I kept on having friends asking me where to get nice claypot chicken rice in Kampar. Yeap, it is one of the famous export Kampar is proud of. I was reluctant each time to give my comment. 2 reasons: one, there is so many claypot chicken rice here and there, everywhere, some even boast of Kampar origin, and they really taste rather well, surpassing some stalls in Kampar as well. The one came to my mind was the claypot chicken rice near Atria, PJ. Then again, the shop was a descendant from Kampar anyway. second, most of the chicken rice taste similar, with subtle differences, and it is this subtle differences make or break a claypot chicken rice. Everyone has their own favourite so my cup of tea would not taste as good as for you. Then again, people still bug me for a name.
It is not usual to eat claypot chicken rice often, so we decided to bring mum and dad for a treat on a weekend. Though this is not the shop we frequently patron, but it still climb the list fast. Chan Siew Heng is situated in Kampar old town, Jalan Idris, parallel to the main road Jalan Gopeng. Somewhere mid of the town, it is just next to the old Bank Bumiputra or ZhongSan cinema. For someone new to Kampar, look out for the new TuneTalk corner shop, and just beside it, it is this shop. It may take some time to look for it, since it does not have the big billboard as other shops, but just an old Chinese board on top of the shop.
If memory serve me correct, this shop had been around since I was a kid. As far as memory bring me. Although I recalled there used to be lots of Indians to patron this shop. There still has a lot of Indian patrons here, but equally lots of locals and Chinese from other places come as well. The shop itself is rather old, remnants from the old kopitiam style. It is relatively clean as well, but I do prefer more lighting. There is only claypot chicken rice here, nothing else sold.
Now, lets get down to business, the chicken is cut to small pieces, which I prefer, but I have been to shop with more generous offering. The taste was up to par with others, not overly salty. The rice itself is one knot up from the rest, clearly more fragrant, the smell that can be only achieved via claypot. There is minimal burnt rice though which really take some skill to achieve. To strike a balance between not to overburn the rice and yet adequate "burnt" smell is not easy. The taste is good, and the best part is, it is not very oily. Clean, tasty, and nice. That is what goes through my mind. Big claypot will cost RM9 and the small one cost RM4.50. The portion of big pot is good enough to feed 4 of us. Not bad. Put in either salty fish or chinese sausages will set the price back for another RM2, which is reasonable for me. The vege, though not as tasty as others, is rather healthy without much oil there. Something my dad would like.
Overall, this is definitely one of the better offering Kampar can offer for claypot chicken rice. Not the best on my list, but definitely the top for some.
rating: 4poink!
comments: this shop has exist more than 2 generations, it does have its reason for staying so long.
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