Got to learn from social media that Chef Lai Cafe had recently opened a second outlet at Sim Lim Square — for those whom hadn’t heard of Chef Lai Cafe, the establishment has been in operation for quite a long while within The Adelphi; in fact, Chef Lai Cafe is best known for its chicken rice offerings, considering how Chef Lai himself was also previously from Chatterbox — a restaurant within Mandarin Orchard that is best known for its chicken rice. Its Sim Lim Square outlet is located at the second floor of the shopping gallery — the same as where most of the other notable eateries such as that of Taste Good, 3 Meals a Day 一日三餐, and Nanyang Spice 南洋香馆 are all located, though Chef Lai Cafe is located in the next row of shops that is after where one can find the Killiney Kopitiam outlet there. Chef Lai Cafe at its Sim Lim Square location attempts to be more vibrant than that of their The Adelphi location; whilst the dine-in area is still decked in a rather functional manner, one can observe that the dine-in space is much more spacious and colourful – perhaps to keep things up to date for the brand. Dining tables are arranged in a manner that suits groups of up to six (6) pax. The menu at Chef Lai Cafe at its Sim Lim Square outlet is largely similar to what they serve up at their location at The Adelphi; the food menu is split into sections dedicated to set meals and ala-carte , while beverages available includes the homemade barley and canned drinks.

The difference between the Chef Lai Chicken Rice Set and the ala-carte version of the dish is how the set does come alongside with the Vegetable of the Day, as well as being accompanied by a bowl of soup on the side and more slices of chicken. Other than the aforementioned items, the Chef Lai Chicken Rice would come with the usual suspects — chicken that is doused with soy sauce and the Hainanese-style chicken rice. Digging into the rice, we were already very impressed with the consistency of the rice here; the rice is sufficiently moist without being too greasy or wet as how it would be for some cases; the rice also carries a good fragrance of the chicken oil and garlic that is pretty delicious on its own. The chicken was also yet another stunner at Chef Lai Cafe with its tender and juicy flesh with gelatinous skin — silken smooth without feeling anywhere dry with that streakiness of the fibres within the meat that can be felt at other establishments serving up the same. The chicken is also doused in a light soy sauce that adds a savoury aroma that brings out the flavours of the chicken, yet also gives the chicken a contrast of flavours as well. The accompanying chili here does seem to lack of that sourish tang and zing from calamansi, though it does carry quite a good kick from the fresh chili padi that adds a kick of spiciness that those whom are tolerable to moderate levels of spiciness should be able to manage. The Vegetable of the Day turns out to be Kang Kong in Oystee Sauce; coming with fried shallots topping off the dish, the vegetables come doused in a savoury sauce that carried quite a bit of depth while the Kang Kong itself carried a good crunch around the stems with soft and crisp leaves; the addition of shallots bring yet another dimension of crispness with a fragrance. The accompanying bowl of soup is what some would call ABC Soup; the soup coming with a natural note of sweetness from the radish added — the radish within the soup coming all soft without much effort needed to chew through, while the soup also came with chicken flesh and Goji Berries as well.

Having tried their Braised Pork Rice previously at their outlet at The Adelphi, we must say that we are definitely impressed with how their Chef Lai Chicken Rice Set turned out to be — undoubtedly a signature dish of theirs, and whilst being an establishment where patrons are likely to carry expectations given how the chef had once worked at an establishment best noted for its upscale version of the local Hainanese-style Chicken Rice, Chef Lai Cafe’s rendition of the dish does not disappoint. With all of its set meals being priced at $7.50, Chef Lai Cafe also presents itself as a pretty accessible everyday dining option around the Rochor area that caters to the students, office workers and shoppers in the area; definitely one spot which we would consider dining at especially if in the area. A spot that is with making the trip down for their chicken rice, we would also like to take the opportunity to congratulate the folks behind Chef Lai Cafe on the opening of their new outlet, and wish them all the best to come in the days ahead!