Lian He Ben Ji Claypot Rice is a prestigious Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant (recognized since 2018) located at Chinatown Complex #02-198/199, representing over 40 years of authentic Singaporean claypot rice tradition. Originally founded in Kreta Ayer near Sago Lane and Keong Siak Road, the business moved to Chinatown Complex in 1983 and is now operated by Mdm Lim Siew Lee alongside her sisters and cousins, earning it the affectionate nickname "Three Sisters' Claypot Rice." Using traditional charcoal cooking methods, each claypot requires a minimum 30-minute preparation process - steaming for 5 minutes before adding ingredients, then cooking over intense charcoal fire for 25 minutes to achieve the signature smoky flavor and crispy scorched crust. The menu offers Mixed Rice in five portion sizes (-0) with choice toppings of chicken, preserved pork, and/or sausage. Despite lengthy waiting times often exceeding an hour, this establishment maintains its devoted following through authentic preparation methods and exceptional quality that earned Michelin recognition. Operating Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday-Sunday 3pm-9pm (closed Monday and Thursday), advance phone orders help reduce wait times for this celebrated hawker heritage destination.
[Dishonest shop] - Food standard has dropped and price has increased.
It is very disappointing that the shop owners have become very dishonest. They have increased their prices recently but the food standard has dropped - less meat and other ingredients.
And I would like to warn everyone. They have been very dishonest. I called them to preorder one claypot bowl of rice. The owner asked me how many pax and I answered 4. She said I have to order a minimum cost of SGD 20 to 30. I was shocked as I used to pay only $10 plus.
So I called her again and she insisted. But when I went down to the shop, the pricing sign clearly shows a lower price range.
I called the owner again on another occasion and said I want to order a SGD 15 pot. She asked rudely about the number of people eating and said that SGD 15 is only for 2 pax. After I ordered it, the serving was huge and 5 of us could eat at least 1.5 bowls each.
It is clear that they are misleading the consumers to order a larger portion and at a higher price.
Very unfortunate. I will not patronise this shop again after buying from them consistently in the past.
Unethical and dishonest and the quality of food and service is not worth a visit.
Poppy Flower
I think this is my first and last time for the popular clay pot rice.
The waiting time of 1.5 hours definitely kill my appetite. The food did not meet my expectations.
We order additional chicken but it looks just standard portion when they served. The chicken is tender, rice has some smoky fragrant but taste is not flavorful.
I wish the rice texture is better because they are using charcoal to cook, it has the nice smoky fragrant but without the texture and taste is a missed.
Their soup is good and not salty.
Daniel
With a wait time of over 1.5 hours and a long queue of eager diners, we had high expectations for Lian He Ben Ji Claypot Rice. Unfortunately, it turned out to be the most disappointing meal of our trip.
We ended up waiting nearly 2 hours – 30 minutes longer than the estimated time. To make matters worse, a local couple took our reserved table despite the usual tissue-packet system, forcing us to scramble to adjust our order. Given how busy the stall was, getting their attention was a challenge.
When the food finally arrived, it was underwhelming. There wasn't enough meat, the rice was clumped to the pot and overly burnt, and the overall flavours were bland. If we didn't have the soy sauce, it would have been inedible.
For the price and incredibly long wait, we expected much much better. Hands down, the most disappointing food experience we had in Singapore.
Chihiro Ito
We ordered the chicken clay pot rice and were told that it would take one hour. Naturally the expectation was high… Did the food meet the expectation? I hate to say but it didn’t. It was meh… Thr rice didn’t have much flavor to it, it was just OK… We are glad we did it though. There were a lot of local people eating there, and we got to
talk to some of them, which was a fun experience.
Doraemon
Kitty and I were in Chinatown for some Chinese physician therapy, and we found ourselves near the hawker center where Lian He Ben Ji is located. I'd been there before, and I knew it was a popular spot for delicious claypot rice. The last time I was there, I waited for an hour, so we were prepared for a bit of a wait this time.
Lian He Ben Ji Claypot Rice is a culinary institution, celebrated for its mastery of the classic Singaporean claypot rice. More than just a hawker stall, it offers a deeply satisfying culinary experience rooted in tradition and perfected through years of dedication...or so we thought.
It's a small stall on the second level of a busy hawker center, and it's always packed. Be prepared to wait at least 30 minutes; it's definitely not the place to go if you're in a hurry. This time, we waited about 50 minutes for our claypot rice. We ordered the claypot rice for two, and we also tried the braised greens to round out our meal.
