The Claypot Chicken Rice that Never Was …
August 23, 2010 | 16,937 viewsIn the spirit of writing stuff as soon as I remember to, I am penning this article down for the benefit of claypot chicken rice lovers here in Ipoh. Now if that sounds noble enough … then good. For I am not exactly a fan of the aforementioned classic Chinese rice dish where the rice would be cooked in a claypot (usually with enough layers of hardened crust left on purpose – for the charred aroma, of course) over charcoal-fuelled fire fanned by persistent cooks. Then the necessary ingredients like marinated chicken, waxed sausages and bits of salted fish to be added just before the cooking process is complete.
This ‘SMALL’ portion for only RM5.50/USD1.70. No, never a typo. And you’re not hallucinating either.
I do admit that GOOD claypot chicken rice is hard to come by nowadays. More often than not we get either mediocre quality of marinated (or lack thereof) chicken, the omission of salted fish, or worst of all ….. the rice being cooked to the wrong consistency. Nobody likes mushy/overcooked rice, or hardened uncooked grains fit for pecking by a bird or ironically in this case; a chicken.
So where exactly did K10; possibly Ipoh’s most famous brand of claypot chicken rice gone wrong?
While anticipating for your pot of rice to arrive, you can either count some sheep and steal forty winks, or munch/suck on some gelatinous delights; the Braised Chicken Feet (RM3/RM4/RM5)
K10 in Bercham recently underwent a facelift. A major one at that; we almost could not recognize the restaurant now. No faint resemblance to its pale, shadowy self. Aside from the exact same location, that is. You can read about the old review HERE, back in 2008.
Surprisingly, the restaurant was packed on a Monday night. Yes, it was drizzling slightly … the perfect excuse for a warming serving of claypot chicken rice. Or any other glutton getaways for that matter. I bet the other steamboat restaurants in Ipoh were doing brisk business as well ……
The crowd’s building up and never relented even at the end of our meal.
So they offer claypot chicken rice at TWO sizes; RM10.00/USD3 for the BIG portion and RM5.50/USD1.70 for the SMALL portion. You can also opt for a serving of Curry Fish Head, Braised Chicken Feet or/and blanched greens as side dishes.
I was not apprehensive when the suggestion to eat at K10 arose. That was because although the outlet in Medan Ipoh Baru failed miserably, this one in Bercham fared so much better …… and even got me hooked back then.
But that was BACK THEN. This time around, they changed all the claypots to the spanking new ones with polished surface. And you guess it right; the layers of crust did not form at the bottom of the pots; hence you get something like the picture below :
Ahem, I want the OLD pots back. Please?
Yeah. Much like white rice cooked, then stirred in with some sauces, then poured into the pot to be served. No smoky aroma from the charcoal fire, nor the earthy flavour of the overused pots.
True, the hygiene factor might be the determining factor here; whereby the wear and tear (more like burnt and drooled?!) would have definitely taken their tolls on the older claypots. Hence the eventual need to change the pots; before a lawsuit/summon arrives at their door, or something.
But cheap as the meal might be, I still crave for that same old flavour ……… I can only keep my hopes up. Anyone wanna share their hidden gems tucked in the nooks and corners of Ipoh? 🙂
K10 CLAYPOT CHICKEN RICE
576, Lorong Bercham 4,
Kampung Bercham,
31400 Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia.
Telephone : 6012-518 1116
Business hours : 5.30pm – 11.00pm.
Closed on Thursdays.
Here’s a GOOGLE MAP to K10 Claypot Chicken Rice Restaurant
at least now you don’t have to worry of contracting some weird crap like HSV when you’re eating your lunch man.. ahaha.. Looks like the only place you’re gonna find used all claypot is in KL 😀
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J2Kfm Reply:
August 23rd, 2010 at 9:31 pm
Haha …. somewhat true. Now you gotta show me where to get claypot chicken rice with that authentic, burnt rice crust and smoky aroma in KL!
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Chicken legs. Yerrr…. 🙁 Haha 😀 But the claypot rice looks delicious.
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J2Kfm Reply:
August 23rd, 2010 at 9:32 pm
How can you hate chicken feet eh?! Hmm … gelatinous, chewy, sticky … yucky … whoops.
I get the idea. 🙂
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[…] The Claypot Chicken Rice that Never Was … […]
Hmmm.. how come there is no crust? Is it they steam the claypot chicken rice or something like tat so it wont have crust? But judging from the look, i think this claypot chicken rice is not bad right?
