http://www.soshiok.com/articles/14072/
Tian Tian Chicken Rice - worth the wait?
Mon Sep 07 2009
Audrey Phoon
The Business Times
Singapore, September 5, 2009 - TO queue or not to queue?
That is the question when it comes to Tian Tian. Many of those who do - workers from around the area who spend precious minutes of their lunchtime in line; sweaty tourists clutching guidebooks that have pointed them there - find it worth their while for a helping of what celebrity chefs Anthony Bourdain and Tetsuya Wakuda have christened the best chicken rice in the world.
And indeed, the chicken (there's only the steamed kind here, which you can have with separate side orders of beansprouts or cuttlefish) is moist and tender, and the al dente-style rice is all plump grains with shiny coats of chicken fat fried with gobs of garlic and ginger.
But is it the best, or even worth a 20-minute wait? The flavour of the chicken itself can be lacklustre, and the lime-infused chilli sauce is flat. The rice could do with a little more fragrance too.
At $2.80 for a small serving and $3.30 for a large one, though, Tian Tian doesn't gobble up the pocket as it does your time. And there's no doubt overall quality is more than decent.
Perhaps the best solution, then, is to call the lady boss Mrs Loi and do a takeaway if you have more than six orders - she'll have it ready for you by the time you arrive so you can skip the queue and still have your fix.
Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice Stall
No 10 Maxwell Food Centre Maxwell Road
Tel: 9691-4852
11am to 8pm (closed Mondays)
Tian Tian Chicken Rice - worth the wait?
Mon Sep 07 2009
Audrey Phoon
The Business Times
Singapore, September 5, 2009 - TO queue or not to queue?
That is the question when it comes to Tian Tian. Many of those who do - workers from around the area who spend precious minutes of their lunchtime in line; sweaty tourists clutching guidebooks that have pointed them there - find it worth their while for a helping of what celebrity chefs Anthony Bourdain and Tetsuya Wakuda have christened the best chicken rice in the world.
And indeed, the chicken (there's only the steamed kind here, which you can have with separate side orders of beansprouts or cuttlefish) is moist and tender, and the al dente-style rice is all plump grains with shiny coats of chicken fat fried with gobs of garlic and ginger.
But is it the best, or even worth a 20-minute wait? The flavour of the chicken itself can be lacklustre, and the lime-infused chilli sauce is flat. The rice could do with a little more fragrance too.
At $2.80 for a small serving and $3.30 for a large one, though, Tian Tian doesn't gobble up the pocket as it does your time. And there's no doubt overall quality is more than decent.
Perhaps the best solution, then, is to call the lady boss Mrs Loi and do a takeaway if you have more than six orders - she'll have it ready for you by the time you arrive so you can skip the queue and still have your fix.
Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice Stall
No 10 Maxwell Food Centre Maxwell Road
Tel: 9691-4852
11am to 8pm (closed Mondays)
