BT: Chicken Rice Paradise - List of favourite hawker stalls of its own

[Ah Guan]

Uncle
If u ever visit the island of Hainan today, there's no such thing as hainan chicken rice.

True. On Hainan Island, it's only called Chicken Rice.

Haahahahaha

The spore hainan chicken rice was, over the years, evolved & metamorphed, into a staple food for Sporeans by the early hainan immigrants.

The Hainanese chicken rice as we know was reinvented in sinkapore during the 50s. It's like how the Hamburger (originally a sandwich from Hamburg, Germany) is popularised in America.

On Hainan Island, the chicken is just boiled and rice cooked in chicken stock. No sesame oil, soy sauce etc added to the chicken so it's dry. But because the chickens there are raised in the 'kampung', the meat is less flabby and tastes better.

 

[middaydog]

Serangoon Garden corner coffeeshop. Same row as MacDonalds and StanChart. Open only during lunch

The only food I crave for while overseas

go JB for half a day oso must crave for Paoxin chicken rice huh ?

 

[Echo_O]

Mr Chicken rice (ex mandrin hotel chef) at downtown east is okay, although not as good as those previously listed.

 

[Porfirio Rubirosa]

yes quite well put bro...

type/selection/quality of chicken used is important...so too the quality/type of rice...and of course the way/method of cooking, all items chicken, rice, chilli and soup...

i also get the impression that alot depends on personal preferences as well...on my happy chicken rice escapdes around the island, i notice that very rarely do i get complete excellent satisfaction i.e. chicken; rice; chilli; and soup...

Dear Pro

Chicken rice in my view is a synthesis of simple yet well prepared ingredients then when combined produce pure heaven.

1. Rice- Flavor, light heavy
2. Chicken-texture of meat
texture of skin
3. Chilli Sauce-freshness piquancy,
4. Soup- flavorful no MSG delicate chicken consomme

The traditional Hainanese Chicken Rice as typified by the Swee Kee variety is heavy, rich and more greasy. Tian Tian in my view has the right balance of richness and texture, not to greasy but rich enough, the rice fragant but not heavy :_))



Cheers


Locke

 

[Porfirio Rubirosa]

when i was working in HK, i had to get use to the hongkie cantonese version of chicken rice...the steamed white chicken was quite nice and succulent but the rice lacked kick and worse of all no chilli...only chilli oil and ginger...

in bangkok, i normally drop by singapore chicken rice restaurant in soi thonglor to satisfy my craving...not bad...

Malacca and Hatyai have good chicken rice too. Malacca's is the chicken riceball style which, for some reasons, seems have faded away in Singapore by the 80s. However, chicken riceball was quite popular in Singapore in the 70s and before, and for my taste, undisputably more delicious than a regular bowl or plate of of loose chicken rice. Perhaps it's harder to cook and make. Hatyai chicken rice looks like Singapore chicken rice but it's taste is certainly fresher. They slaughter their own live chicken somewhere behind the kitchen or nearby the stall.

 

[TeeKee]

Mr Chicken rice (ex mandrin hotel chef) at downtown east is okay, although not as good as those previously listed.

the mandarin hotel chicken rice is not that good leh.

the rice is not completely cooked.

the chicken so-so..

but it's so bloody expensive...for a chicken rice...

any hawker centers chicken rice you mentioned here could easily beat them....cheaper some more..

anybody knows where to eat good fried chicken rice? used to like the one beside the supreme court...

 

[Ramseth]

Is Hainanese "white chopped chicken" steamed? It's boiled and dripped dry, isn't it?

 

[Porfirio Rubirosa]

yes...i think steamed version is cantonese style...btw i have seen some dunking the chicken in ice cold water straight after it has been boiled hainanese style to keep the moisture and succulent taste/texture...

Is Hainanese "white chopped chicken" steamed? It's boiled and dripped dry, isn't it?

 

[Ramseth]

yes...i think steamed version is cantonese style...btw i have seen some dunking the chicken in ice cold water straight after it has been boiled hainanese style to keep the moisture and succulent taste/texture...

Yes, the out of hot soup to cold water dip routine is to protect texture, just like what wanton noodle sellers do when preparing the noodles.

By the way, referring back to the article you quoted, the writer seems to know nuts about chicken rice, kept referring to the chicken as steamed.

 

[TeeKee]

By the way, referring back to the article you quoted, the writer seems to know nuts about chicken rice, kept referring to the chicken as steamed.

steamed chicken can retain the moisture...

i prefer juicy and moist chicken...the leg part...

not dry and hard....like the chicken breast part..

