Sri Bistari Changi Village Famous Ayam Penyet

Formerly located in Changi Village Food Centre prior to its renovation last year, Sri Bistari is well-known for its ayam penyet (smashed fried chicken) which is one of the best locally. However it seemed to have vanished since then and in its place, appeared a number of imitation stalls with similar names. Today when I was walking along Joo Chiat Road, I was surprised to find Sri Bistari again and decided to enter the restaurant to try its ayam penyet.



The ayam penyet set, which comes with a plate of fried chicken, a plate of chicken rice and a bowl of soup, costs $4.90.The chicken rice is remarkably fragrant and goes very well with the special chilli paste. The fried chicken is cripsy, tasty and juicy.

Not a big fan of fried chicken, I felt that the standard of Sri Bistari ayam penyet seemed to have gone down over the years. Nevertheless it is still one of the more delicious in Singapore.

7/10

Sri Bistari Changi Village Famous Ayam Penyet
102 Joo Chiat Road

Wang Lao Wu Chicken King Chicken Rice

Although I have lived in Singapore for more than three decades, I realized that there are some food centres that I have not been to. One of them is Jalan Batu Food Centre in Mountbatten. When I was there on a Monday evening, most of the stalls were closed and I had little choice but try the chicken rice from Wang Lao Wu Chicken King.




I ordered the chicken rice set which costs $4.50 and it comes with a plate of steamed white chicken, a plate of oyster sauce vegetables, a bowl of rice and a bowl of soup. Well-cooked to the perfect texture, every yellow grain of rice, which is thoroughly coated with chicken essence, is remarkably fragrant and flavorful. The special chilli paste is thick and savory and goes very well with the rice and chicken. The steamed white chicken is fresh and tender, while the oyster sauce vegetables are crunchy and tasty. The soup is one of the most delicious that I've tasted before.

Overall, I was very impressed with Wang Lao Wu Chicken King chicken rice. Despite strong competition from various famous chicken rice stalls all over Singapore, Wang Lao Wu Chicken King has indeed distinguished itself with its outstanding and value for money chicken rice.

7.5/10

Wang Lao Wu Chicken King
Jalan Batu Food Centre
4A Jalan Batu 

Tong Fong Fatt Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice

With quite a number of franchises in Singapore, I used to doubt the standard of Tong Fong Fatt Hainanese boneless chicken rice until I tried it for myself last week. In fact I was at Golden Shoe Food Centre for its nasi lemak but it was closed on a Wednesday evening, so I decided to try this chicken rice instead.


I ordered the $3.50 portion which comes with a plate of steamed white chicken, a bowl of rice and a bowl of soup. I was impressed by the superior quality of the rice, every golden yellow grain is filled with delightful chicken essence with remarkable fragrance. The steamed chicken is fresh and tasty but not exactly boneless as its name suggests. The chicken soup is also outstanding in terms of flavour and aroma.

If you are a fan of chicken rice, Tong Fong Fatt is a must try. It is certainly one of the more delicious chicken rice in Singapore.

7/10

Tong Fong Fatt Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice
Golden Shoe Carpark
50 Market Street
#02-26
Closed on Sundays and Public Holidays

Bishan 504 Boneless Chicken Rice

With stalls selling chicken rice for as cheap as $1.80 sprouting all across Singapore, it is no wonder why chicken rice sellers nowadays have to think of all kinds of gimmicks to woo their customers. Located in the S-11 coffee shop directly across Junction 8 in Bishan, this stall gives away free soup of the day with every purchase of chicken rice.


For $3.30, you get a bowl of rice, a satisfactory plate of chicken and a large bowl of chicken feet with groundnut soup. Fragrant and flavorful, the golden grains of rice are robust in consistency and go very well with the spicy chilli sauce. The steamed white chicken is fresh and tender and served with crispy beansprouts. The chicken feet with groundnut soup which is sweet and savory, certainly helps to quench one's thirst at the end of the sumptuous meal.

Although paler in comparison with the expensive chicken rice from the famous Five Star and Boon Tong Kee, Bishan 504 has affordable chicken rice that is certainly more delicious than that from many neighborhood stalls.

7/10

Bishan 504 Boneless Chicken Rice
Blk 504 Bishan Street 11
S-11 Coffee Shop
#01-444 S(570504)

Loy Kee Chicken Rice

Located in Whampoa Block 91 food centre which is well-known for its fish head steamboat, handmade noodles, mee siam etc, Loy Kee is one of the famous chicken rice in Singapore.


