-fried kailan ($5.3).

Next, we had butter oatmeal prawns ($6/100g). They were very good, but I was told that their BBQ live prawns ($9.6) are even better. Apparently, you need to make an advance reservation for it as they only sell a limited quantity of it everyday.

Everyone was also won over by the claypot rice ($20 for L/$11 for S) – one of the signature items on the menu. You know it is something special when the girls asked for second helpings of carbs during dinner. Definitely a must-order if you are eating at Le Chasseur.

The herbal chicken ($16), on the other hand, was only decent. It is something that I will order once, but not again.

The pièce de résistance was the pork knuckle ($32). Deep-fried three times to ensure the crispiness, it was blow-my-socks-off good. It came with a special sauce made of cucumber, onion, starfruit, and light soya sauce. While the pork knuckle was good enough on its own, the sauce added a slightly different dimension to it.

All in all, Le Chasseur is an air-conditioned zi char restaurant that serves excellent food at very affordable prices. I will definitely bring my friends back to try the other signature dishes.

Le Chasseur
Blk 27 Eunos Road 2
Tel: +65 6337 7677
Nearest Station: Eunos

Whenever someone mentions about the best claypot rice in Singapore, the same few names will always appear: the famous Geylang Claypot rice at Lorong 33, Golden Mile Claypot rice, Old Mother Hen’s at Geylang, and of course New Lucky Claypot rice at Clementi.

I don’t usually eat a lot of rice during dinner. The only time when I eat a lot of rice, is when we are having claypot rice. I like the idea of putting-everything-into-a-pot. It’s not only convenient, but just imagine all the actions happening inside: flavors of the different ingredients mingling together, like a cocktail party of sorts.

But do you know what’s the best part about having Claypot rice? They give you a large mug of oil and dark soy sauce. I don’t know about you, but I’m always tempted to pour as much as I can into the claypot. This isn’t the time to worry about calories and high cholesterol. But if you feel guilty, have a tomato after dinner – that’s what I usually do after a heavy meal.

At New Lucky Claypot rice, prices start at $10 for two, and there’s the $20 serving for a family of four. We had the $10 portion, with more than enough of lap cheong (Chinese sausages), liver sausage (darker in color), chicken chunks, and salted fish to go around.

It is absolutely necessary to call and make your reservation (let them know what time you will arrive, and the number of people) before going, otherwise the average waiting time is typically around 45 minutes.

Where’s your regular place to go for Claypot rice in Singapore?

Hawker Food Review
New Lucky Claypot Rice
328 Coffee House
Block 328 Clementi Avenue 2
Singapore 120328
Tel: +65 6778-7808
// Closed on Wednesday

I met Bob Blumer, the Surreal Gourmet.

Calm down people, calm down! I know you are excited at the sight of your favourite chef!

I’m going to be frank, I didn’t have any idea who Bob is when I received the invitation from Discovery Travel & Living, well the name sounds familiar and I know he’s a celebrity chef. It was only when my friends went gushing over, “his toaster van.. “, then I remember seeing his show before. I didn’t really notice the chef’s name back then, but I definitely do now.

And I’m not about to go, “oh Bob you know I love the episode where you ran a marathon and drank twenty one wine in France..” The idea is simple enough, Bob’s in town, and he wants food, the local Singapore food! So the group of us (media and bloggers) had the pleasure to bring Bob exploring some of the places in the East.

Our first stop was at Kway Guan Huat, for Popiahs! I’m really excited about this because I’ve been craving for popiahs, and here, they do all their popiah skins by hand. It sure wasn’t easy to do so, Bob had some fun trying to do the popiah skin, and learning to wrap a perfect popiah from Zita, the owner. Benjamin (Mr. Miyagi) took a cool video of the whole popiah-making process too!

Bob eating his very delicious popiah, which he would gladly pay ten bucks per roll!

We had the premium roll which had more ingredients; lots of vegetables, and of course our orders were “special” so we had extra shrimps too! The popiah at Kway Guan Huat is Nonya style, I couldn’t exactly remember all the ingredients; but there’s omelette, garlic, turnip, and lots of greens.

But I actually preferred the kueh pie tee to the popiah! It was awesome; using about the same ingredients, they were placed within the crunchy shells instead of the soft popiah skins. And I finished it, in a bite, or at least I tried to!

There was some time while waiting for the food to be served at our second stop, Old Mother Hen, so we hopped across the street and look at the local fruit stalls.

The folks at Old Mother Hen were indeed good hosts, the big table was filled up with so many dishes! We tried a bit of everything, but my favourite was definitely their claypot rice! And despite knowing there’s more food after this, I couldn’t stop myself from having more helpings of the rice.

This was the stir fried fallopian tubes that got everybody attention. We also had KL style black Hokkien mee, the very good home-made beancurd, claypot frog legs, herbal kampong chicken, and steamed shark’s head.

Our last stop was supposed to be trying out three katong laksa and let Bob determine which is his “favourite authetic” one, but due to some unforeseen reasons, we ended up at Seng Kee for bak chor mee (minced pork noodles) instead.

We wished there was more time for us to try out more places, but Bob had a busy schedule during his short stay here so our tour ended here. It was really cool to chat with Bob and hang out with the other bloggers for the day. We had fun chatting on the mini-bus (no toaster van) while moving from point to point, busy snapping photographs of food, and of course enjoying the food with great company! My appreciation to Priya and Rita of Weber Shandwick, and to Discovery Travel and Living for the invitation.

Kway Guan Huat
95 Joo Chiat road
Tel: 6344 2875

Old Mother Hen
136 Sims avenue
Tel: 6841 8789

Seng Kee
316 Changi road
Tel: 6345 7561

Glutton for Punishment 3 premieres Thursday at 2230hrs starting July 23. Encores air on Sunday at 0200hrs and Tuesday at 0800hrs on Discovery Travel & Living (Starhub Channel 16).