Picking the best chicken rice in Singapore will ruffle some feathers because everyone has their favourites. But for the clueless, what is this popular dish that caused overseas Singaporeans to cry nostalgic tears after tasting it in New York?
Well, when you see a gleaming row of plump poultry hanging neatly at a food stall, you've stumbled upon one of the nation's star dishes - Hainan Chicken Rice in Singapore.
The dish has cooked white meat pieces, fragrant steamed rice and sides such as hard-boiled eggs and cucumbers. It is common in hawker centres here, in many restaurants and even hotel cafes.
The dish was brought over by Hainan immigrants in the 18 century. However, this beloved dish has been evolving through the ages. Here, the mix of cultures has led to different adaptations according to the chef‘s recipe. It’s hard to say which is the best one in Singapore since there are so many variations. The poultry meat may come steamed or roasted, with curry or in a clay pot. Some stalls also sell a soya sauce version, where the chef braises the poached poultry meat in soya sauce.
Still, to make your choice easier, we've selected eleven best Hainan chicken rice stalls in Singapore for you to try! So, get ready to find your personal favourite from these unassuming spots!
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Tian Tian Chicken Rice
For Hainan chicken rice in Singapore, head to Tian Tian Chicken Rice. They serve a classic dish in which the chicken is first blanched until fully cooked. Then, the chef soaks it in cold water to 'lock in' moisture, retaining the juiciness of the meat. A plate of this dish at Tian Tian has generous portions of meat and rice. Fans love its in-house sauce poured over the poached meat, which stands out among other sellers.
The iconic dish at Tian Tian is well-known for how its Hainanese cook beat British celebrity chef Gorden Ramsey during a TV series for hawker food. Even Mr Ramsay conceded defeat, declaring the dish "fragrant and flavoursome". Moreover, they’ve been on the Michelin Bib Gourmand guide since 2016!
Because of its reputation, the queue at Tian Tian is relatively long at all times. If you want to beat the lines and try one of the best chicken rice in Singapore, try to go before noon.
Tian Tian Chicken Rice
Maxwell Food Centre
1 Kadayanallur Street #01-10/11, Singapore 069184.
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Ming Kee Chicken Rice
Mention Ming Kee Chicken Rice to those who stay in the Bishan neighbourhood, and you'll probably get knowing nods. Most people will also say that this is one of the best white chicken rice in Singapore. What's unique about the stall is that you will not see any meat displayed on the display racks. That's because instead of hanging it up, the poultry is dunked in ice water and left there until it is ready to be chopped.
So what you'll get with each serving is icy cold meat with a thin layer of jelly beneath the skin. Paired with warm rice, the sensation is simply pleasing! We recommend you also order the gizzards to complement the dish. The chef uses the same cooking method to prepare the gizzards. The final result is a nice chewy texture which goes well with rice.
Expect to queue if you reach around lunch or dinner time, but the stallholders are fast so that you can get your order promptly. But queuing is worth it, as this is one of the best Hainan chicken stalls in Singapore!
Ming Kee Chicken Rice
#01-522, Kim San Leng Food Centre,
511 Bishan Street 13, Singapore 570511
Hoe Kee Kitchen
One of the best chicken rice in Singapore is located on the far-flung West side of the island. You might have to travel quite a bit to get there, but Hoe Kee Kitchen serves one of the best Hainan chicken rice in Singapore.
They are in the Michelin Guide of Singapore, so you can be assured that the taste will be good! Many diners also recommend piling on the fluffy steamed rice and chilli sauce. The sauce combines chilli with garlic and therefore, lends a nice sweet-spicy touch.
Taste aside, it's the price that makes the stall very attractive. Compared to other stalls around the island, you can get a meal here quickly for a fraction of the price you would pay if you ordered the same dish at a restaurant. Over here, they also have a set meal menu. If you are unsure what to order, pointing out and selecting your choice is fairly straightforward.
Hoe Kee Kitchen
Jurong West 505 Market & Food Centre #01-39,
Blk 505 Jurong West Street 52, Singapore 640505
Heng Ji Chicken Rice
Heng Ji Chicken Rice is easily one of the best, if not the best chicken rice in Chinatown Singapore. This is a family business; the stall owners are the second generation. They have continued to keep things simple, selling delicious Hainan chicken rice in Singapore that is cooked Cantonese style. Each plate serves succulent white meat, with its juices mingling with the homemade sauce. Many fans love the moist meat and the dressing that tastes like sesame oil and light soya sauce.
