Claypot Restaurant

Had a taste for some beef noodle soup «phở» & called in a to go order at the claypot in Berkeley. I get all the way home and very disappointed!!! The noodles and the beef barley filled half the container! I spent $ 21 & some change for about an ounce and maybe quarter of beef and noodles together. I called back and was told sorry! I want a refund… I wont be back… Highway robbery! SMH

I drove by this place about a month ago and saw the business name, I was hooked. I love me some claypot rice, so steamy, hot and full of flavor. Nope, not this place.
If I can just draw a sad face for the review, that would summed it up.

At least I tried.
We walked in, and the first thing we notice was it was pretty empty, but it was a Sunday night, could be a slow night, there were only 3 other tables eating.
The décor was ok, they look like they didn’t do much from the bar look that must have been here before. The bar counter was still there, the bar back. The uncomfortable seating.
And it was COLD. It was cold outside, but it was colder in the restaurant.
But no big deal, it’s a little uncomfortable, but if they have great food, all is good right… not so much.
Service here took forever, they are came by with some water and tea and left us alone for 15 mins. I was trying, without success to wave someone down. There looked like three people working there in the dining room, but 2 ½ were watching the basketball game.
Still, it COULD BE KICK ASS food.
Not really, food was not awful, no, it was not awful, that’s why there’s a second star on the review, but it was not good. Everything came out not hot, kinda just warm, not cold, just warm, even the claypot rice.
Here’s what we ordered:
Pork Belly claypot: This was actually the highlight of the dinner, meat was tender, rice was good. The portion was a little small, but no serious complaints on this one.
House Claypot: Lukewarm at best, the rice didn’t have any flavor to it, the shrimp lacked seasoning, and the pork/​chicken (honestly, not sure if it was pork or chicken) was so fatty and chewy I could eat it.
Coconut shrimp Udon: I think they put all the seasoning for all the dishes into this one soup. It was as if we were drinking salt water mixed with coconut.
Shrimp dumpling soup: Again, lukewarm soup, there was a nice layer of salt on the bottom, as the soup was not hot enough to dissolve it. The dumplings were actually ok, just on the borderline of cold/​lukewarm.
House Phở: Can’t go to a Vietnamese place without ordering one, I think it’s against the law. But I shouldn’t have. Lukewarm soup with a couple of slices of brisket, a couple of pieces of beefballs,
Veggie and tofu chow fun: This would have been ok, if they didn’t drown the whole dish with sauce. It looked like we were eating a thick veggie soup with chow fun noodles in the bottom.
Hanannaies Chicken Rice: I had the traditional ones before, many times. This was a childhood favorite so I know it was not suppose to come with sweet and sour vinaigrette. My disappointment of the night. I think I cried into the cold rice.
Overall, the ideas for the dishes were solid, could be really really good. The way it came out, not so much. Maybe if it starts getting 5 stars all over the place, I might come back and try it again, but not likely.

We used to loove this restaurant. It’s food is tasty, abundant and just great, especially the Phở. Really good broth with lots of different meats. However last Wednesday we ordered for take out, craving precisely all of this flavors in the Phở, and we were extremely disappointed. The broth was still good, but there was barely any meat in it. I would rather pay a bit more for the dish, rather than have its integrity compromised.
Too bad, we are hoping this was our experience in taking out rather than eating in (it amazing how this happens, but it does), so we may give Claypot another chance, sometime in the future.

I was just recommended this restaurant by my cousin. I love it because they have a diverse menu and healthy lifestyle. Fast service and good staff. Just 1 minus score is my chair is broken and a bit weird to sit on with some friends around.

It’s aite the pork belly was super hyped by people so I tried it it was really tender which I like but it lacked in flavor and everything else seemed to be the same

Great concept. I personally love eating claypots. This spot was missing the most important part of the claypot though! I always look forward to the crunchy rice at the bottom of the bowl. At this restaurant, it was almost as if they just heated up some bowls, scooped some rice in, and served them to our table.
We ordered 2 different ones: caramelized pork belly and chicken, chinese sausage, and shiitake. The ingredients were flavorful. Great seasoning and portion sizes. Unfortunately, the pork belly was too chewy and difficult to eat.
The service was friendly. No complaints there. Great ambiance as I loved the tables and décor. 3 stars.

Great food combined with excellent service and a wonderful environment! Try the potstickers!

Gross, gross, gross!
I would come here for lunch pretty regularly and now I will never, ever return. I’ve also been telling everyone not to go here because:
I ordered Thit Kho with rice, bok choy. The pork was totally spoiled. It was foul! It was as if the meat had been left on the counter, overnight, and then they microwaved it for me the following morning. Absolutely disgusting.
When I returned to show the servers/​hostess, they did NOT apologize or own up to the restaurant’s spoiled food. They silently gave me a refund, and I walked out with no apology.
Don’t eat here unless you want to risk getting food poisoning.

