Ah Five Hainanese Chicken Rice/Fried Rice/Porridge by 2nd-gen hawkers

Natalie and Lex, are the owners of this chicken rice stall in the coffee shop at Ang Mo Kio. Their father, Lee Tai Keng, founded the popular Five Star Chicken Rice about 6 decades ago before entering into a partnership and later on, selling its share and is no longer associated with the brand.

Natalie is behind the chopping board and Lex is taking care of the cooking process. The chickens used here are the free-range chicken usually known as Kampung Chicken, which is firmer and leaner. 

The menu consists of Half Chicken ($15) and Whole Chicken ($30) served with fragrance rice ($1) or porridge ($1). The regular portion of Chicken Rice is $5. Shredded Chicken Porridge ($3) is also available. There are also 1-Person-Set ($5) and 2-Person-Set ($10) for selection. Special Chicken Fried Rice ($7) is a unique dish that is not found elsewhere. The fried chicken rice consists of diced prawns with minced pork then topped with slices of the poached chicken. 

The chicken was perfectly chopped by the 29 years old Natalie. She held a Master of Intellectual Property and used to be in that line before learning the trade and opening this hawker stall with her brother. The accompanying condiments include the chilli, ginger paste, and dark soy sauce. The chilli went well with the poached chilli as it got a good balance of spiciness and tanginess. The chicken reminded me of those served by Kampong Chicken Rice at Upper Thomson Road as it is almost as good. This poached chicken is definitely amongst the better ones that I have tasted, it is done perfectly done to detain its tenderness and juiciness. Their father should be proud of them for mastering his techniques in bringing forth the perfectly done chicken and rice. 

AH FIVE HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE 

/ FRIED RICE / PORRIDGE

Block 158 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4 SINGAPORE 560158

Operating Hours: 7.30 am to 2.30 pm (Monday to Friday) / 7.30 am to 3.30 pm (Saturday to Sunday)

Sin Kee Famous Chicken Rice : the continuity

Sin Kee Famous Chicken Rice started at the already demolished Commonwealth Avenue Food Centre, off Margaret Drive by Mr Leong Fook Wing in 1971. Niven and Benson, his sons, continue his legacy after his passing. Niven started a stall at Ubi in July 2020. He used to man Uncle Chicken Rice in Alexandra Village Food Centre before moving to The Bedok Place. Benson, his brother has a stall in a coffee shop at Holland Drive.

We were there on a Sunday and there was a short queue during lunch. We decided to go with a set meal for 2 at $14 which includes 2 bowls of rice, a bowl of soup, a plate of vegetables, and the steamed chicken. There are also set meal for 1 pax at $4.50, set meal for 3 at $24, and set meal for 4 at $36.  

The chicken is chopped into chunky pieces with the bone still intact and drizzled lightly with their special sauce which complimented the natural flavor of the chicken. The chicken is nicely cooked to the desired tenderness and there is a nice jelly-like layer in between the skin and the meat. 

We did not like the fermented fried pork belly, the texture was not as tender as we liked it. It was recommended by the stall assistant and so decided to try it. The other option is the braised pork belly. 

The texture of the rice was grainy and not too greasy with a light chicken stock flavor. The chicken stock is used to cook the rice thus no soup is served. They also serve crispy lard upon request and the recommended way is to eat it is with dark soy sauce on rice. I did not like the chilli as much, it was not as spicy and slightly tangy. Their ginger paste is the drier version mixed with chopped scallion. My dining companion said, "This is better than that from Jiang Ji's. In fact, this is the only thing that is better."

Watercress Soup was alright but I would actually prefer the recommended Chicken Feet soup but was not available on that day. 

After tasting this and Jiang Ji Traditional Hainanese Chicken Rice, my choice is the latter if they continue to maintain the standard. 

SIN KEE FAMOUS CHICKEN RICE

Block 304 Ubi Avenue 1 #01-95 Ubi DMQ Eating House SINGAPORE 400304

Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 8.00 pm (Closed on Mondays)

Jiang Ji Traditional Hainanese Chicken Rice : next generation of Sergeant Kiang

I heard about the opening of this stall from a friend on Facebook. They opened on 20 June 2020 by Susan, Raymond, and Alvin using a recipe handed down by their 81 years old father, Sergeant Kiang. Sergeant Kiang founded Sergeant Chicken Rice before it was acquired by the Food Republic. He was also one of the pioneer chefs that created the famous Chicken Rice in Chatterbox, a cafe in the former Mandarin Hotel.

