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Claypot Chicken Rice @ Kee Kim Huat Kopitiam in Taman Sri Tebrau, Johor Bahru 飘香.纪金发

Clay-Pot-Chicken-Rice

Today, we enjoyed the famous 飘香 Piao Xiang claypot chicken rice (sah poh fun in Cantonese) in Taman Sri Tebrau.

The popular coffee shop at a busy road junction was noisy and was doing a brisk business even at when we were there.

Clay-Pot-Chicken-Rice

The thing about claypot rice cooked in the traditional way is that it takes a longer time to prepare. Perhaps that's why the staff were wearing T-shirts with tongue-in-cheek reminders to customers to be patient.

Clay-Pot-Chicken-Rice

The cooking process is started only when an order is made. The rice grains had earlier been soaked in water, softened and drained. It is kept moist, covered by a towel to prevent it from drying out.

Clay-Pot-Chicken-Rice
Clay-Pot-Chicken-Rice

A measured cup of the uncooked rice grains is scooped into the claypot and hot chicken broth is ladled in.

Clay-Pot-Chicken-Rice

Clay-Pot-Chicken-Rice

The rice grains in the claypot are then boiled in the broth on top of a red hot charcoal stove. The kitchen was buzzing with frantic juggling of many claypots cooking away at the same time.

Clay-Pot-Chicken-Rice

When the rice is partially cooked, marinaded chunky pieces of fresh chicken and thin slices of Cantonese style waxed pork sausages (lup cheong in Cantonese) are tossed into the claypot. The claypot is then returned to the charcoal stove.

Clay-Pot-Chicken-Rice

Minutes later, the claypot is turned over on its lid and put back over the red hot charcoal stove for several more minutes until fully cooked. Oil and dark soy sauce are then mixed into the fully cooked rice.


Thirty minutes passed before our sizzling claypot rice arrived. While waiting, we were treated to the aroma from the cooking claypots which filled the air in the crowded coffee shop.

Clay-Pot-Chicken-Rice

The claypot came with small pieces of salted fish and a dish of light soy sauce with chili padi.

Claypot-Chicken-Rice-Johor-Bahru

I stirred them all gleefully into the steaming hot rice.

Each rice grain was firm and whole, and coated with aromatic juices and oil. The rice clinging onto the inside walls and lid of the claypot were slightly browned (not burnt), giving it a special crispy texture and flavour.

And, this is key.

It is crucial that the browned rice crust is scraped off the inside walls and lid of the claypot and stirred thoroughly into the rest of the rice. The resulting mix of crunchy browned bits mixed with tender but firm rice is what makes claypot rice special.

My claypot of delicious chicken and rice for one person came to RM6.50. The two person claypot costs RM13.00 (2011 prices).

I am definitely coming back with friends again to savour this delicious treat.



👉 Claypot chicken rice loaded with ingredients cooked the old way with charcoal. Everything done from scratch and we get that crispy crust that defines good claypot chicken rice. 

Clay-Pot-Chicken-Rice

Restaurant name: 飘香 Piao Xiang in Kedai Makan Kee Kim Huat 纪金发
Address: 80, Jalan Badik, Taman Sri Tebrau, 80050 Johor Bahru
Map: http://g.co/maps/dcp4p
GPS: 1.487037, 103.768782 / 1°29'13.3"N 103°46'07.6"E
Hours: 10:30am to 3:30pm | 
Non Halal




Date visited: 24 Dec 2011, 14 May 2013

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9 comments:

  1. u should try the kway teow kia there as well. customers r mainly there for the chicken claypot rice n also the kway teow kia.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Warrence, yes I have tried the KTK and it was good! I shall be writing about it soon :) Thanks!

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  2. The most important point is you don't have to return home drinking a truckload of water after trying the claypot chicken rice unlike others. Unfortunately, there is no noodle version unlike others. However, you have extensive side dishes of veges, fishes & soups to try.

    The chicken rice operating at nite is also good. The laksa is not bad too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you DieHardX. I've tried that chicken rice and laksa - like them too.

      Delete
  3. I notice that there is an absence of the crispy undercrust in their claypot rice recently.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I went there last Friday with a friend who noticed that the chicken was already pre-cooked when placed into the claypot. Also, no crispy under-crust like when you cook from scratch. Tasted only slightly better than those from the food courts.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I was there yesterday and looks like it has closed down

    ReplyDelete

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