Chicken rice is one of Singapore’s most treasured dishes. The iconic dish can be found at most food courts, hawker centres and even fancy restaurants offering local specialities.
At first glance, chicken rice looks deceptively simple to make, but in reality, it is difficult to execute well as there are several components to the dish. For example, is the rice fragrant and pillowy enough after simmering in chicken stock? Is the chicken tender and flavourful? Is the chilli garlicky, punchy and tangy, and the grated ginger dip salted just right? Is the soup flavoursome?
So where to go for the best chicken rice in Singapore? Read on.
1. Chatterbox
#05-03 Hilton Singapore Orchard
Chatterbox Express – Terminal 1, Departure/Transit Lounge East, #02-52, Changi Airport
Established in 1971, Chatterbox gained fame for elevating the humble Hainanese chicken rice into a gourmet dining experience at a five-star hotel.
Over the years, Chatterbox became synonymous with tender chicken, aromatic rice and flavourful sauces.
Chatterbox’s Mandarin Chicken Rice features free-range chicken, carefully poached to achieve the perfect tenderness. Its succulent chicken is accompanied by fragrant rice infused with chicken fat and pandan leaves, and is served with its signature chilli sauce, ginger paste and dark soy sauce.
The restaurant also offers other local favourites like Lobster Laksa, Beef Hor Fun, Chatterbox Rojak, Seafood Hokkien Mee and Grilled Satay.
In October, Chatterbox opened Chatterbox Express at Changi Airport’s Terminal 1 transit area. Before your next flight out at Terminal 1, stop by to enjoy its beloved Mandarin Chicken Rice, and favourites like Signature Laksa, Singapore Curry Chicken and Kaya Butter Toast.
2. Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice
Stall No. 10 & 11, Maxwell Food Centre
Ask anyone working in the vicinity of Maxwell Food Centre and they can confirm that there’s always a never-ending queue at the stall.
Fans include Gordon Ramsay and the late Anthony Bourdain who remarked that the “chicken rice is so fragrant and delicious that it can be eaten on its own”.
Tian Tian’s chicken rice is delectably rich in flavour, while its fresh steamed chicken meat may even win over those who prefer roast chicken.
3. Ah Tai Hainanese Chicken Rice
Stall No. 7, Maxwell Food Centre
If the queue at Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice is too long for you, head to Ah Tai Hainanese Chicken Rice, just two stalls away. The stall is manned by Tian Tian’s former head cook Wong Liang Tai, and some say his offerings are even better than his former employer’s.
The competition between Ah Tai and Tian Tian has added an interesting dynamic to Maxwell Food Centre, with patrons often comparing the two stalls. This rivalry has further cemented both stalls’ reputations, drawing more attention and crowds who are eager to taste and judge the standards of the respective chicken rice for themselves.
4. Boon Tong Kee
399, 401 & 403 Balestier Road
Boon Tong Kee has been serving chicken rice since 1979. Known for its silky-smooth chicken and consistently high-quality rice, Boon Tong Kee offers a slightly more refined dining experience.
Its chicken rice is served with a deliciously thick and rich dark soy sauce, a nostalgic touch for those who grew up eating the dish.
Boon Tong Kee has seven outlets across Singapore. If you’re looking for a grand night out, head over to its swanky Compass One and Vista Exchange Green restaurants. If you want a Hong Kong-style outdoor seating experience, dine at its Ang Mo Kio outlet.
At its restaurants, you can also purchase its factory-packed sauces like dark soya sauce, XO sauce, ginger paste and chilli sauce.
5. Five Star Hainanese Chicken Rice
191 East Coast Road
Following a healthy diet? Five Star Hainanese Chicken Rice may be your healthier choice when you want to indulge in some chicken rice.
Established in the early 1980s by Lee Tai Keng, Five Star’s chicken rice is made with high-quality ingredients like kampung chicken, which is leaner and less fatty than regular chicken, using traditional cooking methods.
The preparation of Five Star’s chicken is meticulous – the birds are poached at precise temperatures to ensure the meat remains tender and juicy. This method also helps to retain the natural flavours and moisture of the chicken.
Five Star currently has three outlets across Singapore.
6. Ming Kee Chicken Rice
Blk 511 Bishan Street 13, #01-522 Kim San Leng coffee shop
Ming Kee Chicken Rice was founded by Madam Yeong, who learned the art of making chicken rice from her father, a Hainanese chef.
It has garnered a reputation for serving tender chicken that has been chilled in an ice bath. The cooking process ensures that the meat retains its natural flavours. The chicken is poached in a meticulously seasoned broth, which is then chilled to firm up the skin and lock in the juices.
Remarkably, Ming Kee’s quality has been consistent and its prices have also remained affordable over the years.
These days, Madam Yeong runs the stall with her daughter and granddaughter, making it a three-generation business that will, no doubt, continue to thrive in the years to come.
7. Chin Chin Eating House
19 Purvis Street
One of Singapore’s oldest restaurants, Chin Chin Eating House has been serving chicken rice since 1934.
Its chicken is prepared according to traditional Hainanese methods, which involve poaching the entire chicken at sub-boiling temperatures. The stock is then skimmed off and some of the fat and liquid, along with ginger, garlic and pandan leaves are used in the cooking of the rice, producing an oily, flavourful rice (aka “oily rice”).
Chin Chin is also known for its Hainanese dishes like Pork Chop and Prawn Roll.
8. Yishun 925 Chicken Rice
925 Yishun Central #01-249
Don’t let its simple and unpretentious name detract you from its fragrant chicken rice.
Founded in the early 1990s, Yishun 925 only offers steamed chicken. The chicken is served in a shallow pool of robust gravy that has a savoury, earthy flavour which complements the tender meat and tangy achar perfectly.
It has three locations in the heartlands of Yishun, Ang Mo Kio and Jurong.
9. Katong Mei Wei Chicken Rice
#B1-85/87 Katong Shopping Centre
Tucked away in the basement of Katong Shopping Centre, Katong Mei Wei was previously known as Delicious Boneless Chicken Rice.
It is best known for its rice which sports an intense yellow glow, courtesy of a dash of chicken oil every time it’s cooked.
It offers steamed and roasted chicken, topped with fried garlic for crunch. Every plate of chicken rice comes with soup and free flow of achar. It’s signature roasted chicken boasts flavourful, thin skin.
It also has an outlet at East Village.
*This article has been edited and adapted from Now Boarding by Changi Airport’s “9 best chicken rice places in Singapore for a feast”