I went on a weekday for lunch. I took a picture of the stall before joining the queue. Susan spotted me and when it was my turn to order, she asked, "You are?" I replied, "I am just one of the fans of Sergeant Kiang's chicken rice. I met him before and I met you too at the stall in Havelock." She chuckled and said, "That was very long ago." I decided to order half of the poached chicken with 2 plates of rice to share it with my dining companion. I was asked to take a seat as it will be sent over. Alvin brought over. He asked, "Remember me? I was at the Jiang Ji in Havelock." He also asked, "How is the taste? still the same."

I could actually taste the similarity. I said, "The same. The chicken is still tender. The rice is so fragrance. The chilli and ginger paste are still good." It is still that familiar taste. Their specialty is always the poached chicken. The texture was tender and still retained its juiciness. I still think their rice was amongst the better that I have tasted. The fragrance was quite distinctive and the texture was grainy and not overly greasy. 

Susan came over when we were about done eating. She said, "We set up this stall to force our dad to retire. He is staying at the next block and he always asked our helper to come over and bring back for him to sample. He is still making sure that everything is still up to his standard." She further said, "And, he wanted to hand on but we do not allow him to do so." I said, "I remember Sergeant Kiang ever shared that he decided to throw away the whole tub of chilli after tasting it as it is just not up to his standard." I continued to say, "I asked him then whether he is passing the recipe to his children and he replied that their cooking is not up to his standard yet." I said, "I have been going around eating Chicken Rice but this is still amongst the best, much better than most of those out there." What actually defines good chicken rice? It is everything, from the chicken to the rice and the chilli to the ginger paste. Everything has to be good. And, I think I have found the perfect combination here. 

It is heartwarming to see a family comes together for a common goal. Unity is indeed strength. I will definitely be back for more of their chicken rice. 

JIANG JI TRADITIONAL HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE

780 Yishun Ring Road SINGAPORE 760780

Operating Hours: 10.00 am to 8.00 pm (Closed on Mondays)

Leong Yeow : the famous Waterloo Street Hainanse Chicken Rice

This chicken rice that has been around for more than 4 decades might not be listed in the Bib Gourmand and it might not be the best chicken rice but it is a personal favorite. It has been handed down from the mother to the son. And, I have been eating there for more than a decade. I was there often for lunch when I worked temporarily near there. Though I do not get to eat it often these days, I will still make an effort to drop by whenever I am in the vicinity.

I was excited when there was no queue at 11.40 pm on a weekday as the queue is usually long during lunch or even after lunch. The queue started to form when I finished and about to leave. The mother, who is likely to be in her 80s, was there. She took my order, I wanted the mixture of poached and roasted chicken with rice. She asked, "For 1 person?" I nodded my head. She said, "That will be $6." 

The poached and the roasted chicken are equally good though I prefer the latter a little more. The rice is grainy with a light fragrance of chicken stock and not too greasy. The chilli is spicy, not quite diluted with a slight garlicky taste. The portion is good and not "slightly insufficient for its price" as described in a certain blog.

This is, in my humble opinion, better than the other chicken rice that is listed in the Bib Gourmand. It is my comfort food. This is one of the affordable choices if you happen to be near City Hall MRT or Dhoby Ghaut MRT. 

LEONG YEOW 

FAMOUS WATERLOO ST HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE

Block 261 Waterloo Street SINGAPORE 180261

Operating Hours: 11.30 am to 8.30 pm 

Lam Bee Chicken Rice at Macpherson

The coffee shop has undergone a renovation then changed its name from Lam Bee Restaraunt to Grains and Hops. I used to patronize a pizza stall in this coffee shop quite regularly but have stopped doing so after the closure of that stall. I tried the chicken rice once quite a while ago but it did not leave much impression. A friend on Facebook recommended the chicken rice from this stall as he is a regular customer. I decided to give it a go when came for the Fish Minced Meat Noodle nearby. 

