Sembawang Traditional Claypot Rice at 4 Jalan Tampang Singapore 758949 - The Ambience The Owner The Menu The Signatures

The Beginning & Ownership 

42 year old Don Giam who is Hokkien & his beautiful wife Doris Wu (who has Peranakan roots & also 42), started Sembawang Traditional Claypot Rice at 4 Jalan Tampang barely two months ago. 

Since he was 8 years old Don Giam used to help out at his paternal uncle's claypot rice outlet. The elder Mr Giam used to operate a traditional claypot rice eatery at Beauty World in Upper Bukit Timah Road for over 40 years. The elder Mr Giam has since passed away. Don Giam brings with him more than 34 years' experience in running a restaurant business. 

Today at the outlet at 4 Jalan Tampang which he co-owns with his beautiful wife Doris Wu, he is assisted by his 21 year old eldest son Adrian Giam (in orange T-Shirt as seen below) in the operation of the restaurant. 

The Ambience 

Weekday Friday evening dinner crowd congregates at Sembawang Claypot Rice to satisfy their burning hunger. 

The Chef 

Don Giam hires Malaysian Chef Ah Xiong from Muah to helm the hot kitchen. 

The Cuisine The Signatures 

Sembawang Traditional Claypot Rice serves Asian Chinese Cuisine with Signatures such as: 

• Traditional Claypot Rice 
• San Lou Bee Hoon 
• Curry Fish Head 
• Special Sauce Steam Fish Head
• Sambal Sotong 
• Sambal Prawns
• Salted Egg with Bittergourd

Menu Planning 

Currently Don & Doris handle Menu planning at the restaurant. Many of the Signature dishes at Sembawang Claypot Rice are the brainchild of Don & Doris, where they have painstakingly come up with original recipes through much fine tuning and refinement, using quality & fresh ingredients to create dishes that appeal to the Asian palate. 

For their Signature Claypot Rice they come up with their secret recipe made using about 10 herbs & spices, with good grade premium rice "Golden Phoenix" priced at $28 per 10kg bag. The claypot rice is made using raw grains placed in claypot cooked over gas using clay stove indirect fire. 

We ordered 4 of the key Signature Dishes as seen below : 

Salted Egg Yolk with Bitter Gourd $8.80 - the salted egg yolk coats the sliced bitter gourd evenly to lend it a savoury taste & fragrant aroma and come than compensate for the mildly bitter flavor of the bitter gourd.

The Curry Fish Head at $18.80 - is of the Indian curry version, not Nonya version. Chef Ah Xiong uses fair amount of curry powder in this dish so it is pretty lemak. The fish used is fresh juicy tender, and still retains the heat in part due to the claypot it is being served in that is able to keep this dish warm. The rest of the dinner kakis (Stanley, G2, Bob) love this dish, though my personal preference is the Nonya Curry style. 

Sambal Sotong at $12.80 - served here uses fresh sotong that is delivered fresh to the outlet every 2 days, and even daily if the stock runs out fast. Doris Wu shared that the sambal rempah is prepared fresh daily at kitchen using a lot of fresh herbs: shallots, garlic, chili, onions, galangal, ginger, tumeric, belachan, etc. 

How it is done - Don Giam added that the Chef uses a whole squid for this dish, the sotong is first steamed, then the sambal that has been sauteed is drizzled over the steamed sotong. Chef Ah Xiong uses lard in this dish to render it an added fragrant flavor.

Tasting Notes - I love the Sambal Sotong as Chef Ah Xiong has cooked it to the right consistency just about well done, not overcooked not rubbery but retains the moisture, is chewy and tastes freshly sweet with an added crunch when you chew it with the toasted lard. The sambal applied in this dish totally won me over, this is by far one of the few restaurants that truly serves a decent sambal I would cook myself from scratch. I can tell Chef Ah Xiong uses a lot of fresh ingredients to concoct the sambal.

Sesame Chicken at $12.80 - chicken meats cooked in sesame oil, soya sauce, oyster sauce, ginger, garlic, spring onions, served in a claypot. I like the gravy that Chef Ah Xiong presented in this dish that tastes sweet savoury & smells very fragrant largely due to the garlic, onions, spring onions & the sauces used. Though I do wish Chef would perhaps use larger pieces of the chicken meat so that after much simmering in the gravy the meat does not become too reduced. 