A chicken rice set for one person costs $4 and comes with a plate of steamed chicken, a bowl of rice and soup. Lightly coated with a layer of chicken essence and pandan fragrance, the rice is sufficiently tasty but not overly greasy or sticky. The steamed chicken is fresh and tender and goes very well with the unique chilli sauce that is salty and sour. I especially enjoyed the juicy preserved pickles that came with the chicken, adding a desirable tinge of sweetness to the dish.

Besides delicious chicken rice, Loy Kee also has seafood steamboat. Bring your family down to Whampoa and try it for dinner today.

7/10

Loy Kee Chicken Rice & Porridge
Whampoa Drive Food Centre
Blk 91 Whampoa Drive
#01-49/50

Heng Ji Chicken Rice

Out of the several chicken rice stalls in Chinatown Food Centre, Heng Ji has the longest queue. I have read that it is because of their special chilli sauce and I decided to try it for myself.


I ordered a plate of Heng Ji chicken rice which costs $2.50. The sweet-and-spicy chilli sauce was indeed unique but failed to leave a lasting impression as I would prefer my chicken rice to go with the usual spicy garlic-flavored chilli sauce. What impressed me most was instead the unmatched aroma of the chicken rice. Coated with the desirable essence of chicken broth, every golden grain of rice is distinctively fragrant and flavorful. The steamed white chicken is tender and tasty and sprinkled with light soya sauce.

This is a traditional chicken rice which is outstanding in terms of the quality and fragrance of its rice. This explains why in spite of so many other delicious food at Chinatown Food Centre, people still return for more of Heng Ji chicken rice.

7.5/10

Heng Ji Chicken Rice
Chinatown Complex Market & Food Centre
Blk 335 Smith Street
#02-131

Kampong Chicken Eating House Chicken Rice

I used to have the impression that kampong chicken is tough with little skin and fat. Only after trying the chicken rice at Kampong Chicken Eating House, did I realise that I was wrong.


A plate of kampong chicken rice which costs $3.80, comes with a bowl of chicken rice and a plate of steamed chicken. I really could not help but wonder why the kampong chicken had yellow skin. In spite of that, the fresh chicken is fleshy, tender and tasty. Although softer in consistency than usual, the delicious rice is no less fragrant and filled with the flavorful essence of chicken and pandan leaf. Enjoy the rice with the chilli paste that is thick and spicy and the cabbage soup that is sweet and savory.

Located in Outram, Kampong Chicken Eating House has one of the most impressive chicken rice in Singapore in terms of the quality of the rice, chicken as well as chilli.

7.5/10

Kampong Chicken Eating House
247 Outram Road
Singapore 169047

Good Year Local Hainanese Chicken Rice Ball

A friend of mine from the Philippines once mentioned that Singapore is famous for its chicken rice ball but I had absolutely no idea. That was about two years ago when I was not so crazy about good food and have not started this blog yet. Today I finally made my way to Jalan Besar to try Good Year Local Hainanese Chicken Rice Ball.


Located in a coffee shop behind Lavender Food Square, Good Year serves delicious chicken rice that is specially hand moulded into appetizing rice balls. A set meal for one person, which comes with two rice balls and a plate of chicken, costs only $3.50. Compared to the usual chicken rice that is more robust, the unique rice ball is soft and mushy, retaining the authentic flavour of chicken stock and the desired fragrance of pandan leaves. The steamed white chicken is fresh and tasty and served in a generous portion for its price.

Good Year Local Hainanese Chicken Rice Ball (and its branch in Toa Payoh) is the one and only chicken rice ball in Singapore. If you have not tasted chicken rice balls before, come down and try it for yourself.

7.5/10

Good Year Local Hainanese Chicken Rice Ball
30 Foch Road #01-02 Singapore 209276
Off on Fridays except Public Holidays

Big Bird Chicken Rice

I remembered having Big Bird chicken rice at Peace Centre in Selegie many years ago and was amazed by its super hot chilli sauce. Since then, it has moved out of Selegie and I have no idea where it went until recently, when I read that it is now at Balmoral Plaza in Bukit Timah.


