17 Best Chicken Rice in Singapore (Food Hunt Time!)

Hainanese Chicken Rice is Singapore’s national dish and can be found island-wide at almost every dining spot, from humble hawker centres to major restaurants and even hotel cafés. The chicken is usually served with fragrant rice and a spicy chilli sauce, with ginger paste. In Singapore, chicken rice recipe can be roasted or braised in soya sauce for a different taste (we still like it poached). For some people, it might be the rice and chilli sauce that makes or breaks the dish. As we celebrate Singapore’s National Day today, we’ve hunted down 17 chicken rice stalls in Singapore that are among local favourites.

1. Ah Boy Chicken Rice

Local celebrity chef, Eric Teo, has raved about Ah Boy Chicken Rice on his Facebook about 3 years ago so we decided to check it out. The roasted chicken has a crispy and thin skin that we enjoyed but a pity, the meat was a little on the dry side. Poached chicken, however, fared much better. It was tender, sweet and cooked till perfection, maintaining a smooth texture. We thought the rice itself is fluffy and loose with a nice aroma and not overly greasy. The tangy chilli dip didn’t make much of an impression as it was a little watery. If you’re in the area and craving for chicken rice, you should drop by.

2. Chen Ji Hainanese Chicken Rice

Chicken here is tender and perfectly complemented by the flavoursome oyster sauce. The chilli is bright and tangy and contains a spicy kick. Sadly, the rice did not fare so well as it was dry and although it has the flavour of the chicken broth, it doesn’t stand out at all. What’s worth mentioning here is their chicken feet soup that’s only available on Mondays and Fridays after 11am. Chicken feet is full of collagen, which is good news for ladies! We loved the crunchiness of these chicken feet and the flavoursome broth made the entire package simply wonderful. So, if you come here for chicken rice, remember to go only when they’re serving chicken feet soup!

3. Chin Chin Eating House

Founded in 1934, this eatery exudes a nostalgic feel and is reasonably clean. Dishes offered here are very Hainanese, including steamed chicken rice with chilli sauce and ginger dip, pork chop, chap chye and more. Today’s focus is on chicken rice so we’ll just skip the rest. Chicken rice at Chin Chin is drizzled with light fragrant soy sauce and sesame oil, enhancing the flavours of the tender and juicy chicken. Cooked just right, the chicken has retained its moisture with every bite. The rice is less oily but still fragrant and tasty with aroma from ginger and garlic. The chilli sauce consists of a little tanginess which made our meal very satisfying.

4. Hua Kee Chicken Rice

This stall is now run by Mr. Lim, a second generation hawker, together with his mother, Mdm. Tan who founded Hua Kee over 30 years ago with her husband. Unlike other stalls, the chicken here is chopped in large chunks with skin and bone still attached to ensure the meat retains its natural juices and flavours. We liked that the chicken was tender, juicy and full of flavours. The aromatic rice was not too oily and fluffy, with grains that separate easily. There’s nothing impressive about their chilli and ginger dips but we’ve got to say that this is the tastiest cucumbers from any chicken rice stall. The savoury and sweet juices from the chicken clung to the sides of these crunchy slices of cucumbers.

5. Kampong Chicken Rice

What makes Kampong chicken different from the usual chicken we get at chicken rice stalls? Well, the yellow skin kampong chickens have more distinctive features such as their skinny legs and leaner bodies. They are allowed to run free and are corn fed, thus containing less fat and are healthier for consumption. The meat here is definitely not as fatty. It is leaner but still, very tender. Ladies will jump for joy and feel guilt-free for indulging in this plate of healthier kampong chicken rice due to it being less fat. Even though the rice is not as fragrant and amazing as compared to others, it complements the chicken well. The highlight was their kicky chilli sauce, which is properly thick and spicy. One word – SHIOK! Read about it here.

