You know what I disagree on with choice of the 4 "Heavenly Chicken Rice Kings"?
Let's see.....
1) Five Star Chicken Rice:
I have nothing much against them. They are one of my favs also. Generous portions of chicken meat have been served every time I ate there. Been to the East Coast branch and 1 of the 2 Upp Thomson Branches. Good quality yellow skinned (like Chinese lah) kampong chickens are used for the steamed version. They are not so fatty, and it's ideal for those health conscious but still wanna eat chicken rice!! And the rice is the long-grained type....my fav!
Oh yes, they have a lethal ginger paste also! One no-horse-run suggestion - mix the ginger paste with the very fragrant chicken rice, soak in a little bit of chicken soup and you'll be in heaven in T minus 3 seconds.
Only thing I don't really like is the BoonTongKee-like price for a 1-person portion...$3.80! Piangzzz..but at least it's tasty lah.
2)Loy Kee @Whampoa Market and Balestier Road
Bad service experienced at Whampoa Market branch. Knn those few Lao CBs really think they are the Boss. Cannot stand this type of bah-bai (arrogant in Cantonese) attitude. Chicken meat is sub-standard. The rest, fortunately, is forgettable. Really nothing to shout about.
3)Boon Tong Kee
This stall has ranked top of my list of favs for many a year. I had been such a big sucker for their version that I recalled driving out in the dead of the night just to buy a 1-person portion(steamed chicken), then hurried back home and eat at the kitchen counter under a dim light, not wanting to wake the others up. Hmmm don't ask me why I couldn't finish the meal there at the stall....there's just something comfy about eating alone, late at night, in a dim corner at home. And stroking my unflattering tummy afterwards...
It must be their superbly succulent steamed chicken, which they revealed to have been dunked in ice-cold water right after they are out of the steamer. This is to retain the juicy and incredibly crisp chicken skin. Oh my oh my...that's forbidden territory for alot of people I suppose.
Next, their chilli sauce easily beats the rest of the competition. Till today, even though I have vague memories of having eaten chicken rice chilli sauce of similar calibre, I couldn't recall where. BTK's (not the BTK Killer ah...but Boon Tong Kee) version of chilli sauce has successfully etched its aroma, taste, spiciness, and punch firmly in my mind although I have not visited them for quite a while. Their ginger paste though, leaves a lot of room for improvement in my opinion.
2 things I don't like about them: Pricey and no soup given. I really detest the no-soup policy. But their home-brewed barley goes pretty well with the chicken rice I must say.
4)Chatterbox @Meritus Mandarin
Er...never tried. Serious. Even though Im chicken rice siao. The sheer ridiculousness of the price puts me off already.
But I have visited the original Chatterbox chicken rice chef at his stall in Downtown East foodcourt after he left the hotel. In fact it was only a few months back that I went there.
Hmm, his version was, just to keep it simple lah, well below my expectations in every department.
So bros, you guys got any favourite chicken rice stall to recommend? Quick quick post here! By the way, who knows where the old Margaret Drive chicken rice stall has moved to ah? Heard it's dammmmmmmn powerful.
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