Hainanese Chicken Rice

I've been fraternizing too much with chicken recently. Many visitors are in town and with many meals lined up, Hainanese chicken rice is invariable on the menu because it's safe and friendly, and uh...famous.

It was hilarious because some had gone to Sanya in Hainan island, and went around to try out Wenchang chicken rice (文昌鸡饭). Singapore of course has a few versions- the super-yellow-skinned less fatty kampung chicken, the Five Star with less fats and less oily rice, and the usual Boon Tong Kee, Wee Nam Kee, Pow Sing, Chin Chin, Chuen Chuen, as well as the Maxwell Market stalwarts, and wherever else. Places like Yet Con at Purvis Street are not go-able because its chicken isn't tasty, it's ridiculously expensive for the quality we get, and they always overcharge my table and insist they're right till I ask for a breakdown of each dish's price.

The good thing about all these eateries is- they offer other decent items on the menu so that I don't have to eat chicken. WOOT. Having said that, I don't mind having bits of the chicken rice though. It's frankly tasty and best eaten with dollops of the chilli. I'll simply pass on meat. The chilli that comes with Hainanese chicken rice is usually nicely spicy and tangy too. Not as hot as sambal, but enough to provide a bit of heat to cut across chicken fats and the flavored rice.

Took two good friends out to lunch. They're not first-time visitors to Singapore. They've eaten at many chicken rice stalls, but not at Boon Tong Kee or Five Star. Randomly picked Five Star at River Valley Road and went late at 1.30pm. The friends liked Five Star's significantly less oily rice. Made them feel less guilty about quaffing all the chicken skin. LOL.