Chicken Rice

A hungry stomach and the desire to explore got me to a Chicken rice joint on a dripping evening in Singapore. A twenty odd seator restaurant on the Thompson road was quite a place when I first saw it standing across the road.

Typical Chinese Singaporean decor....or may be a no decor with dim lights, a tired chef, an old man sipping his share of ale in one corner and waitresses chatting among selves waiting for customer...was quite peaceful for me..

I grabbed a seat and asked for a portion of chicken rice and a Tiger...being an order after a long time that evening, the chef fired up the steamer and waited for the simmering stock to boil....

....while the stock was getting heated up to be served, the chef skillfully cut the boiled chicken with his cleaver and arranged on a plate with some spring onions and cilantro, a steaming hot bowl of flavoured rice and the stock came along....

Traditonally the chicken is served cold with warm or hot accompaniments....paired with Tiger, it was a sure trip to paradise.

Chicken rice or 'Hainanese chicken rice' is a Chinese preparation with lot of variations. The chicken is boiled with the skin in a pork or chicken stock. The rice which is also referred to as 'oily rice' is made by using a special chicken stock using plump birds for better oil extraction. The usual accompaniments are chilly sauce, soy sauce and sliced cucumber.

This chicken rice shop as it is named, serves good chicken rice at a very decent price of SGD 2.5.

If you like the idea and prefer to spend that solitary soaked evening with that chilled Singaporean barley brew...then don't miss this place...