I ordered the mixture of their poached and roasted chicken with rice to go along with an old cucumber pork ribs soup. My dining companion tasted it and said, "It tasted just normal, in fact, I actually prefer the other chicken rice in Bishan." I tried both and actually prefer the poached chicken to the roasted one. I could actually taste the fragrance and juiciness of the chicken. I do not think much of the chilli, it just did not taste too special to be memorable. 

The rice though grainy and not greasy, it was lacking in flavor. 

Perhaps it was still early, the soup did not have enough time to simmer so the taste was not as flavorful as I liked it to be. 

This stall is a popular choice amongst the residents though not the best chicken rice but it is comforting enough.

LAM BEE CHICKEN RICE

78 Circuit Road #01-470 SINGAPORE 370078

Operating Hours: 7.00 am to 7.00 pm (Closed on Wednesdays)

M Chicken Rice : not since 1971

The stall is started by Patrick Lee together with Freddie, his brother, and William Xavier, a local radio DJ in December 2018. I was told that Raymond Kiang, the son of Sergeant Kiang, is one of the partners too but he is currently working in Indonesia. Sergeant Kiang is not in charge of the stall though they are using his recipe. Sergeant Kiang was amongst the pioneer batch of chefs behind the Chatterbox Chicken Rice at Mandarin Hotel in Orchard Road in 1971. It is located in the coffee shop near the junction of East Coast Road and Telok Kurau Road. There is an indication on their logo that M Chicken Rice has been around since 1971 which is not quite convincing though the recipe that they have been using existed since then.

There was a guy donned a white chef jacket sitting beside the stall. He stood up when there was a customer wanted to order. He took the order but there was an older guy doing the chopping and serving it. I decided to follow the customer before me to order the combination of roasted and white chicken with rice for $6.50, an additional $2.

My dining companion was the one that introduced me to Sergeant Chicken Rice when it was still at Chevron in Jurong before Food Republic acquired it. Sergeant Kiang is currently managing Chicky Fun, there are outlets in most of the food courts by Kopitiam. He said, "The chicken rice did not remind me of the then chicken rice from Sergeant Chicken Rice."

I believe the recipe has tweaked as it tasted different, they might have toned down the level of spiciness of their chilli a little. My dining companion commented that their ginger sauce was a little runny on that day. Somehow, the roasted chicken just did not taste as good, not even comparable to the Chicky Fun in Bagus at Northpoint City which I have been eating quite regularly. It was slightly dry and not as flavorful. The white chicken was much better though, tender and more favor.

The pricing is relatively reasonable for a decent tasting chicken rice but more efforts have to be put in to improve it. There is also a branch in the staff canteen at Panasonic building.

M CHICKEN RICE

396 Upper East Coast Road SINGAPORE 466481

Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 10.00 pm

Nan Xiang Chicken Rice : personal touch makes memorable

This is another popular chicken rice stall apart from Loy Kee Chicken Rice in this food centre. There was just another customer in front of me and she ordered half a chicken to be taken away. Nancy Lim, the lady boss was giving her specific instructions on keeping the chicken for dinner. I ordered the chicken drumstick with a braised egg and rice for $4.50 if I remember correctly. The lady boss behind the chopping board was extremely friendly, she greeted me with a smile followed by thank you when I was picking up the tray. While queuing, I noticed that 陈澍城, the veteran actor was there, eating their chicken rice. He walked towards the stall when he finished eating and bidding goodbye to the lady boss.

The chicken was nicely deboned and served in a pool of sauce together with the braised egg on a plate, serving along with a good portion of rice was given. The chicken was moist and flavorful but the rice was slightly too dry to my liking. The chilli and ginger sauce complemented the chicken well.

I do not think this is amongst the best chicken rice that I had eaten but sometimes, it is not so much about food but the personal touch, which often left a deep impression. 

NAN XIANG CHICKEN RICE

Block 90 Whampoa Drive #01-21 Whampoa Food Centre SINGAPORE 320090

Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 10.00 pm (Daily)

Henry's Chicken Rice : the chilli is good

This chicken rice stall is amongst those popular ones in this food centre. The stall has been around since 1985 and it is manned by an elderly couple, they serve the poached chicken and the roasted chicken, which is their signature. They were taught by Sergeant Kiang of Chicky Fun, he was one of the pioneer chefs that created the famous chicken rice for Chatterbox, a cafe in Mandarin Orchard Hotel.

