A to Z of 2024: Chicken rice enjoys a renaissance

SINGAPORE – The humble chicken rice found itself in the spotlight in 2024, as celebrities and influencers started competing against hawkers selling one of Singapore’s most-loved dishes. Established restaurant chains also joined the fray.

While chicken rice seems an easy enough dish to pull off, influencer Simon Khung, better known online as Simonboy, found out the hard way that Singaporeans are extremely passionate about the local staple. 

When he teamed up with local actor Peter Yu and a foodcourt operator to open their first chicken rice stall – Singabola Chicken Rice, in Yishun – in June, their food drew criticism online.

As none of the partners can cook, they relied on their first head cook to manage the stall.

In the first month of the stall’s opening, Mr Khung was frequently scolded on social media as customers held him responsible for their less-than-satisfactory meals at the stall.

Prices of a regular plate of steamed or roasted chicken rice start at $4.50.

Despite the initial backlash, the three partners opened a second outlet at foodcourt Makan Singapura at Keat Hong Community Club in July and hired a new head cook.

Rapper Sheikh Haikel also jumped on the chicken rice bandwagon, realising his teenage dream of opening a 50-seat Hainanese chicken rice restaurant called Hai Ge Ji in North Bridge Road. 

The Muslim entrepreneur wanted a restaurant where he could take his family to dine on authentic Hainanese chicken rice. Prices start at $8+ for Hai Ge Ji Chicken Rice with breast meat. 

F&B giants BreadTalk Group and the Putien restaurant chain have also opened eateries with chicken rice as the star dish, but with different concepts.

Putien’s founder and chairman Fong Chi Chung had patronised a chicken rice stall at a coffee shop at 6 Verdun Road, Sam Leong Hainanese Chicken Rice, for some 20 years. He was approached by its late stall owner Heng Air Tow to take over the stall, as Mr Heng wanted to retire. 

Mr Fong agreed because of their friendship and his admiration of how Mr Heng had devoted 30 years to perfecting his Hainanese chicken rice.

As the Verdun Road coffee shop was due to undergo renovations, Mr Fong found a new location at Verdun House to set up an air-conditioned eatery that can seat 74 diners.

He also rebranded the business as Sam Leong St Chicken Rice, launching it as a fast-casual restaurant in January.

A basic plate of roasted chicken rice or poached chicken rice starts at $3.50.

The BreadTalk Group, which has 19 years of experience operating Sergeant Chicken Rice stalls at its foodcourts, opened Today Kampung Chicken Rice Restaurant in Tiong Bahru in June. 

Instead of broiler chickens, large kampung chickens are poached for the star dish of Hainanese kampung chicken rice. 

Prices start at $6.50 for a plate of Hainanese Kampung Chicken Rice with chicken breast, or chicken wing and breast meat. The all-day-dining eatery, which is styled after an old-school kopitiam and can accommodate 90 diners, is not air-conditioned.