Into the melting pot

Traditional clay pot rice usually sees a handful vegetables added to the mix, a practice which Kong decided not to follow. Another creation of Kong's sees the chef altering the time when the soy sauce is added. Usually the sauce is added when the rice is fully cooked and served to the diners, but for this dish Kong adds the sauce when the rice is around 80 percent cooked and places the pot lid back on until the rice is fully cooked.

"When the server brings the pot to the table, he (she) opens the lid in front of the customers so they can savor the best aromas from the rice straight away," says Kong.

Kong uses a mixture of three different types of rice to make it chewy and enhance its fragrance. Each clay pot Kong uses can only be used a few times before it begins to crack.

According to Kong, the reason that rice tastes better in a clay pot is because the porous surface of the clay allows air to circulate around the pot, just as it would be if it was cooked over fire.

The size and shape of the pot Kong prefers are also different to the traditional ones, which are usually smaller and flatter, as Kong thinks this helps the rice cook more evenly.