Over here, do try the chilli sauce. It's closer to tangy and sweet Thai chilli sauce, so it goes well with the slightly salty meat. Heng Ji has been around for more than 60 years and attracts many fans who grew up with their food. So it's a very popular stall and sells one of the best chicken rice in Singapore. Food sells out around 1-2 pm, and it closes on Sunday, so do head there early if you want to try it.
Heng Ji Chicken Rice
Chinatown Complex 335 Smith St, #02-131, Singapore 050335
Boon Tong Kee (Balestier Road)
Boon Tong Kee has its flagship store at Balestier. One of the most well-known names and the best chicken rice chains in Singapore, you will not go wrong if you decide to have your first serving of the iconic Hainan chicken rice in Singapore here. It's famous for the poached meat dunked into boiling water more than five times. As a result, the flesh soaks up a lot of moisture, making it plump and juicy.
A humble stall that began in Chinatown, it slowly grew to become the best chicken rice restaurant in Singapore at Balestier in 1983. With Boon Tong Kee, the business has elevated the simple dish to a restaurant-worthy menu item. They now have six other outlets, although the flagship store remains at Balestier. Occupying three outlets, it's spacious and suitable for family gatherings.
Boon Tong Kee (Balestier Road)
399/401/403 Balestier Road 329801
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Jefri The Original Botak Chicken
For those looking for a Muslim-owned stall so you can have the best halal chicken rice in Singapore, then Jefri The Original Botak Chicken Rice might be suitable for you. They sell a tantalising Nasi Ayam Goreng, essentially deep-fried meat with fragrant orange-hued rice. The cook fries the rice with sambal and tomato paste, hence the cheerful orange. Cucumber and meat slices are piled on top of a bowl of clear soup.
Note that the stall is not halal-certified but owned and cooked by a Muslim hawker. An extremely popular outlet, you'll see queues form once the place opens at 1130am. This is probably due to its affordable meals. We also suggest that you order the mee goreng to try as well, which is another famous Singapore dish!
Jefri The Original Botak Chicken
207 New Upper Changi Road,
#01-07, Bedok Interchange Hawker Centre, Singapore 460207
Ji Tou Chicken Rice
One of the best chicken rice in Tampines if you're on the East side, do check out Ji You Chicken Rice. This brightly lit stall at the hawker centre sells both steamed and roasted versions of Hainan chicken rice in Singapore.
If you like roasted meat, then this stall will suit your tastebuds. It's famous for the roasted version of the dish. Its evenly cooked breast meat pieces that are slightly oily bring a sweet greasiness to the rice. The chopped ginger dip is a customer favourite and goes well with the roast meat. We recommend you come here for the roast chicken rice instead of the steamed version. The roasted version gets better reviews.
Ji Tou Chicken Rice
201E Tampines Street 23, Singapore 527201
Chicken House
For health-conscious folks, you can opt for dishes with kampong chicken, used to cook Hainan chicken rice in Singapore. The poultry is from the Malaysian countryside and is corn-fed and free-range. This results in meat that is leaner with less fat.
For the best kampong chicken rice in Singapore, go for Chicken House. The meat is tender even with less fat due to its unique cooking technique. The dip of garlic chilli and ginger sauces is also mixed in perfect combinations, not too overwhelming for the dish.
Do try their homemade meat broth. While most stalls sell a watery soup that's best left alone, Chicken House brews its broth for over 24 hours to get an intense flavour. Unfortunately, they also close once they sell out, so you must come before 12 pm to get your order.
Chicken House
255 Upper Thomson Road, Singapore, Singapore
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Loy Kee
For one of the best-roasted chicken rice in Singapore, you must try Loy Kee at Balestier. Roasted meat is a variation of Hainan chicken rice in Singapore. It has browned, crispy skin. The meat is marinated with ginger juice, soya sauce, honey, and salt and pepper before it is cooked.
Over here, you can add other dishes, such as Hainanese beef stew and char siew (barbecued pork). A tip is to order their special set, which comes with meat, rice and vegetables. Portions are generous enough for a big eater.
Another tip is that if you want to avoid queueing and prefer to eat early, this is one of the earliest stalls to open in Balestier. So head to Loy Kee if you like having different options for side dishes and want to avoid squeezing into the crowds.
