Sembawang Road is said to be named after the sembawang tree (kayea ferruginea). Those who know what are cassette tapes may associate the town in the North of Singapore with Sembawang Music Centre (SMC), which at its peak had 26 outlets all over Singapore. Sembawang is also famous for the Sembawang Hot Spring Park, which has been in the news lately, and the iconic Sembawang White Bee Hoon 白米粉. What may be less well known is Sembawang Claypot Rice, even though it has won a number of awards (such as the Singapore Food Masters Award) and is considered by some to be the best claypot rice in Singapore. It may not stay under the radar for much longer. Traditional claypot rice is the latest Sembawang export – with the opening of Sembawang Claypot Rice in Parkway Parade.
Sembawang Claypot Rice in Parkway Parade is part of Food Republic @ Parkway Parade but it has its own dedicated seating area in the basement food court. The signature dish is Traditional Claypot Rice. However, the stall also offers zhi char dishes and one dish meals like lala bee hoon and JB San Lou Bee Hoon. Below is a picture the menu of Sembawang Claypot Rice in Parkway Parade.
It is a self service stall. Place the order and make payment at the counter. Collect the food when prompted by the buzzer. Help yourself to utensils, sauces and condiments.
We ordered a Traditional Claypot Rice ($7.80), JB San Lou Bee Hoon ($6.80) and Claypot KL Da Lu Mian ($6.80).
The claypot rice was prepared upon order. The waiting time would be about 15 minutes. It looked good and had an alluring aroma. The rice was topped with chicken, Chinese sausages and fresh leafy vegetables. There were pieces of salted fish buried in the rice. Sembawang claypot rice had a rich flavour and the taste was further enhanced by the black sauce added to suit one’s preference. It was a good version of the dish but we would not say that it was the best claypot rice we had tried in Singapore.
The JB San Lao Bee Hoon looked intriguing. It is apparently a very popular dish in Johor Bahru (JB). It is essentially fried bee hoon with a layer of crust on top. surface which keeps the noodles together. It is also known as chao ta (burnt) bee hoon in Singapore. The thin top layer was crispy and had a nice smokey flavour. The bee hoon below was moist with ingredients like meat, prawns and egg hidden among the rice vermicelli. It was an enjoyable dish.
The Claypot KL Da Lu Mian was a rendition of the Kuala Lumpur black sauce Hokkien noodles. The sweet savoury sauce was fragrant and rich in flavours. The dish was delicious and the best of the three dishes we tried at Sembawang Claypot Rice in Parkway Parade.
A stall offering good claypot rice and even better KL da lu noodles is certainly a welcomed addition in Parkway Parade. All the more so when it also has a good range of zhi char dishes on the menu. Now you can go soak your feet at Sembawang Hot Spring Park and head to Sembawang Traditional Claypot Rice 原味沙煲饭 in Jalan Tampang for claypot rice or you can go soak in the sun at East Coast Park and head to Sembawang Claypot Rice in Parkway Parade for delicious da lu mian and zhi char dishes.
Sembawang Claypot Rice
Food Republic, #B1 Parkway Parade
80 Marine Parade Road
Singapore 449269
The Ordinary Patrons | Real Dining Experience of Ordinary People
an independent Singapore food blog