Sembawang Traditional Claypot Rice is located at :

4 Jalan Tampang 

Singapore 758949 

Tel : 67577144

www.sembawangclaypot.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sembawang-Traditional-Claypot-Rice/275640515930636  
Opening hours : 10.30am - 10.30pm

Rumah Sayang at JEM - Interview Chef Lo Part 2

Other Rumah Sayang Signatures recommended by Chef Lo include:

1. Nasi Ayam Merah ($6) - made up of Chicken fried with Sambal Chili paste added, served with Achar, Sambal Goreng, Omelette egg, 
2. Nonya Laksa ($4.50) - served with dried shrimp, has distinct dried shrimp flavor, fresh coconut fragrant, 
3. Penang Kway Teow ($7) made using chicken ham, prawn, fish cakes, egg, with a tinge of spiciness, mild sourly flavor, 
4. Nasi Pattaya ($7.50) which is adapted here to be less spicy than those served in Malaysia, uses Penang Belachan in the Sambal Belachan chili paste, with fresh shallots to give an added appetizing flavor, 
5. Sweet & Sour Garoupa fried with tomato chili sauce added
6. Sambal Kang Kong
7. Assam Petai
8. Hotplate Tauhu using Black Bean Paste sauce

During the 13 years stint at Red Ginger, owner Jimmy  Lim often send Chef Lo on short stints at some of the F&B establishments owned by his brothers to pick up some other recipes and techniques, cooking styles for use back at Red Ginger. Chef Lo believes that there is ample room to grow for he Asian, Peranakan, Malaysian , Nasi Padang Cuisine here in Singapore as the diners here love spicy food. 

Rumah Sayang is located at:  

JEM, #B1-41, 50 Jurong Gateway Road, 

Singapore (608549)

Tel : 63390938

Rumah Sayang at JEM - Interview Chef Lo Part 1

Chef Lo started out working at kitchens in Malaysia since he was 16 years old, and brings with him about 27 years' experience as a Chef. Chef Lo hails from Perak, Malaysia and arrived to work in Singapore when he was just 28 years old.

Whilst Chef Lo was in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, he worked at an F&B establishment and was its Chef specializing in Cantonese Cuisine. Among his specialties were the Steam Sambal Fish, Butter Prawn, Oat Prawn. 

Chef Lo has since worked at Red Ginger for 13 years, since in his 20's. To get inspiration for new dishes, Chef Lo visits other restaurants to try out new dishes and adapt them at Red Ginger. 

Here at the new restaurant at JEM, Rumah Sayang serves Key Signatures dishes which includes these below :

1. Curry Fish Head, 
2. Nonya Chap Chye (great for those who cannot take spicy hot sambal belachan chili), 
3. Nonya Fried Rice served with Chicken Satay (Chef Lo fries the fresh chili with dried shrimps to enhance the flavor), 
4. Tahu Goreng (with crunchy peanut bits), 
5. Nonya Curry Chicken with generous dose of fresh Tumeric and fresh coconut juice (prepared by vendors delivered fresh daily).
6. Sambal Fried Fish with lemongrass (full of lemonly fragrance)
7. Sambal Prawn with Petai beans in Assam juice  to give appetising taste
8. KL Hokkien Mee also known as Tai Lo Mein served with vegetables, seafood, diced chicken meat.

Rumah Sayang is located at:  

JEM, #B1-41, 50 Jurong Gateway Road, 

Singapore (608549)

Tel : 63390938

Rumah Sayang at JEM - Background and Origins

Background - Rumah Sayang is owned by husband and wife team of Jimmy Lim and Lily Chan. Jimmy

used to work for Cold Storage for a good ten years before he started a canteen at IMM for IMM staff. 

Jimmy went on to expand his business into operating Red Ginger at Level 1, IMM serving Nasi Padang,  Peranakan Cuisine with Red Ginger obtaining Halal Certification to provide additional choice of dining for Muslim diners. 

