Rice is a staple for more than half of the world’s population, and cooking it is an essential skill that most Asians would have. But it takes plenty of skills to cook rice in a clay pot, usually on top of a charcoal fire topped with ingredients such as preserved meat, salted fish, and Chinese lup cheong sausage. The best cooks would achieve rice that is crispy and charred at the base, yet isn’t burnt. Check out the best claypot rice you can get in Auckland in the list below.
Zhu Kitchen, 471 Dominion Road, Mount Eden
Claypot rice is one of many items on the menu at Zhu Kitchen, with offerings that are just as varied. Among those that we have tried are preserved meat claypot rice, scallop claypot rice, prawn claypot rice, and salted fish claypot rice.
The claypot rice served here has all the traits that a claypot rice needs: flavour, aroma, smokiness, and the charred crispy bits of rice at the base. There was one occasion though when I had it where the rice was overly burnt.
Guangzhou Hotpot 60 Broadway, Newmarket and MidCity Mall Queen St
Although the restaurant’s hero menu item is Chinese hot pot, one of the star offerings at Guangzhou Hotpot is the claypot rice. It is one of the eatery’s award-winning dishes that has made the list of Auckland’s top 100 iconic foods.
Guangzhou Hotpot’s claypot rice features rice cooked in a clay pot until it develops a crispy, crusty, and smoky layer, and is served with ingredients of your choice that include pork ribs, Chinese sausages, or chicken - and half a salted egg.
Nan Xin Restaurant Khyber Pass 434 Khyber Pass Road, Newmarket
Nan Xin is warming and particularly comforting, and they have options from traditional favourites such as Cantonese preserved meat, chicken and mushroom, and also more experimental ones like salmon and sausage. Not known for its service, but the claypot rice is great, although you have to be prepared for a pretty long wait.
Next Station Cafe Devonport 41 Victoria Road, Devonport
Here’s a claypot rice for those on the Shore that is within walking distance from the Devonport Ferry Terminal. Although the claypot rice at Next Station Cafe is cooked over a gas stove and not a traditional charcoal fire, the great thing is that they are cooked before your eyes in an open kitchen counter.
Panda Kitchen Somerville D9/119 Meadowland Drive, Somerville
Panda Kitchen offers claypot rice dishes, with options like chicken and mushroom, preserved meat, and salted fish. The claypot rice here is as authentic as they get and the portion and ingredients are generous. Each component is delicious in their own right, and the rice is flavourful, aromatic and isn’t greasy.