The chicken rice set for one person which cost $5 comes with a bowl of chicken rice and a plate of steamed white chicken. I was impressed with the golden yellow rice which is marvellously fragrant and flavorful. The special chilli sauce has not changed over the years, still extraordinarily scorching and spicy with a strong peppery taste. The steamed white chicken is fresh and fleshy and goes very well with the rice and chilli.

Big Bird Chicken Rice is indeed praiseworthy for its unbeatable chilli sauce. If you are a chilli lover, you must come down to Balmoral Plaza and try it for yourself.

7.5/10

Big Bird Chicken Rice
Balmoral Plaza
271 Bukit Timah Road
#01-07

Wee Nam Kee Hainanese Chicken Rice

When I was working at Novena yesterday, I had the craving for chicken rice and was contemplating between Wee Nam Kee opposite Novena Square and Boon Tong Kee in Balestier. After all, these are two famous Hainanese chicken rice in Singapore which I have not tried.


I finally settled for Wee Nam Kee because of proximity and it was indeed impressive. Reasonably priced at $4, the chicken rice set for one person comes with a plate of steamed white chicken, a bowl of rice and a bowl of soup. The authentic chilli paste, which is sufficiently savory and spicy, is definitely one of the best chicken rice chilli I have tasted. It complements the golden yellow chicken rice which is delightfully fragrant and flavorful. The steamed white chicken, though tasty and tender, would have been more appetizing if it were more fatty and fleshy. Filled with the essence of chicken broth and the sweetness of yellow beans, the delicious soup readily quenches the flames of the scorching chilli paste.

Along the likes of Five Star, Sin Kee and Pow Sing, Wee Nam Kee certainly qualifies as one of the best Hainanese chicken rice in Singapore. Besides chicken rice, Wee Nam Kee also has a variety of cze char dishes that are worth trying.

7.5/10

Wee Nam Kee Hainanese Chicken Rice
275 Thomson Road
#01-05 Novena Ville

Sing Ho Hainan Chicken Rice

Short of Boon Tong Kee, Loy Kee and Sing Ho, I have tried and blogged on almost all the best Hainanese chicken rice in Singapore. Today I decided to try Sing Ho Hainan chicken rice located at Middle Road.


I ordered the $6.50 chicken rice set which comes with a plate of steamed white chicken, a plate of oyster sauce vegetables, a bowl of rice and a bowl of dumpling soup. Fragrant and flavorful, the golden yellow rice goes very well with the savory chilli sauce and tasty white steamed chicken. What is most impressive about the chicken rice set is the delicious dumpling soup with two delightfully large and fresh prawn dumplings.

Compared with the other Hainanese chicken rice, I still prefer Five Star and Sin Kee over Sing Ho. Nevertheless the fantastic prawn dumpling soup is the highlight of Sing Ho Hainanese chicken rice and will certainly keep customers coming back for more.

7/10

Sing Ho Hainan Chicken Rice
266 Middle Road Singapore 188991

Chin Chin Hainanese Chicken Rice

The second part of the chicken rice war at Purvis Street brought me to Chin Chin which is located directly opposite the famous Yet Con. Both restaurants serve Hainanese chicken rice and cze char (Chinese cooked dishes): Yet Con is air-conditioned but Chin Chin is not.


I ordered the chicken drumstick rice set which costs $4. The flavorful rice is thoroughly coated with irresistable chicken essence and blends delightfully with the savory chilli sauce. Sprinkled with light soya sauce, the steamed white chicken is tender and tasty but not overly fat or oily. What is most outstanding about Chin Chin is the mouthwatering soup which is highly addictive.

Compared with Yet Con, Chin Chin's chicken and soup are impressive but Yet Con's rice is more fragrant. However I still prefer Chin Chin because it is more value-for-money.

7.5/10

Chin Chin Hainanese Chicken Rice
19 Purvis Street

Yet Con Hainanese Chicken Rice

Located at Purvis Street near Raffles Hotel are two famous chicken rice eateries directly facing each other. Yet Con versus Chin Chin. It must be here that the chicken rice war began. I decided to try Yet Con first.

When I entered the air-conditioned restaurant on a Sunday evening, it was already full of people having chicken rice and steamboat. The nostalgic atmosphere was somewhat similar to that of Thien Kee Steamboat at Golden Mile Tower.