6. Leong Hainanese Chicken Rice

Uncle Leong used to be the head chef for “稻香村山芭鸡” shop in Novena Ville, which unfortunately, closed down in 2007 due to the outbreak of bird flu disease. His passion for the kitchen still burns strong hence, he set up his own Leong Hainanese Chicken Rice in Shunfu Market. The meat served here has a textural difference compared to others. The chicken breast is very tender and flavourful. Little soy sauce and sesame oil were drizzled onto the chicken and we could really taste the sweetness of the meat. As for the chicken drumstick, you can see the glistering chicken skin and the meat was very succulent. The rice was infused with ginger and chicken stock and the grains are very fluffy. We thoroughly enjoyed our meal as Uncle Leong’s chicken rice gave a very warm, homely feel to it.

7. Ming Kee Chicken Rice

Ming Kee Chicken Rice is well-known for those staying in Bishan. It’s not surprising to queue for at least an hour just to satisfy your chicken rice cravings over here. Unlike others, this stall has no chicken displayed so if you’re here for the first time, you might get the wrong idea that the stall has already ran out of chicken. In actual fact, once the chicken is cooked, they will dunk it in ice water and it will be left there till it is ready to be chopped.

Shocking the meat in ice water after cooking creates a jelly under the skin. This results in the meat tasting more flavourful and succulent. Surprisingly, it tastes even better when these chilled chicken are eaten with some steaming rice. We enjoyed the skin which glided smoothly into our mouths. Chicken gizzards are also soaked in cold water here to retain the crunch. Their chilli dip, however, was a tad disappointing as it’s too watery for our liking.

8. Nam Kee Chicken Rice

Nam Kee has over 40 years of experience under its belt and is a household name for many families across the island. It serves traditional Hainanese chicken rice with meat ever so tender with the unforgettable chilli sauce – and at affordable prices too! The velvet-smooth skin of the chicken is enticing enough and tucks in just the right amount of fat beneath. The meat is juicy and goes very well with the dipping sauce, which is a combination of chilli sauce, ginger paste and a not-so-salty dark soy sauce that delivers the right punch. The rice served here is aromatic and has a good consistency, complementing the chicken perfectly.

9. Nan Xiang Chicken Rice

Nancy Lim, founder of Nan Xiang Chicken Rice, took charge of her first chicken rice stall at Whampoa food centre in December 1986. Nancy and her husband takes turn to manage the hawker stall. It looks like another unassuming chicken rice stall but when the plate of rice was served, it was so fragrant you can’t resist taking a mouthful even if your camera usually eats first. Chicken rice here is first stir-fried with garlic, ginger, shallots and chicken soup before cooking it in rice cooker. Not a lot of chicken rice stalls do this now because it’s laborious and takes extra time to prepare the rice. Well, all we can say that it’s worthwhile because frying the rice before cooking makes it even more fragrant, which is a plus point when the chicken meat is already succulent and cooked just right, leaving a gelatin layer beneath the skin. The addition of lime juice to the chilli sauce also makes it refreshing and delectable! Read about it here.

10. Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice

This should be the most well-known stall among both locals and tourists. Growing the business from an unknown stall in Maxwell Market from 1986, Madam Foo and her daughter, Ms. Loi, still preside over the quality of food at all outlets with a watchful and experienced eye. Tian Tian chicken rice is cooked with American Broiler breed of chicken and remember – they defeated Gordon Remsay at the Hawker Heroes Challenge! This already speaks a lot about their food. Their steamed chicken is served slightly chilled which is very refreshing and light on a hot day. The soothing coolness is also a perfect counterpart to the “fierceness” of the chilli. Most importantly, their light, smooth and slightly buttery rice, with just a hint of garlic, sets them apart from the rest. Even celebrity chef and host Anthony Bourdain said that the rice here is so good that you can eat it on its own! There are many outlets and the one we’re featuring is at Joo Chiat and it’s air-conditioned too!

11. Uncle Chicken Rice

Uncle Chicken Rice is very persistent in using good quality ingredients. Their fresh chicken is simply poached, sits in cold water, chopped and served with the flavourful rice. The chicken is cut chunky with an ultra smooth skin and the flesh is tender and sweet. Served with aromatic rice that was not too greasy and loose, it has a subtle garlic flavour. Chicken stock was used to cook the rice hence, you won’t get a soup here to pair with your chicken rice. The chilli has a hint of sweetness which cuts the oiliness of the rice.