Loy Kee Chicken Rice
342 Balestier Road, Singapore 329774
Website
Hawker Chan
Another variation of Hainan chicken rice in Singapore is soy sauce chicken. It is similar to steamed meat but braised with soya sauce, herbs, and spices, Cantonese style.
Hawker Chan (previously Liao Fan Hawker Chan ) sells this dish with the meat glazed in a soy sauce base. It sells one of the best soy sauce chicken in Singapore and is currently on the Michelin Bib Gourmand list.
The original stall is at Chinatown Complex, although several franchise locations are now across Singapore. The chef's humble origin story is well known, but its claim to fame is that it offers the cheapest yet delicious version of this dish.
Many tourists flock here because of its brand name. However, our recommendation is to try it even if you don't believe the hype because the soy sauce version of this dish is challenging to find in Singapore!
Hawker Chan
Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre
335 Smith Street #02-126, Singapore 050335
Website
Restaurant Labyrinth
Another version of the best chicken rice in Singapore is clay pot chicken rice. Labyrinth does it well, even though it's not a traditional hawker store but a rather upscale restaurant.
When we tried it, the poultry meat was evenly coated with garlic, ginger, and soy sauce and then cooked in a clay pot. This retains moisture even at high temperatures, so the meat does not dry out. The result is a slightly burnt, crispy texture.
However, give the Labyrinth a visit and try it for yourself! The restaurant is known to be innovative and keep its menu dynamic. So, don’t be surprised if the version of chicken rice you’re served is different from the one we tried.
The restaurant chef-owner of Labyrinth is famous in the culinary world for putting his spin on traditional local dishes, a culinary style known as Mod-Sin (or modern Singapore). The Claypot Chicken Rice dish is cooked with locally foraged mushrooms, kampong chicken and chilli sauce.
While it may be more expensive than other stalls on the list, a visit to Labyrinth is still worth the experience for one of the best clay pot chicken rice in Singapore. The exclusive dining place also sells cocktails and wines, so pairing the dish with a glass of white wine might be a pleasing experience.
Restaurant Labyrinth
8 Raffles Ave, #02 - 23 Esplanade Mall, Singapore 039802
Website
168 Curry Chicken
For those who like your food spicy, try the best curry chicken rice in Singapore at Old Airport Road. This version has the meat cooked in a bowl of steaming hot curry broth. The spice level is usually relatively mild, but the gravy is thick and is moped with some bread or rice.
A rich blend of spices renders the curry slightly tangy, so you will not feel too 'jelak', a Malay word used to describe overwhelmingly rich food. Everything is cooked from scratch and left to simmer the day before to get the right taste and texture.
The price is value for money for the portions. However, if you like potatoes, you might feel a little disappointed because the servings are lesser. The owner opened the stall without much hawker experience, but he used an authentic recipe from his grandmother, and it looks like his efforts paid off.
If you’re not craving rice, we also recommend ordering the prata, flatbread, or noodles! It's something different from the usual dish and goes well with curry.
168 Curry Chicken
51 Old Airport Rd, #01-134, Singapore 390051
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Hainan Chicken Rice Ball
Hainan Chicken Rice Ball has a century-old history. The stall started as early as World War 2 and passed down from generation to generation. As the name suggests, this place sells the best chicken rice balls in Singapore. What is that? Well, it's a literal ball of rice packed tightly together by hand and then served with the meat. The concept is similar to a Japanese onigiri and equally satisfying.
This stall is one of the rare places that still sell it. Over here, the meat is tender and slightly saltier than usual. This goes well with compact rice, so it is not too dry. You can order set meals with rice balls and herbal soup or choose pork belly as a side dish instead. Portions are generous, although the plates are small, making everything appear sizeable.
We recommend you also try the tender pork belly if you are not counting calories! The popular stall was at Dickson Road but they recently moved. So, if you search for it online, you might see that the address is still directing you to the old one at Dickson Road.
Hainan Chicken Rice Ball
1002 Jalan Bukit Merah, #01-3752, Singapore 159456
So there you have it, 13 of the best chicken rice in Singapore. Singapore has a reputation as one of the world's food paradises, so, you do not want to miss this dish.
Not in Singapore? Try making Hainanese chicken rice at home.
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