learning about claypot chicken rice

The restaurant also serves delicious herbal soups in hollowed-out coconuts

Here’s the revelation I’ve had about claypot chicken rice: not all claypots are created equal. I used to order just about anything in a clay pot when we first moved here, and frequently, I’d be disappointed. Sometimes, it seems like a clay pot dish here in Malaysia can be akin to a Brazilian steakhouse serving its meat on swords — it can feel kind of gimmicky. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve been suckered into a claypot just from smelling that delicious sweet char emanating from it. The problem is that many are way over-sauced. There’s so much dark, thick soy sauce that by the time you work your way through the first few bites, the rice and chicken is a big ball of gummy mess.

A good claypot, in my mind, should embody the same principle as a Spanish paella. The heat of the clay pot should char the layer of rice on the bottom so that as you work your way through it, you’re left with a crispy layer of browned rice to finish up the meal. The sauce should work in harmony with that concept — it should carmelize and create a sweetness to the browned rice.

This claypot rice we had at Restoran Veng Soon embraced that concept, and that’s what made it so great. The dark sauce was there, but it wasn’t overbearing, and there was also some fragrant Chinese sausage mixed in with the chicken. The chicken itself was tender and gleamed with a honeyed soy sauce marinade. The best part about this claypot chicken rice was that it revealed its fabulousness slowly, like a geisha. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know her at first, but by the time we were finished, I kind of wanted some more, right then.

Restoran Veng Soon | No. F19, Jalan 1/21, Petaling Jaya |Open 12 – 2pm ; 5 –9:30pm; closed on Tuesdays