The ubiquitous Hainanese Chicken Rice is pretty much a staple in Singapore. It’s even loosely referred to as our national delicacy, and for good reason. This iconic dish may look deceptively simple but the preparation process is, in fact, a meticulous one—the chicken has got to be lean and tender, and the rice is usually cooked with the oil which comes from the meat. Served with black soy sauce, chilli, and soup, this is one dish that most locals simply can’t do without!
Since there’s an abundance of stalls selling this very dish, where can one go to sample some of the best Chicken Rice in Singapore? Read on to find out! (Note: this is a non-exhaustive list.)
Boon Tong Kee Chicken Rice (Balestier Road)
For Silky White Sauce Chicken
What started out as a small stall in Chinatown back in 1979 eventually became a full-blown restaurant when Mr Thian Boon Hua rallied his family members to establish Boon Tong Kee in 1983. Building upon the popularity of his silky white sauce chicken, the restaurant has since garnered many accolades, and today, they’ve established outlets at MacPherson Road, Whampoa West, River Valley Road, Cheong Chin Nam Road, and East Coast Road. Order their standard Chicken Rice Combo Set ($7) and maybe add on some ‘Zi Char’ style dishes to go with it too!
Ji De Lai Hainanese Chicken Rice
Photo by Burppler Qing Xiang
For Value-For-Money Chicken Rice
If you stay in the Yishun area, you most certainly have to try Ji De Lai Hainanese Chicken Rice at Chong Pang Food Centre. At $3.50 per plate, their standard Chicken Rice ($3.50) is value-for-money, and even the Chicken Drumstick Rice ($4.80) upgrade won’t set you back by too much. You can even get bigger portions to feed 2 and 3 people at $9 and $14 respectively. Don’t forget to amplify your meal by adding more ingredients like their Bean Sprouts ($3.50 - $4.50), Oyster Sauce Vegetables ($3.50 - $4.50), and for the adventurous, Chicken Innards ($0.50). Patrons keep returning for their flavourful chicken and fragrant rice—a killer combination if you ask us.
Xing Yun Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice
Photo by Burppler Vanessa Kou
For A Tender And Flavourful Boneless Chicken
Located within the Yuhua Market and Hawker Centre is Xing Yun Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice which is better known for their tender and flavourful steamed chicken meat. Not to mention, it’s wonderfully aromatic rice that seeks to complement the succulent, sauce-laden protein perfectly.
If you’re dining with family, you might want to opt for the Half Chicken ($12) or Whole Chicken ($24); this comes with pineapple and tomato slices that offer some tanginess to the savoury dish as a whole. You can get 2 plates of rice at $1 and other add-on ingredients like egg, liver and gizzard at $0.50. Otherwise, a regular plate of Chicken Rice ($3.50) or Chicken Drumstick & Wings with Rice ($5.60) should suffice.
Be sure to head down early during lunch time as the stall usually has snaking long queues!
Hoe Kee Kitchen
Photo by Burppler Joe Yang
For $2 Chicken Rice
$2 Chicken Rice. Enough said. To sink your teeth into this amazing deal, head over to Hoe Kee Kitchen at Jurong West 505 Food Centre! They’re known for their steamed chicken rice which boasts an incredibly tender meat and fragrant rice to boot. If just a plate isn’t enough to sate your appetite, you can also choose to purchase half a Chicken ($11) or a whole ($22)! And, don’t forget to take some of their chilli sauce with you—drench this over your chicken (and rice) for maximum enjoyment.
Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice
For Anthony Bourdain-Approved Chicken Rice
Looking for high quality Chicken Rice? Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice is sure to impress you—after all, this was approved by celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain himself. I mean, just look at the thick sauce drenched over their fresh steamed chicken. Plus, their flavourful rice (cooked in chicken stock) is so tasty that it can easily be eaten on its own; in fact, this is what most patrons reportedly come back for. The best part? A portion of Chicken Rice with a bowl of soup only costs $5. Load up on their chilli and dark soy sauce while you’re there!
Note: they’ve got outlets at Maxwell Food Centre, Bedok, and Clementi.