I came in the early afternoon as I was waiting for my car next door at the mechanic. There weren’t many people in the restaurant and I was greeted promptly by the very nice hostess. I sat down and had the coconut curry udon, substituted vermicelli for the udon. The hostess and the server both checked on me and were very nice, attentive, and accommodating. The curry was DELICIOUS! So mouthwateringly good. It was a little over salted, but I do like salt so I enjoyed it. It was very reasonably priced at $ 10 and I was totally stuffed. It was a delicious curry broth, super enjoyable. I will be back!

Been here a couple times always ordering the Claypot. Remember this is Vietnamese asian fusion so dont expect a bipinbop with a super piping hot stone bowl where ur rice should turn crunchy if u leave it in the bowl for a while. its a very warm claypot thatll keep the contents hot while u eat it. the portions are ok for the claypots more on the veggie side and less on the meat.
Today i switched it up and got the vermincelli pork w extra 3 $ meat (this just means an extra skewer of meat pork beef or chicken) i got chicken. i felt the portions in this bowl is better and well balanced more noodles less veggies and two pork skewers (3 if u want to add the chicken extra meat one). theres also a fried egg roll thats been cut in half and it goes well with the whole combo of things like the sweet fish sauce they give with a little bit of Sriracha and chili paste. overall the serving was just right and usually when i have a claypot i feel like i can eat some more appetizers afterwards.
Service is always on point and their friendliness makes it easy feel welcome at the restaurant. Definitely coming back to try a rice plate next time.

Went to Claypot last night for dinner with some friends. Upon entry on a Friday night, the place was only about half full so I anticipated that the customer service would be on point. We stood at the front of the restaurant and waited to be seated. When we were shown to our table, they brought us waters but no menus. After about five minutes of waiting, my friend finally got up and grabbed us menus from the back counter since no one had come around to give them to us.
After looking over the menu, we all decided on phở. About ten minutes later, our waitress comes back around to take our order. I wanted a glass of chardonnay (they only have one offering of white and red wine), which I came to find that they were out of, and they were also out of my second and third choice of the two beers that were not IPAs. Why would a restaurant allow themselves to be out of so many varieties of alcohol? So… I had water.
About 30 minutes later we received our dinner (which normally wouldn’t be too bad of a wait but phở isn’t something that I’ve ever had take more than 10 minutes to be served). That said, it was worth the wait, the broth was delicious, the meats were tender and the presentation was very nice.
If the service weren’t so slow and if they actually had the beer and wine selections they claim to have, I’d probably come back here.

My roommate and I came here for dinner. We eat ordered a vermicelli bowl — mine with pork, hers with chicken. The meat was tasty but it was stuck so closely to the skewer and was hard to pry off, the noodles were kind of soggy, and the sauce was extremely fishy compared to other restaurants. Overall, it was a bit disappointing but I’m not opposed to coming back and trying other items on their menu.
–Update–
Came back here because I had a craving for phở. Then I saw that they charged $ 10 a bowl… phở should never cost that much. So I ordered the mongolian beef claypot instead. This dish was good and came out piping hot. I wouldn’t mind ordering that again.

I had been craving Vietnamese clay pot for a while and I always passed this place whenever I was on San Pablo. I asked my boyfriend if we could check it out tonight and it was delicious!
Our waitress was very friendly and suggested we order the house claypot, which came with chicken, shrimp and veggies. The chicken was a bit tough — I’m not sure if that’s the traditional way to prepare the meat? We also ordered the chicken, chinese sausage and shiitake mushroom claypot and that was great as well — the mushrooms were so soft and juicy. Both dishes were a tad salty for my taste, but nothing overwhelming. The little crispy bits of rice that come with claypot are so good. I also enjoyed the slaw that came on the side for both.
The restaurant is spacious and clean, with pretty wooden tables. It was a bummer to see it pretty empty during dinner time but it was a Wednesday night and I’m guessing the location as well doesn’t get a lot of traffic. However I’ll come back next time I’m craving claypot :)

Spring rolls have pork and shrimp. Should have left the pork out… it tasted old. The peanut sauce was very thick and not so good. I had to thin it out with my water. Too much corn starch maybe? Ive made peanut sauce and its not difficult. Why is it so hard to find good Thai?
3 stars because I did not try anything else. Maybe fresh rolls are not their specialty.

The house claypot was amazing, as was the coconut milk (in a fresh young coconut), and the mint lemonade. (And my friends have given me a pretty good understanding of what good Vietnamese food should be like).
The place is spacious and beautiful — modern, but with exposed beams, handmade wooden furniture, tasteful décor.
Everything was thought through, and nothing cluttered.
The owners (mother and daughter duo, I think?) were super nice, and seemed genuinely happy with our food order.
All in all, I would definitely come back, whether with a dear friend and a large group :)

Came here last weekend for dinner and luckily it wasn’t busy. We ordered the spring rolls which was good, the rice paper, alittle sticky but good. I got the house claypot which included chicken, pork, shrimp and vegetables which was nice, hot, and yummy. My friend got the pork belly with vegetables and that was really good too. The sauce on it mixed with the rice was very good. The only thing I wished was that the claypot it was in would create that cripiness to the rice.
Overall, a good place to hit up for some good olé rice dish.

