Ever since I’ve tasted Tian Tian Chicken Rice I’ve wondered whether any other chicken rice stalls could compare to it. Since I came to Tiong Bahru Food Centre, I decided to try the famous Tiong Bahru Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice. I haven’t visited Tiong Bahru Food Centre for a long time, so I ended up wandering around trying to find the stall for a bit. As luck would have it, I found a snaking queue which happened to be the one for the chicken rice stall.
One plate was 3.50 and due to the long 30 minute wait, I had high expectations for it. After all, the stall was awarded with a Michelin Bib Gourmand Singapore. The chicken was glistening and looked tender, while the rice had a slight aroma of pandan upon the initial inspection.
I was impressed with the chicken. It was succulent and juicy, plus it soaked in the sauce very well. The skin was smooth and the texture of the chicken was similar to Tian Tian Chicken Rice. Most important of all, it was served warm which I appreciated a lot as previous chicken rice stalls that I have tried served cold chicken.
Unfortunately,the rice was disappointing. While it had the taste of pandan to it and was fluffy, it was dry due to the lack of sauce poured onto it. I was most annoyed that some of the rice grains were hard when I chewed on them, which meant they weren’t fully cooked before they were served.
I have mixed feelings about Tiong Bahru Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice. While I was dazzled by the chicken, I was left dismayed by dry rice and the bits of hard rice grains that were on my plate. Maybe if I came on a less busy day the rice would’ve been more well cooked and my experience would’ve been better.
Tiong Bahru Boneless Hainanese Chicken Rice
30 Seng Poh Rd, #02-82, Singapore 168898
Opening hours: 10am-4pm; Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays
