Four Seasons Claypot Rice (四季煲仔飯), Hong Kong

Four Seasons Claypot Rice (四季煲仔飯), Hong Kong
Four Seasons Claypot Rice (四季煲仔飯), Hong Kong

Famed for its claypot rice, we decided to try the claypot rice at Four Seasons Claypot Rice (四季煲仔飯), at Yau Ma Tei. The location is behind the Yau Ma Tei MTR Station Exit C. So you should make a U-turn when you exit from the Yau Ma Tei MTR Station.

Claypot rice (煲仔飯) is basically rice cooked and served in a clay pot topped with a variety of ingredients such as chicken, pork, beef, Chinese sausage, vegetables etc.. and topped off with a (black) sauce mix.. Traditionally (and ideally), the pots are slow-cooked over charcoal stoves crating a nice, crunchy rice crust at the bottom of the pot.

If you are expecting quint cosy décor than you might be a tad disappointed, the interior of the eatery (can’t really call it a restaurant or cafe) is very simple and seems right out of the 80s or 90s, remaining untouched. It is not fancily done up and its age does show, but I guess the food can make up for it; though I would not recommend using the bathroom unless you absolutely have to.😂

Four Seasons Claypot Rice (四季煲仔飯), Hong Kong
The interior

This renowned claypot place usually sees long queues during the peak evening dinner time, which starts from 5pm. We were early, so we decided to have some dessert at the nearby One Bean Curd Pudding Specialist( 一豆花) for some beancurd pudding delights. By the time we were done with our appetizer, we made our way to  our Seasons Claypot Rice (四季煲仔飯). There was no queue and we were quickly ushered in and seated almost instantly.

The servers were surprising cordial and we were soon making our order. There are plenty of claypot rice flavors, from cured liver sausages, preserved duck legs, to chicken feet, beef or salted fish etc... The choices are endless…

We ordered the Chinese Sausage Claypot Rice, Salted Fish Claypot Rice, a plate of vegetables (lettuce) and a plate of oyster pancake. Check out the video below for the full dining experience:



The claypot rice was acceptable, but nothing to rave about. The ingredients were fresh and the rice nicely cooked, but other than that, it can be considered quite a simple dish. In Singapore, the claypot rice includes vegetables as well, but the Hong Kong version only comes with the ingredients (which might seem a bit miserable), if you want your veggies then you would have to order a plate of it.

Tips for eating the claypot rice
1. Be patient! Wait a while for the rice and ingredients to simmer in the claypot for a couple minutes after it has been served.

2. Add the soy sauce the moment the claypot arrives and cover it back up, giving the rice time to soak up the sauce and its flavor.

3. After a few minutes, open the lid, mix the ingredients and eat!

While I wasn’t too taken with the claypot rice, I became smitten with their oyster pancake. It was crunchy, meaty and had a nice crisp flavor to it. The cook must have been in a good mood that day as it was just nice, not too greasy yet flavorful and crunchy. It was as addictive as potato chips, once you have one you just can’t stop!

Four Seasons Claypot Rice (四季煲仔飯), Hong Kong
Highlights of the meal - oyster pancake and perfectly blenched vegetables.

Being one of the renowned places known for its claypot rice, it is definitely one item ticked off my food bucket list. So if you want to dine in an unpretentious environment with humble décor, and simple local food, than visiting this place is recommended for a local ‘taste’. Of course, if the queue is too long, I would recommend going somewhere else to it. The food might be a good local experience, but it isn’t that outstanding to wait in line for more than 15 minutes (just my two cents worth).

Four Seasons Claypot Rice (四季煲仔飯)

Address: 46 Arthur Street, Yau Ma Tei Kowloon Hong Kong

Opening Hours: 7 Days a Week, 6:00pm - 12:00am



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