I ordered the chicken rice set for one which comes with a plate of steamed white chicken, a bowl of rice and a bowl of soup. Coated with a layer of chicken broth, every grain of rice is delightfully fragrant and tasty. Gently topped with light soya sauce, the steamed white chicken appears plain and mediocre but tastes flavorful and delicious. The savory chilli sauce tastes more salty than spicy, lacking in the scorching aftertaste that is characteristic of other famous chicken rice chilli.

For a meal that costs around $5, Yet Con Hainanese chicken rice may not be the best but certainly worthwhile trying. Besides chicken rice, you can try its sumptuous steamboat too.

7.5/10

Yet Con Hainanese Chicken Rice
25 Purvis St
Singapore 188602

Pow Sing Chicken Rice

If you have visited Serangoon Gardens before at night, you would not have missed the brightly-lit signboard of Pow Sing Restaurant with its crimson-red chicken mascot. What is more well-known about Pow Sing is its famous chicken rice that is supposedly very expensive.


I ordered a chicken rice set meal which comes with a plate of steamed white chicken, a bowl of rice and a plate of pickles. Thoroughly coated with savory chicken broth, the delicious rice is extremely fragrant and flavorful. Delightfully thick and spicy, the special chilli sauce complements the rice very well. The steamed white chicken is fresh, tender and tasty.

The sumptuous dinner costs around $9 in total, inclusive of lime juice and service charge. The prices are definitely comparable to other famous chicken rice restaurants eg Five Star and Boon Tong Kee. For the quality of the food and the comfort of dining under air conditioning, I am certainly willing to pay that price.

7.5/10

Pow Sing Chicken Rice
65 Serangoon Garden Way

Sin Kee Famous Chicken Rice

When I went to Margaret Drive Food Centre for lunch today, I had no difficulty finding Sin Kee Famous Chicken Rice because almost everyone on the second storey was having it.


A plate of Sin Kee steamed chicken and a bowl of rice cost $4.40. Coated with irresistable chicken broth, every grain of rice is flavorful and fragrant. The delicious steamed chicken is extremely tender, tasty and fleshy but not overly greasy. The savory chilli sauce complements the rice and chicken very well, leaving a lingering spicy aftertaste on the taste buds.

Sin Kee is indeed one of the most sumptuous chicken rice in Singapore. No doubt it is really crowded during lunch time, the service is very prompt and satisfactory.

8/10

Sin Kee Famous Chicken Rice
Margaret Drive Food Centre
Blk 40A #02-548
Commonwealth Avenue
Closed on Mondays

Five Star Hainanese Chicken Rice

When I was younger, I used to go down to East Coast for supper. And more often than not, I would have Five Star Hainanese chicken rice as it was one of the few stalls that were open until late at night. I still remembered the exceptionally fragrant rice, extraordinarily spicy chilli and extremely tasty chicken. In my mind, this was no doubt the best chicken rice in Singapore.

When I went there for dinner today, I had very high expectations of Five Star chicken rice. I ordered a chicken drumstick and a plate of rice which cost $4.60.


Remarkably chewy in consistency, the impressive rice is well-cooked in irresistable chicken broth, every grain is coated with a layer of savory essence and delightful aroma. The distinctive chilli sauce is unbelievably spicy, scorching the taste buds gently as it combusts within the mouth, leaving a sensational aftertaste that lingers for hours. Fresh and tender, the delicious steamed chicken is especially fleshy and flavorful, much to the delight of chicken lovers.

It was indeed a very sumptuous and satisfying dinner. To all chicken rice enthusiasts out there, please do not miss the opportunity to try Singapore's best chicken rice. Come down to East Coast today.

8.5/10

Five Star Hainanese Chicken Rice
191 East Coast Road

Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice

What makes a great chicken rice? Is it the fragrance of the rice? The tenderness of the chicken? Or the spiciness of the chilli?

Maxwell Food Centre is famous for its Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice. I remembered my first time eating it many years ago. It was a very sumptuous and satisfying experience.


Even though it is so popular, a plate of Tian Tian chicken rice costs only $2.50 or $3. The excellent rice which is thoroughly coated with irresistable chicken broth is sufficiently chewy in consistency and extremely fragrant and flavorful. The steamed white chicken is fleshy, tender and tasty. The special chilli is spicy and savory and complements the rice very well.

Tian Tian indeed lives up to its reputation of being one of the best chicken rice in Singapore.

7.5/10

Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice
Maxwell Food Centre
12 Murray Street #01-10
11am to 8pm
Closed on Mondays