There was always a queue during my last few visits. I decided to try it for the first time on a Sunday for lunch. There was already a few people in the queue and I joined in, waited for about 5 minutes before ordering. I wanted the roasted chicken drumstick with rice for $3.50. 

I was not particularly amazed by the chicken, the rice and the soup as it just did not quite stand out the chilli is really good. It tasted fresh with a hint of ginger at just the right level of spiciness. You should try if chilli is the most component of chicken rice but please come early though as it usually sold out right after lunch. 

I read about their bad service but I did not encounter it even though the Uncle is not particularly friendly.

HENRY'S CHICKEN RICE

117 Commonwealth Crescent #02-84 Commonwealth Crescent Food Centre SINGAPORE 140117

Operating Hours: 9.00 am to 1.00 pm (Closed on Thursdays)

Eng Kee Hainanese Chicken Rice . Porridge at Eunos Crescent

This stall has been in this coffee shop for a long while. My first visit was about a few years ago to take away half of the roasted chicken. I did not like it. I decided to try it then because the stall displayed the outdated certificate by Makansutra. Apparently, many of these stalls did not manage to upkeep their standards while still hanging on to their certificates.

I decided to try it again while happened to be in the vicinity recently. There was still a short queue at about 2 pm on Sunday. I went ahead to order Chicken Drumstick for $3.80. It was not disappointing though as it tasted quite passable. The chicken drumstick was separately on a plate accompanied by a few chunks of cucumbers underneath the chicken in a pool of soy-based sauce and few slices of tomato at the side. The chicken was tender and smooth with flavorful skin. The chicken broth infused rice was fragrant and not too greasy. It was satisfying though.

I did not actually like the chilli as the ginger taste was a little overpowering.

My favorite chicken rice has always been the Leong Yeow Famous Waterloo Street Hainanese Chicken Rice in a coffee shop along Waterloo Street. I have been eating there for more than a decade and liked it so much that I have even recommended for it to be listed in the lastest Makansutra Guide Book. 

ENG KEE HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE . PORRIDGE

 Block 7 Eunos Crescent #01-2651 SINGAPORE 

Operating Hours: 8.00 am to 10.00 pm (Daily)

Xin Kee Hainanese Chicken Rice : not just taste but service matters, too

This is one of the stalls with a queue during lunch on a weekday. The friendly auntie greeted me with a smile. I decided to go with Chicken Drumstick rice. I asked, "How much?". The auntie replied, "$3.50". And, I said, "It is at least $4.00 or more at other places." She replied, "We could not afford to sell it any higher as we are located in a hawker centre unlike those in the air-conditioned food court."

There was a young chap ordered right after me. She recognized him and asked, "Buying for your mother? She is so lucky to have a son buying lunch for her."

I shared it with my dining companion and we agreed that the roasted chicken tasted just normal. The rice was quite a big portion but the flavor was rather light and slightly dry. It was served with a bowl of lightly flavored soup. The chilli was slightly diluted with a mild level of spiciness. 

Sometimes it is not just the taste of the food that kept bringing the customers back but the service matters too. I was told by a hawker that I should not expect customer service from the hawker stall as I do not pay the service charge. The stall closed it down a few months later after that particular encounter. It was a popular noodle stall serving in a food centre.

XIN JI HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE

17 Upper Boon Keng Road #01-20 Upper Boon Keng Food Centre SINGAPORE 380017

33 Vegetarian Food : mock chicken rice

Mr Sow, the owner, used to be selling chicken rice at this stall for 15 years together with his wife before he decided to convert it to a vegetarian stall in 2014 after he and his wife became vegetarian. This is not the usual vegetarian stall as they do not serve fried bee hoon nor economy mixed vegetable rice. Their menu consists of all sorts of mock chicken dishes, like Chicken Burger, Chicken Cutlet, Chicken Nuggets with fries, Curry Chicken Noodle, Thai Chicken, Lemon Chicken, Sweet & Sour Chicken and also Chicken Rice. Their most popular item on the menu is the Healthy Chicken Rice Set ($6.80). It consists of the mock version steamed chicken and roasted chicken made using tofu skin accompanied by a portion of achar and blanched vegetable with vegetarian oyster sauce together with a bowl of soup. I decided to go with the set. 