Jimmy Lim comes from a family of 8 boys. His brothers are involve in the Food & Beverage industry for many years, one of whom runs the famous Wan Chai HongKong Tea Room. 

One of the success factors of Jimmy's restaurants Red Ginger and Rumah Sayang lies in his team of loyal, experienced, chefs who are well trained in Asian, Malay, Peranakan, Malaysian Cuisines: veteran Malaysian Malay Chef Mdm Lia who works with him for more than 22 years, Malaysian Chinese Chef Lo who works with him for about 14 years, his own son Chef Jordan Lim, who has great passion for cooking Peranakan Nonya, Malay Cuisine. 

(L-R : Chef Lo, Chef Jordan Lim )
Rumah Sayang is located at:  
JEM, #B1-41, 50 Jurong Gateway Road, 
Singapore (608549)
Tel : 63390938

Rumah Sayang at JEM - Curry Fish Head $18

Curry Fish Head ($18): If you only have time for a dish at Rumah Sayang you must not miss trying out their Signature Curry Fish Head. Core ingredients include : Fish head, tomatoes, lady's fingers, brinjal, long beans, curry paste (lots of fresh Tumeric, fresh young ginger, old ginger, galangal, garlic, chili, dried chili, chili padi, candle-nuts, shallots, onions, curry powder).

How it is prepared : The fish head is cooked ala minute, it is first cooked in hot water till 70% fully cooked for 5-7 minutes in medium heat, then transferred to the curry paste to simmer at low to medium heat for 5 minutes, then ready to serve in the claypot. 

Food Tasting Notes: I like it that this fish head is cooked my favourite Nonya Peranakan style. By looking at the color of the curry gravy, you would have concluded Chef Lo uses a lot of fresh Tumeric to create that beautiful rich yellow hue. The gravy is thick and creamy. The vegetables are cooked thoroughly, the fish meat is tender and fresh, and is sweet to the taste. 

Rumah Sayang is located at:  

JEM, #B1-41, 50 Jurong Gateway Road, 

Singapore (608549)

Tel : 63390938

Rumah Sayang at JEM - Nonya Chap Chye $6

The Nonya Chap Chye ($6) is one of the signatures at Rumah Sayang at JEM. It is made with core ingredients : carrots, black fungus, cabbage, garlic, Tang hoon, mushroom. The vegetables are stir fry till they are cooked tender through. The cabbage and carrots are crunchy and sweet. Garlic serves to add a dash of spice to this dish, giving it a savory flavor.

Rumah Sayang is located at:  

JEM, #B1-41, 50 Jurong Gateway Road, 

Singapore (608549)

Tel : 63390938

Rumah Sayang at JEM - Crispy Ayam Penyet $7.50

The Crispy Ayam Penyet ($7.50) at Rumah Sayang at JEM is served with :

1. crispy chicken fillet (the frozen chicken has been marinated overnight with mee soto powder, garlic, onion, serai overnight, then coated with crispy powder, deep fried for 3 to 4 minutes, flattened and sliced),
2. side vegetables - raw cucumber, raw long beans and raw cabbage, 
3. tempeh from supplier (drizzled with Thai Chili dressing)
4. white rice
5. dipping sauce of ketchup manis with chili padi & sambal chili

The sambal belachan chili is made with ingredients: sambal belachan, chili padi, fresh chili which is stir-fried together, then blended at the IMM Central Kitchen. 

The kechap manis is mixed with chili padi, then blended to give it a distinct sweet, mildly spicy flavor. 

Food Tasting Notes : The Ayam Penyet skin is crispy on the outside due to various types of flour used, yet retains its juiciness on the inside. Although restaurant uses frozen chicken,  yet the fried chicken fillet tastes tender and juicy. 

The tempeh beans are still quite moist and chewy unlike tempeh from other restaurants that are dry and hard. 

The raw cabbage and long beans adds crunchiness to this dish. The sambal belachan chili is pretty spicy, the ketchup manis with chili padi is moderately spicy and they both goes well with the chicken. 

Rumah Sayang is located at:  

JEM, #B1-41, 50 Jurong Gateway Road, 

Singapore (608549)

Tel : 63390938