12. Wee Nam Kee Chicken Rice

Wee Nam Kee started from a humble beginning and now, has a few outlets islandwide. They serve three different types of chicken – namely the poached, soy sauce and fried. We tried the poached chicken and it was executed really well in a flavourful broth. The chicken turned out to be juicy and tender, gently gingery with subtle chicken flavour. The broth is tasty enough to boost your appetite. Each long grain rice is well-oiled, mildly fragrant, yet not too greasy and separates easily into loose grains. Lastly, the chilli is amazing! It contains a well-balanced blend of ginger, vinegar and spice. It was tangy with very little sting.

13. Yeo Keng Nam Chicken Rice

Having grown up eating chicken rice here as it’s just a stone’s throw away from where I stay, the taste is special to me. The chicken is so plump and juicy and it has managed to retain a lot of its natural flavour since the stall owner here makes it a point not to soak the chicken in ice water for too long. I love the roast chicken here as well, due to its super tasty skin that whets my appetite for more. Rice here is whole and coated with a thin layer of oil, making the texture just right. The chilli has a tangy twist to it. Hence, I always enjoy my chicken rice experience dining here.

14. Sin Kee Famous Cantonese Chicken Rice

About a month ago, Benson is back on his feet and re-opened “Sin Kee Famous Chicken Rice” at Holland Drive with his young partner. Nothing much changes, Benson still chopes the chicken in huge chunks. His movements are still clean and brisk, each piece of meat is tender and smooth in the mouth. He will leave the leftover bones from the chicken to prepare that soup, which is used to poach chickens and rice. The slightly aromatic rice is well paired with the chilli that is spicy and tangy done right with vinegar and lime, just the way we like it. Read more about it here.

15. Yishun 925 Chicken Rice

It started with just one hawker stall within Yishun but over the years, they have expanded and now, there are a few stalls around Singapore. We’re always happy for these successful hawkers who started out very humbly. Chicken meat here is cooked just right, making it smooth and palatable. We liked that it was served deboned, which makes it more convenient for consumption. The soya sauce which the chicken was drenched in is not overly salty, just perfect! Rice here is very ordinary and not as aromatic as compared to others but you know the saying, “mai hiam buay pai”. Since it’s so affordable, we’ve nothing much to complain about.

16. Yet Con Hainanese Chicken Rice

This is another time-honoured establishment lying along Purvis Street. Yet Con has been serving their style of authentic Hainanese chicken rice here since 1940. Notice that chicken at Yet Con are being laid on trays instead of being hung up – this is to prevent the juices from dripping so that flavours are bette retained. There’s no silky gelatin layer under the chicken skin but we enjoyed the super “chickeny” flavour here. The chicken is lightly salted without any overwhelming drench of soy sauce seasoning, making every bite full of natural “chickeny” taste. The rice is aromatic, with the lovely scent of ginger, shallots and chicken stock. We like that it isn’t overly greasy. The only downside was the chilli and ginger dip that we found too watery for our liking.

17. Delicious Boneless Chicken Rice

It was already 3pm and we were still queuing for Delicious Boneless Chicken Rice. 30 minutes queue just to get my chicken rice fix, but so worth it! We paid $11 for 2 pax meal with soup and achar. The chicken is chopped into big chunky pieces and topped with fried garlic, which is quite unique. Achar brings a refreshing touch and the rice has a pleasant garlic aroma. We are so in love with their (refillable) cabbage soup that is peppery and full of vegetables and meat. The owner is in good mood on our day of visit so he gave me an extra bowl of lotus root pork ribs soup filled with generous amount of lotus roots and peanuts.

There are plenty of other stalls that might be good but not mentioned above. Do comment and share your thoughts with us, let us know which other chicken rice stalls in Singapore are worth our calories! Enjoy your hunt in finding the best chicken rice stall in Singapore, HAPPY NATIONAL DAY!