MOTHER OF CHICKEN RICE

Ask 100 people in Hong Kong where is his favorite Wanton Noodles and you will get 100 answers. Do the same with Chicken Rice in Singapore you might get 150 if not more answers. Why? Singapore foodies usually have more than one favorite, that is why, and why not? That said, Boon Tong Kee (or Mun Tung Kee to us Cantonese) seems to have secured the top slot. Like life itself, nothing is permanent so Boon Tong Kee is enjoying market leadership, for now. Swee Kee, among others, held that title some years ago but is no longer a competitor and this is how it goes. One cannot possibly miss this landmark as the building covers an entire block on Balestier Road, and their huge signage is dramatic.

I paid my respect yesterday at 3pm, when the lunch crowd was just beginning to thin out. My conclusion is, they deserve it. I also discovered after the pilgrimage that what makes Chicken Rice a national dish here is not so much the chicken, but a joint effort of the rice, the skin, and lastly the layer of jelly between the meat and the skin. I learned to poach a chicken Chinese style and realize the magic of this jelly, which generates the taste foodies keep coming back for. Chicken skin is the 'anti-christ' in a dietitian's dictionary but imagine leaving the skin on the plate? Please do not insult the chef, and embarrass yourself. The rice at Boon Tong Kee is, to me, the ultimate winner. I am not certain but if I were asked to call it I would say it is the smallest and finest basmati grains, cooked flawlessly in the most flavorful stock. It is dry, super fluffy and taste dominates, with not a trace of chicken fat. Lastly, credit should also go to their house sauces ie the classic chili & dark soya complements. The damage was S$18 or $100 for a dish of chicken, a bowl of rice, a vegetarian spring roll, a shrimp toast (amazingly greaseless as well) and an iced barley water. WOW! As hungry foodies continue to file in, almost 4pm by now, I was reborned. Have you ever had Hainan Chicken Rice for high tea? Try Mun Tung Kee on Balestier!