So, I finally tasted the famous Lian He Ben Ji 联合本记煲饭 claypot chicken rice in Chinatown.
Lian He Ben Ji Claypot is always busy from opening at 4:30pm to closing at 10:00pm (Thurs off). It has a huge following built up over the decades since 1979.
My advice is to call in, in advance at ☎ 6227 2470. If you arrive on time, you are likely to be served your claypot chicken at the appointed time.
If you just walk in without booking, you are likely to be still waiting even after one hour 😂 Or worse, they run out of food before it is your turn.
Founded in 1979 by Mdm Lim's father-in-law, she now runs LHBJ with her sisters, hence it is also referred to as "Sisters claypot rice".
Lian He Ben Ji's claypot rice are cooked from scratch, from 米 to 飯 (not pre-cooked), hence it takes a little more time. The claypots of rice are first boiled over gas burners before finishing off on charcoal stoves.
There are three claypot chicken rice stalls in Chinatown Complex but Lian He Ben Ji is the only one that uses charcoal stoves. Lian He Ben Ji push cart stall was located near the intersection of Sago Lane and Keong Siak Road in Kreta Ayer before moving into Chinatown Complex when it opened in 1983.
The other Chinatown Complex stall Zhao Ji is actually linked to LHBJ (not many people know this). Founder of Zhao Ji and LHBJ is the same person. He left LHBJ in the 1980s, leaving it with the present owners - the sisters. Founder of Zhao Ji has retired and the stall is now run by one of his ex-staff. It's a nice claypot rice too at stall #02-53 (with LHBJ DNA) but not many people know this 👈 click
As I booked by phone half a day ahead, I got my claypot chicken rice at the appointed time - piping hot, fresh off the charcoal stove. They will serve the claypot rice at your table. I can smell the aroma of caramelised sauces while waiting, rising my expectations 😄
(I ain't born smart. I learnt to be smarter after a fruitless visit a month back - coming here without booking and had to leave on an empty stomach after waiting for over 1 hour.)
I feel the ingredients and serving size are generous for $5.
Lian He Ben Ji uses good quality long grain rice. They were cooked to the right doneness for me. Tender yet it had a subtle nutty firmness. Moist but not wet, each grain felt separate and discrete.
There were several big chunks of chicken with bone. Tender and moist (not juicy), the chicken meat was slightly coarse and had only slight savoury flavour. There was no natural chicken sweetness.
This small piece of waxed sausage with robust savoury flavour together with the lup cheong and a small piece of salted fish provided most of the savoury flavours in the claypot.
I like the brown crust 锅巴 at the bottom and sides of the claypot. Eaten together with "normal" rice, it added a bit of crispy crunch which I enjoyed. The crust was crisp and brown but not gritty like sand and charred to black carbon 👍 Next time, I shall order also a small bowl of soup to soak the crust off the claypot and eat every bit of it.
Overall, the claypot rice and chicken tasted slightly on the bland side and needed a little boost.
If you like more robust flavours, these pots of dark soy sauce and aromatic oil (infused with fried shallot flavour) standing by on every table, will come to your rescue. I saw most customers pour (not drizzle) in liberal amounts of dark soy sauce and oil into their claypot as they vigorously stirred and tossed its steamy contents.
Directory of stalls in the Yellow Zone 👈 click
Directory of stalls in the Green Zone 👈 click
Directory of stalls in the Red Zone 👈 click
Directory of stalls in the Blue Zone 👈 click
Restaurant name: Lian He Ben Ji Claypot 联合本记煲饭
Address: Blk 335, Smith Street #02-199, Chinatown Food Complex, Singapore 050335 (Blue Zone)
GPS: 1°16'57.7"N 103°50'34.4"E | 1.282705, 103.842889
Waze: Chinatown Complex
Tel: 6227 2470 (calling ahead is advised)
Hours: 4:30pm to 10:00pm (Thurs off)
Non Halal
Written by Tony Boey on 10 Mar 2018 | Updated: 2 Jul 2021
I feel the ingredients and serving size are generous for $5.
Lian He Ben Ji uses good quality long grain rice. They were cooked to the right doneness for me. Tender yet it had a subtle nutty firmness. Moist but not wet, each grain felt separate and discrete.
There were several big chunks of chicken with bone. Tender and moist (not juicy), the chicken meat was slightly coarse and had only slight savoury flavour. There was no natural chicken sweetness.
This small piece of waxed sausage with robust savoury flavour together with the lup cheong and a small piece of salted fish provided most of the savoury flavours in the claypot.
I like the brown crust 锅巴 at the bottom and sides of the claypot. Eaten together with "normal" rice, it added a bit of crispy crunch which I enjoyed. The crust was crisp and brown but not gritty like sand and charred to black carbon 👍 Next time, I shall order also a small bowl of soup to soak the crust off the claypot and eat every bit of it.
Overall, the claypot rice and chicken tasted slightly on the bland side and needed a little boost.
If you like more robust flavours, these pots of dark soy sauce and aromatic oil (infused with fried shallot flavour) standing by on every table, will come to your rescue. I saw most customers pour (not drizzle) in liberal amounts of dark soy sauce and oil into their claypot as they vigorously stirred and tossed its steamy contents.
Directory of stalls in the Yellow Zone 👈 click
Directory of stalls in the Green Zone 👈 click
Directory of stalls in the Red Zone 👈 click
Directory of stalls in the Blue Zone 👈 click
Restaurant name: Lian He Ben Ji Claypot 联合本记煲饭
Address: Blk 335, Smith Street #02-199, Chinatown Food Complex, Singapore 050335 (Blue Zone)
GPS: 1°16'57.7"N 103°50'34.4"E | 1.282705, 103.842889
Waze: Chinatown Complex
Tel: 6227 2470 (calling ahead is advised)
Hours: 4:30pm to 10:00pm (Thurs off)
Non Halal
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