Hillman is famed for its claypot dishes, so you can try anything in claypot here and not go too wrong.

This restaurant has been around since the 60s and they make sure you know that they have a history as the walls are plastered with newspaper clippings of their glorious days. But mind you, though it's known as a restaurant on its signboard, it is actually a regular cze cha place at a HDB void deck with no air condition. The antiquated menu is quite fascinating, its retro design being regularly updated by simple deletes dotted all over the pages. Besides its huge local patronage, the evenings are also pretty crowded with tables of Japanese expatriates and tourists.

Hillman is famed for its claypot dishes, so you can try anything in claypot here and not go too wrong. We ordered the beef claypot which came piping hot with tender tendons and beef pieces that were not over tenderized. The tasty gravy may taste a little salty but mix it into plain rice…. and it was yummy!

The special claypot at the top of the list of claypot dishes is a house special. Served with loads of frittered fish slices on a steaming pot of vegetables and seafood, you would have expected your palette to be invaded by a super delicious, strong tasting seafood dish but on the contrary, the taste was rather 'cheng' or bland. Thankfully, the dish was saved by the fresh seafood.

The paper wrapped chicken is also a specialty that is seen on almost every table. Oily though it may be, the meat was tender and slightly chewy. The deep fried pork ribs were a little unusual from others as they were served fry with no gravy. Very well marinated, they were fried till crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and made more succulent with tiny bits of fats on the ribs. The fried rice is another favourite with regulars. On a good day, the entire plate is filled with wok hei (breath of wok, meaning fragrant). On a bad day, it would just be edible.

 

We brought some bottles of red wine from www.winehomedelivery.com to accompany the meal. And, rest assured that the restaurant doesn't charge for corkage.

1) Chateau Haut Grignon 1998 (French) - S$ 39
It has a powerful bouquet when we opened the bottle. Goes well with the paper wrapped chicken as it has a tannie, light spicy flavour. Favoured more by wine drinkers.

2) Taja Reserva 1996 (Spanish) - S$37
This is mild and slightly acidic but a little too light for the Cantonese cuisine that we tried at Hillman.

3) Merlot, Lison-Pramaggiore 1998 (Italian) - S$36
Our favourite accompanying wine for the evening. Our wine connoisseur, Roger, commented that this is a good wine for beginners to start with as it's fragrant and mild and blends with the Asian palette. The taste of the claypot beef and deep fried pork ribs was enhanced by the Merlot.