Food courts typically evoke images of curries languishing in bain-maries, crabstick sushi gone crusty at the ends and pre-made sandwiches oozing cheap mayonnaise. Happily, not all food court meals have you aiming both barrels in your mouth.
Enter EC Pot.
In the windowless basement of the QV Building this little Asian eatery is tucked away in a far corner with views of Dan Murphy’s checkouts. It’s not exactly what you’d call a ‘view restaurant’.
Its specialty is the Chinese clay pot cooking. Clay pots range from vegetables and tofu to the more daring spare ribs and chicken feet in black bean sauce. Peek behind the counter to see the stainless steel custom-built cook top, where multiple hotpots can cook simultaneously. After a 15-minute wait, a small black hot pot arrives on top of a wooden chopping board. The lid is lifted to reveal the ‘seasonal fresh combination’. This mixture of surf and turf is served in a light oyster-sauce gravy, perfect for mopping up with fluffy rice. Even better, when you hit the rice at the bottom it has a slight crunch.
For the next visit, the chicken and mushroom hotpot looks like a tasty goer, but if hotpots don’t set your heart racing then there are noodles and stir fries to choose from.
Plenty of effort has gone into keeping the interior of EC Pot clean and contemporary with timber finishes, chocolate tones and lucky waving cats. The food also shows the same effort: it’s fast (but not slapdash), good value and handled with care.