5 rising Chicken Rice masters you have to try in Singapore

PUBLISHED July 13th, 2014 01:14 am | UPDATED May 22nd, 2017 02:32 pm

This world-famous staple chicken rice in Singapore is available almost everywhere, including hawkers, school canteens and restaurants, and variations of it can also be found in different parts of the world – though any local would tell you the best is right here on our sunny island. This dish has crucial elements of fragrant oily rice topped with tender chicken, accompanied by a trio of sauces: chilli sauce containing sriracha, lime juice, chicken broth, ginger and garlic; dark soy sauce; and a garlicky ginger sauce.

Although simple-looking in appearance, chicken rice is unique in its depth of flavours that come from utilising different techniques and chicken parts in cooking. The rice grains, for example, are first fried in chicken fat before being cooked in chicken broth and sometimes ginger. The chicken, which has to be at the perfect size to produce enough oil for flavour but is not tough, is often soaked in ice-cold water right after cooking to ensure the meat stays tender – which is why it is often served at room temperature or even cold.

This is a dish that spells home for many locals, and it is of little wonder that Chicken Rice has a spot in CNN Go’s World’s 50 most delicious foods. We all know the big players such as Boon Tong Kee, Wee Nam Kee and Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice, but these five other establishments are rising to be competitors for the best chicken rice around.

1. Tong Fong Fatt

20 Ghim Moh Road, Singapore, 270020

Here at Tong Fong Fatt, you are greeted by chicken bones hung in a row, an old tradition used to represent the number of chickens sold to impress customers. The chicken also comes boneless and drenched in a special sauce that contains 12 different ingredients (!). We could detect the presence of sesame oil, which made it so fragrant we couldn’t help slurping it up with the rice, which was also exquisitely flavoured with a lovely chicken taste. This, coupled with the rice’s fabulous texture and subtle sweet aftertaste, makes for a dangerous combination ominous of an epic food coma as they serve generous portions at a very affordable price as well. Do note that they have a few outlets around the island.

2. Yet Con Restaurant

25 Purvis Street, Singapore. 188602

Yet Con has been operating at the very same spot since 1940, with its décor kept like the kopitiams of the 1960s. Its reputation for Hainanese Chicken Rice has also survived through the ages, along with the real Hainanese tradition of serving its chicken without any dressing sauce. Keeping to the old recipe also means that their chicken is not soaked in cold water and is cooked to the bone, both allowing the chicken taste to star. The rice here is more tender than fluffy, with a savoury aroma that may be salty to those unused to it. Other must-tries include their Hainanese Pork Chops, which are breaded and deep-fried till crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, and served with a sauce with potatoes and onions. Be warned, that sauce is highly addictive!

3. Uncle Chicken Rice

713 Clementi West Street 2, 01-115, Singapore, 120713

Many may recognise this stall, renamed from the Sin Kee Famous Chicken Rice that was previously at Margaret Drive. Uncle Chicken Rice employs a more Cantonese cooking style that produces a meal we can only describe as subtle – this doesn’t mean the flavours are light but rather perfectly balanced. Take for example their chicken, which is lightly drizzled with a soy-sesame sauce and oozing pure chicken stock to complement the natural sweetness of the meat. You will find yourself slowly savouring each bite with their unique combination of flavours and textures. Another standout is their chilli sauce, a thick concoction that seems to contain dried chilli, and is definitely not for the faint hearted. Their ginger dip, with roughly blended ginger with scallion, is also an uncommon version that packs a real punch.

4. Hainan Chicken Rice Ball

Shing Boon Hwa Food Centre , 43 Dickson Road. Singapore, 209518

Drawing from the tradition of preparing rice in balls for convenience during treks to the hills during the Qing Ming festival, the third generational owner of Hainan Chicken Rice Ball moulds fragrant rice by hand into tight balls to go with the chicken. He also insists on keeping to traditional methods despite the inconvenience, cooking the rice in a big pot instead of the rice cooker, and infusing it with garlic and ginger sea salt that has been specially fried for two hours. Having a meal here feels extra special amidst the uncountable chicken rice stalls – you can really taste the traditions and effort in preparation.

5. Delicious Boneless Chicken Rice

865 Mountbatten Road, Katong Shopping Centre, B1-85/87, Singapore, 437844

This gem is hidden all the way at a nondescript mall, yet commands never-ending queues during mealtimes. Known for its generous portion and size of chicken, Delicious Boneless Chicken Rice cooks their chicken perfectly to the bone without seeping away the natural suppleness. You can even find the famous gelled fat that attests to their culinary skills. Their rice here is a rather startlingly yellow due to the ginger in it, and is not overly greasy. With a free flow of soup and achar, this place definitely has one of the best value meals around.

Where is your favourite chicken rice in Singapore?

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