I’m a fan of claypot cookery, and the house special claypot here is one of the best I’ve had. Not too salty, not too sweet, not too greasy. Just right. And reasonable at $ 9, with the side of Asian slaw being a nice touch.
Others here have said that this dish serves two, but I definitely didn’t find that to be the case. It was just the right amount for me, and I’m not a big eater.

The biggest problem with Claypot restaurant is your proximity to Mint Leaf restaurant next to Berkeley Bowl West. Claypot has perfectly acceptable Vietnamese food, but Mint Leaf is better.
I’m sorry to do you like that Claypot, I just call it like I see it. It’s not you it’s me. Our brief romance was fun while it lasted, and I’ll always remember all the lunches you plied me with.
Sadly, I’m ending it. Your Banh Mi sandwiches have continued to go down-​hill. The grilled pork is not using good cuts of meat, and it’s not well trimmed. Much of the grilled pork is too fatty, and some of the pieces are just fat, no meat. You’ve also started adding a LOT of curried mayonnaise based sauce to each sandwich, masking the fresh flavor of the Banh Mi, and making for a soggy sandwich.
It’s not all bad, recapping from my previous review:
THE GOOD:
— The service staff are friendly and helpful.
— The seating area is well lit from all the big windows and high ceiling, but also quiet enough to have an intimate conversation.
— The price is right

Claypot dishes and its regional variants (i.e. dolsot bibimbap) are one of my favorite dishes and I’m a huge fan of any restaurant that can do it right.
VENUE: A simple restaurant located on one of the quieter areas of Berkeley. The restaurant itself is quite spacious and surrounded by tables on all sides with a long communal table in the center. Unlike 4^th Street or the area around Cal it’s much easier to find street parking within several blocks of the restaurant.
SERVICE: As I get there when the restaurant opens I’m usually seated quickly, get my meal ordered within a few minutes of being seated and I get my claypot dish within 10 minutes of ordering.
I tried two of the claypot dishes, the house and caramelized pork belly ($ 9), with additional $ 1.50 for an over easy egg.
— The egg definitely adds to dish as an additional source of protein and goes well mixing in with the rice. That’s why the egg is intentionally somewhat undercooked.
— For both dishes if you scrape the claypot you get quite a bit of crispy rice, which is essentially the best part about eating claypot. Part of the fun of eating claypot dishes is mixing the meat, veggies and rice together. I love to hear the crackle of the rice cooking as the claypot is presented and when I’m mixing the ingredients together.
— The pork belly had a little more fat than my preference but the pork meat just melted in my mouth. The meat tastes like it was first braised then quickly pan-​fried. The lone vegetable is bok choy, which is surprisingly quite crunchy. There was enough bok choy so I didn’t feel *too* guilty eating some of the pork belly fat. Taking out the fat I was able to get a full meal out of a serving.
— House claypot consists of a meat, shrimp and vegetable medley containing baby corn, carrots, broccoli and mushroom. I feel more inclined to eat the house claypot as they stuff that bowl with lots of veggies yet it doesn’t look like they skimped out on the meat either. I was able to get 2 meals out of the pot.
I definitely look forward to coming back and trying more of their claypot dishes such as Chinese sausage and Mongolian beef. Though they are known for their claypots they also serve other Vietnamese staple dishes such as vermicelli salads, phở and banh mi.

Stopped in to get some lunch! Clay pot was recommended to me and I was excited to have some Vietnamese food! The restaurant is large, open, and has large windows that let in lots of natural light. There is family style seating at a long bar/​table in the center of the restaurant and plenty of spacious tables around it.
The servers were very accommodating and recommended some of their popular dishes since I didnt now what to get. Their claypots are their specialty and I was recommended the Candied Pork Belly and the beef clay pot. I went with the Candied Pork Belly and I was more that satisfied with the recommendation. I opted for the egg on top and with all of the piping hot ingredients it turned out to be an extremely enjoyable meal! The clay pot is very hot when it comes out so be careful! The ingredients continue to cook as you eat and the rice gets nice and crispy around the edge of the bowl. The pork belly was very tender and had a nice fat to meat ratio resulting in a soft texture and very flavorful and enjoyable experience. Like I previously said, it comes out hot but is worth every mouth burn! Maybe wait a minute or two before digging it. I am just impatient. ;)
My friend accidentally left her credit card at the restaurant and they chased us down the block to return it! Amazing! Thanks Claypot for a wonderful dining experience! I’ll be back!