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I never eaten from there before.. my girl doesnt like clay pot rice as much as I do so we seldom go for that.. the one i always frequent is Tony’s in ipoh garden gourmet square.. 🙂
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mmmm….. i like this.. kinda missing it now, when i am sitting in manila looking at your blog
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It is not only the crust; the rice is barely reheated in the claypot and the tossed ingredients never receive enough heat to infuse the taste and aroma into the rice. No more OOOMPH
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I will ove this cause I don’t eat those “burnt” rice 😛
Btw, I prefer chicken leg with soft & fall apart easily flesh, how was this?
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J2Kfm Reply:
August 24th, 2010 at 8:21 pm
This was soft alright, but not as good as the one in Pasir Pinji named Kum Kee.
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i have to say, the food AND place looks great.. ! thanks for the tip dear;)
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J2Kfm Reply:
August 24th, 2010 at 8:16 pm
But ciki, this may not be up to standard any longer … go for the Kampar one instead. Since that’s the one that’s supposed to be THE origin of claypot chicken rice.
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I used to frequent K10 Chicken rice whenever I was in Ipoh with my family last time! Stuffed and warm would best describe the environment of the restaurant back then. The new facelift seems to look good, too bad there’s no more ‘fan chiu’ for you eh? But me, I’m not a fan of ‘fan chiu’ so I’m ok if they use new pots! 🙂
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J2Kfm Reply:
August 24th, 2010 at 8:13 pm
New pots are good, signifying the need to renew old stuff and keep cleanliness at peak level.
However, the rice was too bland to pass off as claypot chicken rice; more like white rice and sauces, with pieces of chicken, waxed sausages and salted fish thrown on top.
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I think is it possible they want to cut down the time which take up to prepare one clay pot?? I remember old day, I have to wait for about minimum 45 minutes to an hour, which using charcoal and cook from fresh…just my guessing
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J2Kfm Reply:
August 24th, 2010 at 8:10 pm
True also, the rice tasted like plain white rice mixed with the sauces then heated only.
Nothing more.
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Hi J2Kfm,
I have been to this shop several times many years back. Their claypot rice just so so. I still remembered there was one family sitting next to my table. A couple, their two sons and an Indon maid. I saw the mother heaping the husband, the sons and her plate with rice and chicken. What stumped me was when she dumped the whole layer of hardened crust onto the plate of the Indon maid! Not one but two layers!
Now that you cannot find the crust anymore, perhaps the maid has a chance the eat the proper claypot rice after all! hahahaha
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J2Kfm Reply:
August 25th, 2010 at 7:59 am
LOL. Don’t judge. Maybe …. just maybe, the maid likes the crust? (like me!)
But since no more crust, I doubt she can relish her cravings there now.
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Hi J2kfm,
By the way, I have my own blog. Do feel free to drop by and link me at http://188hughlowstreet.wordpress.com/
Happy blogging and I liked your food blog too.
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Er… why you like the crust? They would get stuck in between teeths.
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I’ve been to this place! But haven’t blog about it. Tucked away in a corner in my backlogs …..
I miss the wax meat rice here …. taste sooooooo good!
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J2Kfm Reply:
August 25th, 2010 at 3:47 pm
K10 serves waxed meat rice also? Oh not that I was aware of.
Anyway, Ken … the meal was far from satisfactory. Compared to the first time I did the review in 2008.
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MM, Didi you taste the pork ball there.. DAMM Good.. one of the best…
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J2Kfm Reply:
August 25th, 2010 at 6:58 pm
Hi CW, you mean the pork balls at the Bercham outlet or the Ipoh Garden East one?
The one in Ipoh Garden East serves a good sar kok liew (fried stuffed yambean) in the mornings.
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Yes, a great claypot chicken rice is hard to come by. The best ones I think (hope they are still in business) is in Air Panas (Setapak) in KL. At the back lane. Used to go there when studying at TARC.
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J2Kfm Reply:
August 31st, 2010 at 11:43 am
Oh you studied in KL before? I never bothered to try claypot chicken rice in the other places much, for I am not a fan. And can’t really find one that’s really really good like the good old days anymore.
Somehow, I like the burnt crust at the bottom layer. Made the elderly proud that I dug deep and finish my rice!
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I usually eat at Pasir Pinji Wing Fatt. Of course, I will order the soup as well.
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Recently, I took my family back to our home town for the holidays. Found the newly renovated K10 not it use to be. Waited for an hour to be served when we arrived at 7pm.
