When it comes to a very satisfying one-dish meal, this is pretty hard to beat.
Occupying three units #02-197 to #02-199 at Smith Street Hawker Centre, "Lian He Ben Ji Claypot Rice" is a business that started back in 1979 and has been handed from father to daughter-in-law (who then roped in her sisters which explains the stall's nickname). The good thing is his traditional methods and use of quality ingredients have not been altered or compromised. Up till today, each order of claypot rice is cooked from scratch by first steaming for a few minutes before being transferred to old-fashioned charcoal stoves to cook for another 20mins. Which explains the extremely long waiting time. Double that for peak periods. These days however, there's the option to call and book in advance.
On cool and/or rainy evenings, this is one of the dishes my parents and I crave for. Our preferred order is the $15 portion (to share of course) because there's more "liaw" a.k.a. the star ingredients of chicken, "lup cheong" and duck liver sausages. When our claypot is finally served at the table and the lid is lifted, there is a collective sigh of pleasure as the wonderful aroma billows out. My mum does the honour of stirring our preferred amount of the black sauce and oil mixture (served separately) into the steaming rice. We then fill our bowls with the incredible deliciousness of fluffy grains and tasty meats, and dig in enthusiastically. #hawkerpedia