We tried Singapore’s worst-rated claypot rice

Those who know me well in my circle recognise that even though I’m an ex chef, I’m quite chin cai when it comes to food. I’ve tried, what, 3 of the worst-rated stalls in Singapore, and truth be told… they weren’t that bad! That was until I headed down to Alexandra Village Food Centre in search of Tai Liok Claypot Chicken Rice.

The stall has a 3.3-star rating with a total of 128 reviews (at the time of writing). Not the worst I’ve encountered, but certainly not great either. In recent months, there were several 1-star reviews that commented on the burnt aroma, soggy rice and ridiculously-quick serving time.

I’ve always been a firm believer that online feedback is subjective and it depends on each individual’s taste buds, including my own. So I wasn’t overly swayed by the reviews and dropped by to experience it firsthand.

From a distance, there was a slight acrid scent similar to a pot of burnt sauce emanating from the hawker centre. As I approached the stall, the smell was much stronger.

“Minimum order is for 2 persons, are you taking away or eating here?” exclaimed the middle-aged stall owner who took my order in a firm yet polite manner. There was an elderly couple present in the stall, with the old uncle chiefly manning the multiple claypots.

The comments about the fast serving time were true. I was told to take a tray as my claypot rice was already ready (it wasn’t even 2 minutes).

What I tried at Tai Liok Claypot Chicken Rice

When the guy opened the claypot cover, I was impressed by the generous portion of the Claypot Chicken Rice (S$16 for 2 persons).

It was brimming with large chunks of chicken and 2 kinds of Chinese sausages— the usual reddish lup cheong and a round, intensely oxblood-hued variety, which I’m guessing was liver. The rice was completely concealed underneath.

I began by slathering my favourite dark soya sauce onto the claypot ingredients, making sure that I covered every corner and crevice.

As soon as I began mixing everything with the utensils, the chao tah smell hit me like a freight train. Sure, claypot rice with some ‘guo ba‘ (crispy crust) is usually a good thing as it enhances the aroma and flavour of the rice. But this was a little extreme— the scent was borderline scary.

I tried to scrape the centre of the pot to see if the rice was similar to what was depicted online about it being soggy. True enough, the grains were not separate and felt a little mushy.

As soon as I took the first spoonful, my worst fears were confirmed. The individual grains had fully absorbed the unpleasant burnt aroma, unleashing a bitter aftertaste that wasn’t palatable. The texture was also slightly wetter than what I would’ve preferred.

Even my dining partner, who’s usually not picky about food, made a cringy face and blurted out, “Indeed, this is the worst claypot rice I’ve ever had.”

There were large cubes of salted fish. It was such a shame that I couldn’t pair them with the chao tah rice, and eating them alone would be too savoury. So, they were just left aside, neglected and alone.

The chunks of chicken looked promising. And true enough, the flesh was decent and flavourful. It wasn’t hard like a rock like what the online comments were stating.

While the chilli didn’t blow my mind, it wasn’t bad either— it served its purpose, giving the chicken a little extra oomph!

The 2 types of lup cheong weren’t too bad. I preferred the darker liver variety. It had a slight distinctive irony flavour which I really enjoyed. If the reddish ones were grilled just a teeny-weeny bit, it would’ve been yummier. Other than that, I was quite pleased.

We also gave the Water Cress with Pork Rib Soup (S$5) a go. My expectations were set a little higher as it’s my regular go-to for weekday dinners.

I started off with the broth. Though it possessed the base flavour of the pork ribs and watercress, there wasn’t any seasoning and it was as bland as my plain appearance— just as the online comments suggested.

The watercress was cooked perfectly, retaining just the right amount of crunch, which I love.

I also managed to consume the pork ribs without getting any meat fibre in between my teeth, an indication that they were tender and braised long enough— plus points for that!

Final thoughts

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, after 2 years and 8 months of working at SETHLUI.COM, this is officially the worst stall I’ve ever encountered (unfortunately). If the rice had just been bland, I could’ve lived with it and kept going for the sake of sustenance (as our intern, Arifah would put it).

Unfortunately, in this case, the burnt taste and aroma were a bit too overpowering for us to enjoy.

To fill our bellies, we ended up ordering something else from another stall. Have any of you tried their claypot chicken rice recently? Do share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.

Expected damage: S$8 – S$10.50 per pax

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