NON-HALAL
Hainanese Chicken Rice, a dish that came from China to South East Asia by way of the Nanyang migration is everywhere in Malaysia and Singapore. As it is exceedingly common, there really wasn’t much to talk about from a Nanyang girl’s perspective, that is until we found Wee Nam Kee!
Situated along Thomson Road, this coffee shop gets very busy during lunch time with people sitting inside the shop and even outdoors under umbrella shades. If you’re lucky like us, you won’t have to wait like a dodo for a table. (Tip: Look at folks who are about to finish and hover like a vulture. It works!)
Wasting non of the waitresses’ time, I quickly ordered what they’re famous for; the steamed chicken leg with the fragrant rice. Bear in mind that they call it “steamed” because it’s white, but the process is closer to blanching and simmering the bird in boiling water with the heat off. (Ahah! Secret Chinese cooking kungfu revealed!)
When it arrived, the meat dish looked yellow, juicy and glistening with fatty skin, just the way it should be. The pearls of long grain rice came glistening too.
Now the moment of truth…
Oh my lord! This is it, the mother of all Nanyang pride… KKMOI’s dream plate of perfect poultry and grain!
It was just the perfect balance of taste and texture, and the chicken tasted outstanding. The flesh was plump, silky, and tender with a spring to it. I’m guessing they probably relax their chickens before cooking them (another Chinese cooking kung-fu revealed).
I was really impressed with the beautiful layer of gelatin in between the flesh and skin, which is only possible if they dip the cooked chickens in an ice bath. (Some people hate this)
The condiments that came with the dish were not just ‘by-the-way’ products either. The thick soy sauce, grated ginger, and their house-special chilly sauce was designed to bring out the beautiful chicken and rice. I was so impressed, I had to order their roasted chicken just for contrast.
This was definitely very tasty and tender as well. It is better than most of the roast chicken I’ve had, but it does rank second to the white version.
With such an experience, it is no wonder they won the People’s Choice awards on Asia One in 2010 as the No.1 Hawker in Singapore!
The chicken leg rice was SGD$4.80 a plate and the whole bill came up to less than SGD$10. What more can you ask for?
How to get there by foot:
From the Novena MRT station, exit Velocity mall and turn right toward the overhead bridge. Take the bridge across the road. Wee Nam Kee is right in front of you!
View Larger Map
Wee Nam Kee Chicken Rice
Address: 275 Thomson Road, #01-05 Novena Ville, Singapore
Daily: 10:30am – 12am
