Actually, I have eaten at Zhao Ji Clay Pot Rice in Chinatown Complex for more than five times since last year (2017). I liked it but had held back on sharing about Zhao Ji as I have not yet tried the reigning King of the Hill, Lian He Ben Ji. After trying LHBJ, I can now say confidently that Zhao Ji is a worthy alternative.
Tucked away in the relatively obscure Green Zone of Chinatown Complex, Zhao Ji Clay Pot Rice is further blocked by pillars. The nook is dark and strewn untidily with whatnots that doesn't inspire much confidence.
Zhao Ji's clay pot rice is cooked over gas stoves which is a huge minus point for this dish, which is traditionally cooked over charcoal.
It is easy to overlook this stall unless you heard someone recommend it or tasted it before.
The group of us, we usually have the $10 serving to eat with dishes from other stalls. That's one of the beauties of hawker centres - we can mix and match our dishes as we wish.
There's the usual salted fish, lup cheong (Cantonese waxed sausage) but where Zhao Ji got me is their chicken. The generous chunks of chicken were tender, smooth and juicy sweet. It is actually smoother and juicier than some average Hainanese chicken rice stalls 😄
The rice has just the right moistness, if slightly soft but it is loaded with savoury sweetness especially after a drizzle of dark soy sauce and aromatic oil.
There's that coveted rice crisps 飯焦 on the sides and bottom of the clay pot (made with some sort of metallic alloy), but there were often some overdone parts. That didn't bother me much, as it was easy to just sweep those charred bits aside.
👉 If you are particular about the chicken in your clay pot chicken rice, Zhao Ji's rendition would probably satisfy you. That's what got me hooked.
More about Chinatown's most famous clay pot rice, Lian He Ben Ji 👈 click
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
Guide to heritage food stalls in Chinatown Complex 👈 click
Restaurant name: Zhao Ji Clay Pot Rice 釗记砂煲飯
Address: Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre, 335 Smith Street, #02-053, Green Zone, Singapore 050335
GPS: 1.282668, 103.842873
Tel: 6221 9449
Hours: 12:00pm to 7:00pm (closed on Monday)
Non Halal
Written by Tony Boey on 17 Mar 2018 | Updated on 2 Jul 2021
Tidbits from Greg's Big Eat. The founder of Zhao Ji Clay Pot Rice is actually also the founder of Lian He Ben Ji. He later left LHBJ to his daughter-in-law and started Zhao Ji in the 1980s. He had since retired and Zhao Ji is now run by an ex-staff and her son.
Leslie Tang said on Johor Kaki Blog FB Page: "The old owner pass to the helper."
ReplyDeleteJeremy Tan said on Johor Kaki Blog FB Page: "My fav go to stall".
ReplyDeleteLeslie Tang said on Johor Kaki Blog FB Page: "Been eating here more than 25 years. The old owner pass to the son the son pass to the helper. The helper's son is helping out now. Is a hidden gem 💎 here".
ReplyDeleteKf Seetoh said on Johor Kaki FB: "zhao ji original owner used to be the sifu of the lian he bian je sisters. the worked for him once ago. now, the sistas are raking it in"
ReplyDeleteEileen Ong Xue Ting said on Johor Kaki FB: "YES!! They do sell soup too! The owner also goes back to Guangzhou regularly once every few months to buy ingredients back to Singapore! So the quality of ingredients is 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻."
ReplyDelete