PETALING JAYA, Jan 24 — The shophouses surrounding the office buildings in PJ Uptown mean those who work there are spoiled for choice when it comes to food.
Eateries around the area are in a constant flux, where only the fittest survive the brutal realities of the F&B industry.
Opened late last year, Chat Hei Claypot Restaurant is always packed from the moment the clock strikes noon to signal lunchtime.
With bright red signage and a prime position located right opposite the back of Starling Mall, it’s hard to miss.
Inside, the place pulls inspiration from Hong Kong with its Cantonese tunes and their tagline “Sik faan jui gan yiu hoi sam!” that literally translates to “When you’re eating rice, the most important thing is to be happy!”
Steamed Egg with Minced Meat is a fluffy, hot wonder with a cloud-like texture — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
Everyone is certainly happy with the choices here, judging by the crowd who prefer to share the claypots for better value.
Solo diners may be restricted for variety though, making it better to order some of the noodle items.
One definitely needs a bowl of rice to enjoy their numerous claypot dishes as most of them come with gravy. It’s served piping hot, as seen from the smoke billowing from the black claypots.
Signature Sweet & Sour Egg is a classic tomato and egg combination that gets elevated with a fluffy omelette with a tangy, sweet tomato sauce — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
It’s quite easy to whittle down what to order here as they have their star dishes like the Signature Sweet & Sour Egg (RM13) highlighted.
This was a winner as that tangy, sweet medley of tomato and egg is reminiscent of home-cooked meals.
Here, they take it a notch higher with a fluffy omelette drenched with that sweet, sourish sauce with sliced tomatoes. Variations with beancurd (RM15) and fish can also be ordered.
Kung Pao Chicken has smooth chicken pieces with a savoury gravy laced with dried red chillies for a mild spicy kick — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
For protein, look no further than the Kung Pao Chicken (RM15.50) with the smooth, tender boneless chicken thigh cooked in a dark, savoury sauce with hints of dried red chillies.
You won’t complain the dish is dry as it’s almost overflowing with gravy, allowing you to liberally flood your bowl of rice with it.
Another time, it was Steamed Egg with Minced Meat (RM18) that delivered fluffy, piping hot cloud-like comfort with a sprinkle of minced meat.
Claypot Minced Meat Loh Shu Fun may look boring but it packs flavour with rat tail noodles, minced meat and an egg — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
Under their “Skip the Rice” section, Claypot Minced Meat Loh Shu Fun (RM14) stands out.
It’s got that ugly brown food look but who cares as you dig inside to discover rat tail noodles, minced meat and an egg.
It feeds a hungry diner well and a group of office ladies who shared bowls of it with another protein choice made it wallet friendly.
Not every item works though. Like the classic rendition of Eggplant with Minced Meat (RM12). Here, the liberal use of oil to fry the eggplant kills the dish.
Otherwise the taste is good, if one can fight through that thick layer of oil to get to the soft eggplants and minced meat.
Signature Fried Pork Ball (left) gets the vote for addictive bites but the Eggplant with Minced Meat (right) is ruined by the overabundance of oil — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
Instead, go for the Signature Fried Pork Ball (RM12 for 12 pieces). These addictive poppers — crispy with a juicy minced pork filling — vanished in a few minutes.
Other claypot choices include mala flavours with chicken, fish or vegetables, three cup chicken, herbal soup with chicken or lala clams in soup.
Even their drinks are good, like the super refreshing Yaxi Punched Iced Lemon Tea (RM9).
It looks a little scary with that tower of crushed ice but you will appreciate how it slowly melts and keeps your drink chilled when it’s the typical Chinese New Year heatwave outside.
What’s unusual is their desserts, where it includes Western items like tiramisu and their take on panna cotta, shaped in balls.
Yaxi Punched Iced Lemon Tea (left) is the perfect refresher for the hot weather and for dessert, go for the Jasmine Grape Lychee Jelly (right) to cleanse the palate — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
As a meal here can lean towards heavier flavours, the Jasmine Grape Lychee Jelly (RM8) made a better palate cleanser.
They do take their packaging seriously here, where even a cup of jelly is dressed up with cardboard with lychee, florals and grape motifs.
Dig deep into the cup to spoon up wobbly translucent jelly dotted with osmanthus flowers, freshened up with halved grapes and canned lychees. There’s also lime slices to give it a refreshing taste.
For Chinese New Year, they will be closed from January 27 to 30. Business resumes on January 31.
Look for the red signage to get to Chat Hei Claypot which is across Starling Mall’s back entrance — Picture by Lee Khang Yi
Chat Hei Claypot Restaurant,
62, Jalan SS21/39,
Damansara Utama (Uptown),
Petaling Jaya.
Open: 11.30am to 3pm, 5.30pm to 10pm.
Closed on Monday.
Instagram: @chatheiclaypot
*This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
*Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.
