Makansutra: Ah Ching Claypot Rice latest addition to must-try list
Bedok stall serves up claypot rice with the perfect roasted aroma
I make a fairly mean claypot rice, but it is never close to the best out there for a few reasons - namely the quality of the wood fire, the specific grains used and the seasoned claypots utilised.
Now, to the usual suspects from Chinatown, Geylang and Holland Village, I'm adding Ah Ching Claypot Rice at Bedok South Road to my list.
The man it is named after runs this little coffeeshop half-stall offering nothing else - no soups nor side dishes.
His approach reminds me of how the masters do it at that famous Geylang Claypot Rice restaurant.
Take a closer look and you'll realise what's behind the familiarity - Ah Ching had helmed the Geylang outlet for more than two decades before he struck out on his own.
The rice he uses is of a specific grade and quality - old grains that look a little yellowed.
These are the ones that will give you that roasted, not burnt, aroma. It is the roasted golden brown ends that claypot rice devotees look for, as well as the aroma that permeates the whole pot and gives it that distinct aura of a good claypot rice.
You won't find these types of rice at your local grocer or supermarket - you have to order it from specialist rice suppliers.
My order was his first plate of the day and it came the way I expected.
I waited at least 30 minutes for it - the rice is first semi-cooked over a gas fire, on which the smooth soy chicken, salted fish and Chinese sausage are lain. The claypot is then placed on a charcoal fire.
SECRET INGREDIENT
The smokiness from the roasted grains below is the "secret ingredient" used to cook the toppings.
The chicken was smooth and the soft, and the almost powdery "nam heong" salted fish - the best and only type for this dish - has to be mashed into the smokey sweet rice to give it a scintilla of seashore saltiness.
The first thing I usually do is to dig and scratch into the pot from the sides to the bottom. I need to hear the crackling of the roasted grains peeling off against the claypot, and it should be fairly effortless.
It was.
The umami spiciness of the homemade hae bee sambal is a blessing when you spoon it over the rice, and a thick caramel soy sauce - another "secret recipe" blend - is used.
Every bite I took had bits of roasted rice cracklings and the seasoning was the icing on the cake.
A word of advice: Tell Ah Ching you want this with "heong tai" (or a fragrant, roasted, crusty base).
Surprisingly, some customers shun this so he also has a plain option.
Ah Ching Claypot Rice
18, Bedok South Road, #01-45
Opens 1pm to 9pm,
closed alternate Tuesdays
Tel: 9868-0934
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