Clay Pot Cafe (旺角煲仔饭）

Authenticity is the name of the game. Having brought two of my friends here for an afternoon lunch, they were stunned by how good the clay pot rice was! For them, it was a new dish. For me, it was nostalgia. The aromas from the pot were addicting, the crispy rice at the bottom and edges were great, and the rice itself was seasoned very well. Although they ordered small sizes, I’d recommend getting a medium if you’re a big eater (but they say it’s for two servings). Service is as expected: straightforward and quick, yet still slow enough to ask for dietary restrictions or specific changes to a given dish (e.g. I asked for no cilantro). If you know Cantonese, Mandarin, Taishanese, or one of a couple other dialects, it’ll help you for sure. Otherwise, don’t worry too much about it if you feel pressured to order fast. The lunch atmosphere was very hustle and bustle; I can only imagine what it’d be like by dinner time. Besides that, seating is limited and the room is quite tight so you might be asked to share a table if you have an odd number of people. Lastly, is the food-to-dollar ratio worth it? Kinda. If you’re not a big eater and don’t eat this often, then yes. If you are and do, then no. But if you want a taste of home *and* to share that experience with your friends, this is a prime place to visit.

Absolutely love Clay Pot Cafe! This place has become one of my go-to spots for comfort food. Their casseroles and clay pot rice are packed with flavor — perfectly cooked with that delicious crispy rice at the bottom that you can only get from a real clay pot. You can tell they take pride in the details. The Cantonese milk tea is also top-notch — strong, smooth, and perfectly sweetened. Tastes just like what you’d get in Hong Kong. Authentic, cozy, and consistent. Highly recommend for anyone craving real Cantonese flavors!

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Clay Pot Cafe in Boston’s Chinatown is a hidden gem for authentic Cantonese comfort food. Their rice rolls are silky smooth and melt in your mouth, offering a delightful texture that’s hard to find elsewhere. The stir-fried green beans are perfectly cooked—crisp, flavorful, and seasoned just right. The staff is friendly, and the atmosphere is cozy, making it a great spot for a satisfying meal. Highly recommend! 

About as authentic as it gets. The clay pot rice and vegetable dishes were incredible. The woman running front of house was super friendly. Cramped space but it added to the experience.

This is a multiple visit potential. The stir fried bean stalk were very good but the curry fishballs were not hot enough. Proper clay pot rice but a bit too dried. They should have added lighter sauce after removing from fire (or offer to add). I had to ask for more sauce. Great service but too pushy in upselling drinks. Be prepared to share table.

This small but mighty shop serves amazing piping hot clay pot rice, but with limited seating there may be a worthwhile wait. This spot is perfect for a relaxing meal on a cold day. Food: Clay pot rice is a very comforting dish and a great way to explore more unique Chinese foods. The clay pot rices we got had the perfect crispy sides that paired well with the more tender proteins that tops the rice. The flavors were on the mellow side but still flavorful, meaning you didn’t need to take breaks besides cooling down your next spoonful. My favorite part was so hot the dish stays as you continue to eat. Even 20 minutes after they were served, the rice was still piping hot! Service: It’s a small operation with 1-2 sweet ladies in the front serving and taking orders. They do their best to accommodate all customers to limit their wait times so sometimes you may end up saying a table with another small group. Atmosphere: This spot is cozy but can get a little hectic at times given the small space. This isn’t the type of place to enjoy a long drawn out meal. It’s a no fuss stop just looking to serve great food to as many people as they can.

I ordered the clay pot rice, and it was very disappointing — the flavor was plain and the meat did not taste fresh. The restaurant itself was extremely dirty and had an unpleasant smell; it did not feel hygienic at all. The service was also terrible, with the owner being especially rude. Overall, this was one of the worst dining experiences I’ve had, and I would not recommend this place.

one of the few places in boston that feel truly hole in the wall anymore. high quality delicious dishes at reasonable prices. our hack is to get the “small” clay pot because the larger sizes give proportionally more rice than protein. would recommend everything we ordered, which was the chinese broccoli, scrambled egg and shrimp, sausage clay pot and pork clay pot!