Brickfields Claypot Chicken Rice: This stall has been operating for 30 years but is it time to change the recipe?
Claypot chicken rice is a classic Malaysian dish that varies based on different states in Malaysia. For example, claypot chicken rice dishes tend to go heavy on salted fish while the ones in the Klang Valley choose to emphasise the lap zheong (Chinese sausage) instead.
When Brickfields is mentioned, everyone usually thinks of Indian food so I was pleased to hear about this claypot chicken rice stall located along the streets of Brickfields. A mere 4-minute walk from KL Sentral, the stall was easy to find and was slightly crowded when I visited at around 6pm.
What I tried at Brickfields Claypot Chicken Rice
The stall is straightforward, they only sell claypot chicken rice and vegetables for those opting for a more wholesome meal. As for the claypot chicken rice, you could get the Small Claypot Chicken Rice (RM12) or the Big Claypot Chicken Rice (RM22). We were advised that the Big Claypot Chicken Rice is suitable for sharing. As for the vegetables, I got the Mustard Greens (RM7) just to see if the taste is amplified.
While I would say the stall is slightly crowded, I did not expect the waiting time to be up to 30 minutes. This was undeniably disappointing, causing my expectations for the food’s taste to soar.
After what felt like an eternity, the claypot chicken rice and mustard greens arrived. At first glance, it fulfilled every criteria of what a claypot rice should look like. Rice with speckles of soy sauce, garnish and chicken brimming.
As I did the signature mixing of the dish, I was slightly dejected to find that it definitely could use more chicken especially if I’m paying RM12. The stall wasn’t generous with the lap zheong as well, as my digging only found me 2 of them.
Still hopeful, I dug into the dish and found myself conflicted. While the claypot rice definitely was flavourful, it seemed to lack a major component….SALT! While claypot chicken rice is usually accompanied by a side of chillies and soy sauce, they’re only supposed to enhance the dish’s taste, not GIVE it taste.
Although the chicken meat was tender, it suffered from the same issue of completely lacking any salt. While the chillies and soy sauce definitely helped, I must say that they did not significantly enhance the flavour of the dish.
The vegetables seemed to have more stems than the leafy greens. It came with the sauce and was cooked perfectly well, but I think it could have used more sauce and fewer stems.
In terms of portion size, the claypot rice definitely did not satisfy the big eater in me. The chicken pieces were tiny and definitely more bony than meaty.
Final thoughts
It’s always tricky reviewing stalls that have such rich history behind them. Considering how this stall has been running for over 30 years, I’d say maybe I caught them on a bad day. The dishes lacked taste and definitely weren’t worth the price for the portion.
Especially since my main gripe with the dish was the lack of salt, it probably could be solved easily as well. With the store’s reputation and legacy in mind, I truly hope my next visit will be better.
Expected damage: RM12 to RM20 per pax
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