Claypots are traditional Chinese dishes where rice is slowly cooked in a claypot to create a crispy bottom layer. With its unique texture and savory meat toppings, claypots are easily one of my favorite dishes.
However, they are not commonly focused on in local restaurants. With this in mind, when I first stumbled upon BZZ Claypot, it immediately caught my attention that the restaurant specializes in rice claypots.
Having recently opened around mid-March in Cupertino Village, BZZ Claypot provides a new option for those looking to try claypot meals in the area. The service was nice, and the restaurant atmosphere was enjoyable, but the food was nothing extraordinary.
Upon entering the restaurant, I was welcomed by friendly workers who were fluent in English, Mandarin and Cantonese. The restaurant features orange decor, and the walls are decorated with posters displaying various menu items, creating a warm and relaxed atmosphere.
Once seated, I was presented with table mats containing information about claypots and how to eat them. The thoughtful touch provides a helpful guide to those who are unfamiliar with this dish.
Additionally, the waiters were friendly when asked about certain menu items, and they happily explained each one in detail.
As for the menu itself, it is online and offers a diverse selection of options beyond claypots, ranging from Hong Kong milk tea to traditional Chinese desserts.
I ordered two claypots, including the egg and beef rice claypot and the secret pork ribs claypot. The former comes with a sunny-side-up egg and sautéed beef, while the latter is topped with stir-fried pork.
After around 15 minutes, the claypots arrived steaming hot and fresh, giving off a pleasant aroma. The rice was golden brown on the edges and topped with a layer of savory-smelling meat and vegetables. The claypots were served with soy sauce, allowing me to season the food to my liking.
Although I enjoyed both claypots, I quickly realized the dishes were very similar in flavor and lacked variety. All the claypots are served with plain white rice as the base, but adding more diverse flavors and seasonings would enhance the overall taste.
While this similarity is not a major setback, it makes the menu items feel repetitive, and I was tired of eating very similar dishes.
Furthermore, while the claypots I ordered had the famously crispy rice texture, the meat was over-tenderized. Instead of having the succulent chewiness that beef or pork usually has, the meat turned out to be on the softer side, which I found disappointing.
Despite this, the food portions were decent and had reasonable price tags, costing around $17 per claypot. Ultimately, the restaurant lacks variety in its claypots, but the pleasant taste and adequate portion sizes make up for this drawback.
Overall, the experience did not fully live up to my expectations, but the restaurant is authentic and serves quality dishes. As one of the few claypot restaurants in Cupertino, BZZ Claypot is still a satisfying place to dine for those who are looking to try claypots.