 

[Ah Guan]

go JB for half a day oso must crave for Paoxin chicken rice huh ?

Uncle... not funny.... i'm really craving for it right now :(

 

[Papsmearer]

I think overall, the quality of chicken rice has declined throughout S'pore in the last 15 years or so. Now, a lot of stores using frozen chicken. The difference is quite obvious.

 

[singveld]

I think overall, the quality of chicken rice has declined throughout S'pore in the last 15 years or so. Now, a lot of stores using frozen chicken. The difference is quite obvious.

no joke.
one is progress, pap insist on improvement, increase in rent, people who can really cook, get out of business, only left some people who know little left in the business.

the last 15 years decline in standard,

can you imagine the next 15 years, we only have china food and india food left, all the FT are taking over the food court and hawker center.


another total decline is our KFC. KFC 15 years ago and now, is night and day. fxxking total disgrace. something to do with hallah food and where they source the chicken, go back to good old no muslim KFC if it can bring back the glory glory day of KFC, export chicken from USA, raise the price, i dun care, i want good KFC. not the shit they sell now.

 

[TeeKee]

I think overall, the quality of chicken rice has declined throughout S'pore in the last 15 years or so. Now, a lot of stores using frozen chicken. The difference is quite obvious.

frozen or farmed, still no good chicken...

roaming chickens produces the best quality meat...

 

[Ramseth]

steamed chicken can retain the moisture...

i prefer juicy and moist chicken...the leg part...

not dry and hard....like the chicken breast part..

There's no such thing as steamed chicken rice in Singapore as far as I know. What's a real dish of steamed chicken rice? It was available from dimsum stalls like Swee Chun (Jalan Besar) in the 80s and before.

The rice is lightly cooked (unlike regular chicken rice flavor-cooked in chicken broth). The chicken is lightly braised, then chopped up into small portions like dimsum dishes. Then both are steamed in separate trays with other dimsum dishes like siewmai and harkou. When the customer orders, then the steamed chicken is topped onto the steamed rice.

Swee Chun is still there in Jalan Besar today, but this delightful dish of steamed chicken and rice has been missing for many years now.

 

[Porfirio Rubirosa]

i think there is...for instance crystal jade kitchen...

There's no such thing as steamed chicken rice in Singapore as far as I know.

 

[jw5]

Porfirio
Since you are such a chicken rice fan , can I ask your opinion of Big Bird chicken rice?
My opinion is that the rice and chilli are unique, and some people would find them uniquely delicious. But nothing special about the chicken and they don't give free soup. Also rather expensive, but then again, they do provide an aircon environment.

 

[zhihau]

this weekend's BT lists out afew favourite chicken rice hawker stalls of its own apart from the old standbys like Chin Chin, Yet Con, Swee Kee, Loy Kee, Wee Nam Kee and Boon Tong Kee...what do you chaps think?

heheh...

folks should try out the Wen Hua Yuan Chicken Rice stall at Old Airport Road lah... succulent white chicken, nicely done roast chicken, the rice is firm and not too lemak, and nicely done with the ginger and garlic taste. the chilli is pretty good and not too spicy, the garlic/ginger mix goes so well with the white chicken... bon appetite! :p:p:p

 

[Porfirio Rubirosa]

i use to quite like the old Big Bird @ peace ctr or was it paradiz or parklane in selegie rd?...yes the attraction was the rice and chilli (it had a certain tangy taste) and you are right no free soup just like boon tong kee...chicken portions were ok...i have not tried the new Bird Bird at Pomo which is the new building in selegie replacing paradiz...oh and the service at its balmoral plaza branch sucks, prcs manning this one...

Porfirio
Since you are such a chicken rice fan , can I ask your opinion of Big Bird chicken rice?
My opinion is that the rice and chilli are unique, and some people would find them uniquely delicious. But nothing special about the chicken and they don't give free soup. Also rather expensive, but then again, they do provide an aircon environment.

 

[Porfirio Rubirosa]

another on my to try list

heheh...

folks should try out the Wen Hua Yuan Chicken Rice stall at Old Airport Road lah... succulent white chicken, nicely done roast chicken, the rice is firm and not too lemak, and nicely done with the ginger and garlic taste. the chilli is pretty good and not too spicy, the garlic/ginger mix goes so well with the white chicken... bon appetite! :p:p:p