When mentioning the Cho Lon Restaurant in Da Nang, diners will instantly picture a piping claypot of perfectly crispy rice that is brimming with unique flavours.

Delicious bowl of pan-fried chicken rice at the Cho Lon Restaurant. Photo: Huynh Le

Noodles with crispy chicken skin, char siu, or roast duck may also be on your mind. Growing in popularity at the restaurant is mostly due to the fragrant sticky rice grains that are carefully cooked in a clay pot with a touch of rustic charm.

One of the most-ordered menu item at the Cho Lon Restaurant is clay pot rice dishes made with roasted duck and char siu pork and cooked using traditional Chinese techniques. With their exquisite culinary abilities, the chefs steam and heat the rice in a bowl until it's perfectly cooked. A little portion of rice is represented by each bowl of this rice. Perfectly prepared, it's seasoned with precooked roast duck, braised chicken, pan-fried chicken, stir-fried beef, or seafood, depending on the customer's tastes.

Steaming bowls of rice garnished with the golden-brown hues of roast duck, char siu, or pan-fried chicken, a sprinkle of spring onions and a dash of soy sauce create an alluring aroma. Contrary to pot-cooked rice, the rice in these bowls is first mixed with carrots, potatoes, spring onions, pepper, and other seasonings before transferring to heated pots, enabling the rice to absorb the flavours and retain heat longer. The soft, round grains mixed with colourful vegetables greatly stimulate the guests' taste buds. For newcomers to pot-cooked rice, the eatery recommends roast duck or pan-fried chicken pot rice.

According to the restaurant, the golden, spice-soaked slices of roast duck or the thinly cut, aromatic slices of pan-fried chicken offer an unforgettable experience for first-time tasters.

Alongside this, one of the unique aspects of this pot-cooked rice is the moderate quantity of food simmered in clay pots for an extended period, thus retaining warmth throughout the meal. Patrons can savour the top layer served in a bowl, whilst the remainder in the pot stays hot right down to the very last grain.

In addition to pot-cooked rice, the Cho Lon Restaurant also offers a hand-held steamed rice dish, char siu noodles, duck slow-cooked noodles, and roast duck noodles, presenting a plethora of options for those seeking a variety in flavours. The noodles here are made according to a time-honoured family recipe, which ensures firm, yet soft noodles coated in a painstakingly prepared marinate that enhances and preserves the characteristic sweetness and aroma of the dishes.

Reporting by Huynh Le - Translating by Hoai Trang