Off-the-beaten-path "homestyle clay pot rice" in Xizhi: enjoy three types of cured meat, pig's trotters, and clams

Text and photos byOld K

This homestyle clay pot rice shop, tucked away in the alleys of Xizhi, is a local favorite recommended by residents.

Yet another hidden gem in the backstreets of Xizhi cuisine. Located in Lane 137, Zhangshu 1st Road—right across from Dinghao Supermarket, which serves as a fairly recognizable landmark.

As soon as you enter the lane, you’ll spot the shop.

It’s not very big, and inside you’ll see two aunties about to eat, chatting happily with the boss—they seem to be neighbors living nearby.

The menu is written on a small blackboard. I was going to ask if I could mix several options together, but the boss said it’s better not to on the first try—ordering individual items lets you taste the authentic flavors. One of the aunties kindly added that everything on their menu is pretty delicious. In the end, Old K decided on Cantonese-style cured meat with clams. You can choose a runny or fully cooked egg if you want one—Old K prefers runny eggs, but thought it might not be safe lately, so he skipped the egg, XD.

I’ve never seen the cooking process of clay pot rice before—I got to watch it being made right here.

The rice is cooked slowly with raw ingredients, so there’s a bit of a wait once you order.

There are also two pots of braised dishes on-site—one has braised tofu and braised eggs.

The other pot has “q” meat (likely a typo for 滷肉, braised pork) and pig’s trotters. When Old K spotted the pig’s trotters, his eyes lit up. He asked if they were on the menu, and the boss said they weren’t listed because there aren’t many, but they can be ordered separately. So Old K got an extra portion of pig’s trotters, XD.

Ingredients are added partway through the rice cooking.

The two aunties were almost done cooking—the aroma was amazing.

Then it was Old K’s turn—finally, a piece of pig’s trotter was placed on top.

All utensils are self-serve, and there’s free hot tea and soup.

Old K wanted to take a photo of the soup, and the auntie kindly scooped some out for him to see. Looking at what she ladled up, the soup was full of veggies—it’s free, which is really generous. Since it was quite hot that day, Old K didn’t have the soup, but it looked like a refreshing vegetable broth.

Cantonese-style cured meat + clams + pig’s trotters (150 TWD)

Besides the clay pot rice, there are also three side dishes. Without the clams and pig’s trotters, it’s only 100 TWD—and with free soup, isn’t that a great deal? Super high value for money.

The hot tea is delicious Pu’er tea. The middle side dish is stir-fried loofah with eggs, and the other two cold dishes on the sides are all very tasty with rice.

This clay pot rice is so rich—even just the cured meats come in three varieties, plus clams and pig’s trotters, making five in total.

For an extra 20 TWD, you get so many clams—that’s awesome. The clams also add a briny, savory flavor to the rice, making the taste even more complex. Highly recommend adding them.

The cured meat has a strong smoky flavor, but since it’s steamed, the saltiness blends into the rice without being too salty. The firm yet bouncy texture is really nice.

The Chinese sausage also has a good bounce and decent fattiness—delicious.

The liver sausage is softer and more tender, but still tasty.

The piece of pig’s trotter the boss gave Old K was from the knee area—the skin outside is springy, and the inner tendon part is bouncy yet not too tough. Old K really liked it, and for 30 TWD, it’s a bargain.

Their rice has two flavor zones: near the clams, there’s a briny seafood taste, while closer to the cured meat, you get the fragrant oils from the various cured meats. Their clay pot rice is on the moister side, so there’s less crispy rice at the bottom. If you like crispy rice, maybe you can ask the boss to cook it longer—we’ll ask for you next time if you go, XD. But as it is, Old K found it really delicious.

And there’s even post-meal fruit—watermelon. Who knew watermelon would be available this early? It was pretty sweet.

Old K’s little tips:
The home-style clay pot rice here isn’t particularly Cantonese-style, but there are quite a variety of choices. Old K thinks it’s cheap and tasty, and the boss is really nice too — no wonder most of the later customers seem to be regulars who can chat with the owner a bit. Next time Old K wants to try a few different combinations XD Recommended to everyone.

K’s Personal Review (out of 10, higher is better)
Taste: 8.3/10
Value for Money: 10/10
Dining Environment: 6/10
Price: 9/10

Home-style Clay Pot Rice
Facebook Page: Home-style Clay Pot Rice
Address: No. 4, Lane 137, Zhangshu 1st Road, Xizhi District, New Taipei City
Phone: 02-2691-8122
Business Hours: 11:00–13:30, 17:00–20:30 (Closed on Sundays and public holidays)

Old K
Keep the food train going, Old K !
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