Whats worst the pots went to another table who came later than us. Moreover, we found that the boys who manned the drinks counter were abrupt and impatient when we made our orders.
Doesnt feel like it used to be since the reno but on consolation the food taste has not change provided you can afford the wait. Ipoh should have more of these claypot rice stalls
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J2Kfm Reply:
September 15th, 2010 at 12:25 pm
But Native, I found that the taste HAS changed from the time I first visited a few years ago. The rice felt like they were just mixed/tossed around with the sauce then put in the claypot. The claypot did not impart a smoky aroma to the rice at all.
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Native Reply:
September 16th, 2010 at 8:33 pm
@J2Kfm. maybe at that time we were hungry after waiting for almost an hour and didnt realised what we had eaten. Will try again next time to go early when I happen go back. You may be right.
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I concur that the taste has definately changed! Last year when I tried they when they relocated to the opposite shoplot, they started to used the new claypots. The taste has changed from then. I thought the old taste would come back when the claypot is being “seasoned” from use daily.
However, this year I tried again. The taste still remain the new taste. It just seems like what James said. Plain rice stirred with sauces without the “claypot” taste like CKT without wok hei. Quite disappointed that a legendary claypot rice turned out this way.
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Have not tried K10… but when they were in Medan Ipoh was quite famous.
I only eat at the place where I live in Taman Song Choon
Maybe you should try or maybe you have tried?
The shop just changed their name and the Claypot boss friendly but lady boss always masam muka.
Maybe its because I always only buy the small portion. One person eat ma taukayso??
Leftover next day still taste very good.
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J2Kfm Reply:
December 23rd, 2010 at 6:27 pm
LOL. That’s a good one. Maybe that’s just how she faces all the customers?
Hate restaurateurs with attitude. They should have known better on how not to cross the customers.
But I have not heard about this claypot chicken rice in Song Choon, sadly.
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After going through all so much about GOOD foods in Ipoh at your wed site, well all the old days good taste had gone and only fews you still can find its, if your are lucky. Well, about the Chicken Claypot Rice in Ipoh, all had out of taste and the one in Taman Song Choon is OK. One good NEWS!, there is still one chicken claypot rice and claypot low see fun you still can have the old time good and nice taste in BERCHAN / Taman Ramai. Taman Ramai, is located at the right side after the Bercham Police Station on the way to Tanjong Rambutan. The shops located at Taman Ramai is facing the Berchan / Tg. Rambutan main road. After passing the Police Station and come to an traffic light and there is a Caltex Service Station on your right side. Turn right after the traffic light, there is the row of shops next to the service station, and is about located about 6 shop lots away and is a double units outlet and name ” Restaurant Taman Ramai”. Is a nice design shops front and nature cooling indoor garden. There you will find the taste and once you try its, you really in love with its. Also don’t miss the best White coffee and Milk Tea Ice, I really love its, is really, really good with all the nature coffee and tea taste which you really very hard to find one out there. There, its give you all the old times and Ipoh good foods taste you are looking for. There are the family business and closed on Monday. Business hour is 7.00am to 1.00pm and 5.30pm to 10.00pm (claypot chicken rice and low see fun is only from 5.30pm to 10.00pm only) but the nice coffee and milk tea is in morning and night. Understanding that there are one of the best claypot chicken rice in this part of Malaysia and come out in the book ” Perak Good Foods” by the Star and invited by a big resort in Singapore to have a outlet there. TRY its than only you know its.
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J2Kfm Reply:
April 19th, 2011 at 10:18 pm
Thank you so much Jack!
Yeah, actually as ‘young’ as I may be, I actually love those good old taste more than anything.
No funky, swanky fusion food please. But traditional street food, Ipoh style. 🙂
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Jack Reply:
April 20th, 2011 at 3:06 am
Received you thank for good News for the nice claypot chicken rice and drinks info at Restaurant Taman Ramai / Bercham / Ipoh. Go over and try its and let others claypot chicken rice lover know how is its the Ipoh goods foods taste is still there. Get back to me after you had its, OK?
” Bring Back The Good And Nice Foods Image To IPOH ”
TQ.
Jack
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You sure do really know what you’re dealing with. Dude, your blog is just good! I cannot simply wait to learn more of exactly what youve got to talk about. I am really satisfied I came upon this site as I did.
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[…] K10 in Bercham fared worse in comparison though, yet nothing comes close to Kampar’s version. The entire meal costed us only RM21.90/USD7 for 3 pax. […]