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. Thatâs 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 itâs about your turn, just make payment and youâll 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 thereâs a layer of crust at the side of the claypot; it looks charred and inedible but it isnât 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 youâre 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 itâs 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
4
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
4
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
5
I have to say, čĺćŹčŽ°ç ˛éĽ (Lian He Ben Ji Claypot Rice) was hands down the most impressive restaurant I visited during my trip, even though itâs far from the fanciest or most expensive place.
I came on a Sunday around 4 PM and was told thereâd 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 Iâd 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 phenomenalâperfectly 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 waitâitâs part of the experience!
Susan Chua
4
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.
Wendy
1
[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.
Christine Lau
5
We enjoyed a very hearty meal for two at this well established Claypot restaurant we had heard so much about. Absolutely 10/10 for the claypot rice flavours and textures. We really loved how succulent the meat was and how the lap cheong sausage and salted fish flavours embedded themselves in to the rice.
Well worth the wait for a classic Claypot meal in a nice corner spot of the food court. We also enjoyed the pork rib and watercress soup which complemented the burnt rice flavours really well. Plus, the family running it were super nice!
Poppy Flower
2
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.
blue cancer
5
Waiting time is tolerable and depends on the queue. Great food experience. The staffs are very kind. Not the best environment but will surely feed your hawker experience.đ
Daniel
1
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 â 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.