Restoran Ipoh Claypot Chicken Rice — Restaurant in Iskandar Puteri

710 Barley (Cold, No Sugar) = RM2.30 101 Claypot Chicken Rice (Small) = RM14.50 No Service Charges

This was an Eatery that I passed by Several Times while Exploring Bukit Indah. Although Not Crowded until Full House on a Saturday at 12.00pm Noon, it still seems Quite Popular.  The Place is a Big Kopitiam, Not Air-Conditioned but still feels relatively Airy.  Interestingly has Free WIFI available.

Staffs are Friendly and Welcoming, no issues with Customer Service here.  Ordering is using a Dry-Erase Marker on a Laminated Menu Sheet.  I do like that they will Re-Verify my Order upon receiving it.

If you are watching your Sugar Intake, do take note that their Chinese Tea does have Sugar.  The Only Zero Sugar Drink in this place is their Barley. I appreciate the Staff who let me know about this. Not bad, at least they understand what they are selling here.

I also notice there is a Sign that pre-empted that Peak Hour may take up to 30mins for the Claypot to be Served.  This is Quite Good actually because it means their Claypots are all Made Fresh.  Anyway, it took 3 Mins for the Barley and 17 Mins for my Claypot Rice. Not Bad Timing considering the Elevated Level of Customers when I was there.

101 Claypot Chicken Rice (Small) = RM14.50

Already I'm impressed with how this was served up.  This is the 1st Claypot Rice that I've eaten in JB that provides a Rubber Handle with the Claypot for Customers to be able to Grip Easier.  Such a Simple but Brilliant Solution, this makes it much easier when you Mix the Rice.  Why don't more Claypot Rice Places offer to have such a Rubber Handle Solution?

When this was served up, there was a Nice Delicious Braised Aroma of Claypot Rice wafting from it.  This Claypot is the type where the Zhup is Pre-Lum already for you.  The Dish comes with 6 Bite Sized Pieces of Chicken  that are Mostly Breast Cuts although they're Quite Tender, Not Dry. Nicely Braised and Not Overly Salty.

Amount of Lup Cheong was Acceptable. There were Decent Amount of Pieces of them.  Rice is of course Classic Jasmine Rice.  Amount of Rice given felt Acceptable for the Price. Topping all off is a Piece of Salted Fish on a Small Saucer.

When Everything is Mixed Together, I thought the Overall Taste is Neither Too Sweet or Too Salty.  What I particularly noticed is that compared to other Claypot Rice i've eaten, I thought this one has a More Noticeable Presence of what I would describe as "Earthy Robustness" to it.  Really Not Overly Sweet at all, in fact the Only Sweetness I've tasted comes from the Lup Cheong.

I really like how Earthy Robust this Claypot Rice tasted.  Never Overly Sweet or Overly Salty. Its Very Decent Tasting. If there is a Critique I have, its that I felt they could add More Veggie  because I feel this is quite a Meat-Focused Claypot.  But perhaps this is the Characteristic of Ipoh-Styled Claypots? I wouldn't know as I haven't been to Ipoh yet.

Conclusion and Closing Thoughts

At the Price of RM2.30 (S$0.80) was an Affordable Price for this Cup of Cold Barley.  I liked that it is Homemade, and although Not Super Gao Gao Type, I thought it still tasted Very Decent in Quality, not Overly Dilluted. Worth to Order.

At the Price of RM14.50 (S$4.40) for this Claypot Rice wasn't particularly Cheap or Super Amazing but I thought this was still Decent Enough in Taste.  As I've not been to Ipoh, I have No Idea if this really tastes Authentic though.

Among Claypot Rice I've tasted so far, this was the one that had a Much More Noticeable Robust Earthier Taste  and is Much Less Sweet and Salty compared to others I've eaten.  So if you feel Normal Claypot Rice is too Sweet for you, you might enjoy this one.

If you are craving for some Claypot Rice while you're in Bukit Indah, I can recommend this place to give it a try if you are ok with a Less Sweet, More Robust Earthier Tasting Claypot Rice.

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[Visit Update 02.06.2024] Ordered the signature chicken claypot rice, flavorful-ness of the whole pot is still maintained with chicken tenderness still retained. We ventured out to order something different this time, we chose Claypot yee mee to see how will the taste turns out besides their famous claypot rice dish. The yee mee is cooked in lots of thick gravy and no doubt it is as flavourful as the chicken claypot rice and the yee mee is not too soggy and still maintains its springy-ness but I would say nothing special about it. In the end, still likened the original claypot rice. Next, we also ordered the chicken wine as soup dish. The moment it was served on table, we knew we had ruined our pleasant meal again! The chicken wine soup was just plain salty, it is as if they are adding just light soya sauce. Yes, there are wine taste in it but the saltiness has concealed the overall soup with some few pieces of chicken meats. So, to be safe for our next visit we should just stick to Claypot rice. :-D

[1st review] First of all, their main signature dish, i.e. claypot chicken rice is really tasty. The rice is not overly-burnt and the chicken meat is very tender even for lean breast meat part. The big size pot is more than enough for 2 person. The chicken meats are sufficient. Move on to lotus soup, it is very flavorful with sufficient lotus root pieces and meat for 1 person. Here comes the not-so-nice part. Personally I've patronized lots of restaurants serving chicken feet dish. However, this is the worst chicken feet I've ever tasted. The chicken feet were not deep fried type hence it is not crunchy but rather very mushy and soggy plus the gravy isn't flavorful. Very disappointing in fact which ruins the whole...

Order a small portion of their signature claypot chicken rice and old cucumber pork soup. About 1-15mins of waiting, but it was dinner rush hour, so some wait time was expected.

Okay, let's talk about the star of the show, the claypot chicken rice. Presentation wasn't anything to write home about, and the rice was undercooked, making it quite tough to eat. The chicken, while tender, didn't stand out in flavor. ok ok lah~ There is an option to mix in the salted fish, you can choose not to mix it in, but I felt it might have affected the overall taste negatively as the salted fish not cooked with the rice.

On the bright side, the old cucumber pork soup was a satisfying addition to the meal.

It's worth noting that there are still plenty of other dishes on their menu that we didn't have a chance to try. Others might find these offerings more enjoyable.

As for a return visit, I'm on the fence. While the food was decent, it didn't wow me enough to make a special trip back. If you're in the neighborhood and looking for a simple meal with a variety of options, it might be worth a stop. Otherwise, there are other options that might offer a more memorable...