Unfortunately, this time around, our experience was far from the rave reviews we'd heard. It was far from the delicious claypot rice I remembered from the first time I tried it. The claypot rice was a disappointment. It was very bland, lacking the depth of flavor we remember. The rice itself wasn't undercooked, but it lacked that signature "wok hei" flavor that makes claypot rice so delicious. We tried adding a lot of dark soy sauce, but it didn't quite make up for the lack of flavor. The soy sauce itself was very watery, which didn't help. We couldn't pinpoint exactly what was missing, but the salted fish seemed less flavorful, and the soy sauce might have been inferior. Anyone who's a true claypot rice lover will know exactly what I'm talking about. We're not sure what went wrong, but we suspect it might be due to a change in the chef preparing the clay pot.
The braised greens were also disappointing, and even the chili sauce they provided was watery.
Overall, we were left feeling that the quality had declined significantly. It's a shame because Lian He Ben Ji used to be a go-to for us. However, based on this recent experience, I can't recommend it anymore. It might be worth trying again in the future, but for now, we'll be searching for other claypot rice options.
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars (as much as I'm reluctant to do so, but I have no choice but to give this establishment a 2 star for now).
Positive Reviews
Marcus Tan
We have been patronising Lian He Ben Ji the claypot rice shop for many years (actually since young).
There have been multiple reviews before mine that remarked on the long waiting time. That’s true, and waiting time can be 1.5hrs or even longer! To avoid disappointment, one can call the number on the Google review beforehand to book your claypot rice in advance, so you do not need to wait at the hawker centre for 1.5hrs straight. When it’s about your turn, just make payment and you’ll be served promptly.
We ordered these few dishes:
* Claypot rice for 2 pax
* Yao Choy (Oyster sauce vegetables)
* Old cucumber pork ribs soup
Lian He Ben Ji seems to be the rare case in which the taste of the claypot rice just gets better over time! The claypot rice is cooked to the extent that there’s a layer of crust at the side of the claypot; it looks charred and inedible but it isn’t and in fact crispy! Chicken was succulent, and the lup cheong adds to the flavours of the rice without too overpowering. The good thing about this shop is that you’re given your own dark soy sauce - you get to control how much soy sauce to add in yourself in accordance to your preference. Just remember to stir it well!
Oyster sauce vegetables were above average with a strong oyster sauce taste but not outstanding. The old cucumber pork ribs soup was pretty rich too for its price and serving!
We paid S$ 20.50 in total.
The auntie might sound a bit rude, but IMO it’s understandable given she has to manage so much orders and payments at the same time.
Will definitely drop by again if we are around the area!
Karen Tang
One of the better Claypot chicken rice. The only negative aspect is the long wait time and It can stretch up to 1.5 hours. To me, its worth the wait. The kalian is well cooked.
Janice Tan
Our first time trying this claypot rice and we just had to agree that it was the best claypot rice we had eaten. The chicken was tender and the rice was so fragrant. We waited for 1h 40 min for this pot of rice but we were informed about the waiting time before we placed the order. Despite the long wait, it was all worth it! Never knew that we could call up in advance until I read the google review. Will certainly do that the next time to avoid long waiting time!
D C
I have to say, 联合本记煲饭 (Lian He Ben Ji Claypot Rice) was hands down the most impressive restaurant I visited during my trip, even though it’s far from the fanciest or most expensive place.
I came on a Sunday around 4 PM and was told there’d be a 75-minute wait. Naturally, I was super curious because, coming from Hong Kong, where we pride ourselves on amazing claypot rice, I thought I’d seen it all. Ordered a portion for one and found a nearby coffee shop with air conditioning to kill time while waiting.
When I came back on time, I was told there was still a wait, which was a bit frustrating. After checking in a few times, my claypot rice finally arrived after a 2-hour wait! Honestly, I was pretty annoyed and impatient at that point, but once I took my first bite, all the frustration melted away.
The claypot rice was absolutely phenomenal—perfectly cooked with a crispy, smoky layer of rice at the bottom and rich, flavorful toppings. It was worth every minute of the wait, even if it tested my patience. Highly recommend trying this place, but be prepared for a long wait—it’s part of the experience!
Susan Chua
Reached just before opening hr at 3pm. Asked the staff and she said need to cook the rice, so serving is from 3.30pm tho can place order from 3pm.
Ordered chicken claypot rice with sausages. It was served piping hot, with oil and dark sauce in small jars separately. This is good as u can add your preferred qty. Claypot chicken is delicious with wok hei.