My dining companion was amazed by how realistically resembles the steamed chicken, it has a layer of jelly-like skin, just like the real stuff. He said, "I would have thought this is the real chicken just by looking at it but it did not quite taste like it." The roasted chicken actually reminded me of those fried beancurd sheets that are usually served with vegetarian fried bee hoon. 

The chilli and ginger paste actually tasted like those at the usual chicken rice stalls, which is good and it definitely enhanced the overall flavor. 

The texture of the rice rather light and fluffy but not as fragrant. That bowl of winter melon soup was quite flavorful though. 

Nonetheless, it is definitely a good alternative for vegetarians that miss eating the chicken rice. I am impressed with such a specially-curated vegetarian menu.

33 VEGETARIAN FOOD

Block 409 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 #01-33 Teck Ghee Square Food Centre SINGAPORE 560409

Operating Hours: 11.00 am to 8.00 pm (Thu to Mon) / 11.00 am to 6.00 pm (Tue)

(Closed on Wednesdays)

Good Year Local Hainanese Chicken Rice Ball at Toa Payoh

Mr Hoo, 72, took over the stall from his father-in-law about 60 years ago. This is one of the 2 stalls that are still serving chicken rice balls. It is located at Toa Payoh Lorong 1, right next to Braddell MRT. The other stall is Hainan Chicken Rice Ball located in a coffee shop along Dickson Road in Jalan Besar. There used to be around 10 stalls serving chicken rice balls along Jalan Besar. Mr Hoo and his wife are both Hainanese and their stall has been around for about 80 years. They were at Jalan Besar before moving to the current location for more than 30 years now and they are still using traditional cooking methods. The stall is named "Good Year" to symbolize "more good years." Traditional rice balls still serve to preserve the Hainanese culture and its authentic taste.

I was there at about 11.30 am on a weekday and there was no other customer at the stall. The lady boss was there to take my order. I asked, "Can I have the mix of white and roasted chicken with the rice balls?" She said, "Can. Do you want bean sprouts?" I nodded my head and asked, "Should be able to finish, right?" She just smiled. If I remember correctly, I paid $6.50 for everything. The condiments are available at the counter for self-service. I only took a saucer of chilli. It was ready in a bit and placed on the tray. 

I was served breast meat for both, it was tender and quite moist. The white chicken is a slightly better choice as it was more flavorful. 

The stir-fried bean sprouts was a good choice. There was a big plate of it on the shelf. The lady boss just scooped it from there and served on the plate before placing it on the tray.

The chicken rice balls are often eaten during special occasions like Lunar New Year, Qing Ming and birthdays. It is known as "Fan Zhen" (饭珍) in Hainanese, which represents family reunion. It is cook over a controlled fire with ingredients like chicken stock, ginger, pandan leaves. The rice ball is mold using hot rice into a round ball at about 120 grams, about the size of a tennis ball and using the combination of young rice and old rice for the texture and bounciness. They are still doing it by hand as the machine is not able to press the balls tight enough using a recipe that has been handed down from the first generation.

The traditional method of enjoying the rice ball is to eat it with hands as it is supposed to taste better. The rice balls were densely molded, the rice grains were partially mashed and it had a rather mild taste of the chicken broth, it did not crumble even when biting upon. It was moist and not greasy. They also serve the rice on the plates.

The chilli, as well as ginger paste, are still handmade. The texture of chilli is slightly runny to go better with the rice balls, the level of spiciness is rather mild with a hint of ginger.

The flavorful soup is served with groundnuts and chicken feet. 

It is delighted to see this elderly couple still have so much love for serving this authentic Hainanese dish and wanting to preserve the culture. 

GOOD YEAR LOCAL HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE BALL

Block 111 Toa Payoh Lorong 1 #01-366 Chang Cheng Mei Wah Coffee Shop SINGAPORE 310111

Operating Hours: 10.30 am to 7.30 pm (Closed on Fridays)