Hai Nan Xu Ji Chicken Rice at Marine Parade Central

Hainanese Chicken Rice, one of many hawker dishes that has me craving a fix whenever I'm away from Singapore for more than 2 weeks. Although Chicken Rice is often referred to as a national dish of Singapore, it is getting increasingly difficult to find well-prepared chicken rice in hawker centres and foodcourts.

Roast Chicken Drumstick Rice @ S$ 3

I used to love chicken rice at Wee Nam Kee at Novena Ville (opposite Church of St. Alphonsus aka Novena Church). I would eat 2 bowls of chicken rice (in fact, just the rice alone would satisfy me) and share a platter of chopped chicken with friends or family. I would also smother the chicken pieces with copious amounts of piquant chili sauce fortified with freshly ground ginger. During my last visit to Wee Nam Kee late last year, I was a little disappointed with the bland flavour of the rice and the chicken so I was glad to have an alternative that's much closer to my home in the East. I hope my next visit to Wee Nam Kee will be a much better experience.

Closer look at the Chicken Rice

The fresh chicken pieces are smooth, tender, sweet and succulent. A pleasant change from the overcooked and stringy chicken that is sold at some other stalls. I especially loved the savoury and smoky flavour of the roasted chicken skin, which thankfully didn't have a thick layer of fat under it. The grains of rice have some bite, are not mushy nor too oily and are adequately seasoned with the rich flavour of the chicken stock. The chili sauce had the right amount of heat and tanginess without being excessively vinegary or sweet. The chicken rice here is a Must-Try!