Now it's time for Hainanese Chicken Rice, also known as Singapore Chicken Rice!

I wonder if you have the same feeling. This time, I chose the top 5 in Tokyo, including "Hainanese Chicken Rice Restaurant Azabujuban Branch", "Singapore Hainanese Chicken Rice Suidobashi Branch", "Shintouki Clark Quay Otemachi", "Hainanese Chicken Rice Dream Rice", and "Wee Nam Kee Hainanese Chicken Rice".

As expected, in hot season, it's food from hot countries. Although, Japan has been hotter than Singapore recently (lol).

I like this so much that I could eat it every day for lunch. As proof, I stayed in Singapore for five nights last month, and ate this at a different restaurant every day, which seemed stupid. The price ranged from 400 yen at a cheap restaurant in the suburbs to 1200 yen at a famous restaurant.

So, after a quarter century, Hainanese chicken rice, which first arrived in Tokyo from Singapore in 2000, can now be found in a variety of restaurants.

First, let me explain about Hainanese chicken rice.

Apparently, it was originally created by people from Hainan Island in China who came to Singapore. Apparently, this dish does not exist on Hainan Island (I've never been there, so this is hearsay). It's written that Hainanese people spread their homeland's cuisine to various countries in Southeast Asia, but that seems to be incorrect. Other dishes similar to chicken rice include "Khao Man Gai" in Thailand and "Com Ga" in Vietnam, but they may have also been created by Hainanese people in their respective countries.

The main dish is boiled or roasted chicken, which is served on a plate of rice cooked in chicken soup and ginger, with the chicken shredded and three types of sauce, ginger, chili, and dark soy, mixed to your liking. "Is there really a difference between these two things?" you might be asked.

Well, this varies quite a bit depending on the quality and part of the chicken, the taste of the sauce, and the taste of the rice. The biggest difference is in the quality of the chicken and the sweetness of the dark soy.

It can be eaten at hawker stalls and Michelin restaurants, and is even served to state guests. Long lines form at famous hawker stalls, making it the national dish that truly represents Singapore. What's great about eating it in Japan is the hygiene. At hawker stalls in Singapore, people sometimes turn a blind eye to everything and just eat the food, but it's nice that this isn't the case in Japan.

Kainan Chicken Rice Restaurant Azabu Juban Branch

Located between Azabu-Juban and Roppongi Hills, the place is overgrown with trees, creating a tropical atmosphere. The seats are packed tightly together inside the restaurant, and pets are allowed on the terrace. A white man was eating chicken rice with his golden retriever. The place was very lively, and the staff were very lively. The background music was modern jazz, but it was all performed by active musicians. It was thumping.

I went in at 11:45, but it was full. By 12:00, there was already a line outside. Most customers were ordering chicken rice, but there were also some wonton chicken noodles and coconut chicken curry. Some tables were ordering stir-fried vegetables and shrimp with black pepper sauce on the side.

First up is the usual chicken soup. It's light and not too salty, but it has a nice flavor.

Introducing chicken rice.

I ordered a large portion of chicken. It looked beautiful, in fact it was the most beautiful of the five dishes I tried. The boiled and steamed chicken, the main feature, had fat on the top half and breast meat on the bottom half, which was light. I personally prefer it with more fat, but either way it was delicious. The woman sitting next to me squealed, "Oh, it's so soft! I can't make this at home!"

Three types of sauce are included, the dark soy sauce is not too thin but not too thick, and the chili sauce has a mild taste. Therefore, even when mixed with the ginger sauce, the balance is very good. The rice is indica rice, light and fluffy, with the taste of chicken and ginger. It is cooked perfectly and is very delicious. The Chinese vegetable stir fry I ordered on the side is also quite good, as it is a Singaporean restaurant, and is sweet but not too sweet.

I thought it was quite tailored to Japanese tastes. The shrimp chili and curry may have been arranged quite a bit to suit Japanese tastes. In terms of taste alone, the next restaurant I'll introduce is the best, but in terms of overall quality including service, I would recommend this place as the best. By the way, they also have branches in Shibuya, Ebisu, and Yokohama.

Singapore Hainanese Chicken Rice Suidobashi Branch

It's less than a two-minute walk from Suidobashi Station. You'll easily spot it because the white Merlion welcomes you. Apparently, they've been a supplier to the embassy for 15 years. Of the five restaurants we visited, this was the only one that had toothpicks, napkins, and drinks on each table. They even provided paper aprons. That alone made me think, "Wow, that's not Singaporean, they're doing it!" Compared to Japan, some restaurants in Singapore are dirty and have poor service. So, when you feel like you're in Singapore and encounter this kind of standard Japanese service, you're taken aback. And the background music is Southern throughout (lol).

This restaurant also offers a variety of options. Steamed chicken, roasted chicken, or half and half of both. You can get 200 times the amount of meat for an additional 1.5 yen, and add coriander for an additional 200 yen. The menu says that the half and half is the most popular option. I like it too. This restaurant serves everything on a tray, all at once. The rice is served in a bowl, which is unusual. They don't skimp on the amount of coriander topping either.

First, I tried the steamed chicken as is. It was fatty and soft and delicious. Next was the roast, which was also browned on the outside and moderately cooked inside, and just as delicious. Next was the taste of the sauce. The dark soy sauce was thick and rich, but not too sweet or salty. The chili sauce was also not too spicy. Therefore, even when mixed with ginger, the three types were just the right balance. In short, it was delicious.

The rice is light and fluffy, and the chicken and ginger flavor is really good. The soup is light and contains cabbage and carrots, but it's just as good. All of these are plus points, so overall it's pretty good. In general, the five restaurants I visited this time are not that different from the ones in Singapore. In particular, the next three restaurants are outstanding.

However, if I may say so myself, my favorite restaurant in Singapore is "Mun Tong Kee". I was blown away by the soft and juicy chicken rice. I sighed every time I took a bite, seriously. I was eating alone and kept saying "Yummy, yummy", and the girl from China sitting next to me laughed. The restaurant is very clean, and there are many attentive staff, so the service is perfect. There is no restaurant in Japan that can compare to "Mun Tong Kee" (I can say that with confidence). But I feel like it's at about the third best level in Singapore. So I was very satisfied.

Clark Quay Otemachi

It's a restaurant in Otemachi Financial City. It's Singaporean food, so the average customer spend isn't that high.

I opened the door, feeling unnecessarily anxious about whether it was okay to open a restaurant in such a prime location. It was 13:30, outside of lunchtime, and there was only one customer. Looking at the menu, the Hainanese chicken rice was, of course, a set, and the extra large portion of chicken was only 300 yen more expensive. Of course, I ordered the extra large portion (lol), coriander for 200 yen, and the delicious homemade lime juice that is said to be delicious.

Yes, here I am.

Wow, there's a lot of chicken.

That's a pretty amazing amount. That's generous. But 200 yen for coriander, it's a laughable amount for a small plate. I'll finish this in one bite (lol). A bunch of coriander costs about 300 yen at the supermarket. It was so poor that the difference between the two was quite funny.

Well, never mind.

However, this restaurant's chicken is unusual. The whole chicken is covered in dark soy sauce from the start. I wondered why, but I took a bite. And what a surprise! Just the right amount of fat and tenderness! It might be the closest to the previously mentioned "Buntouki". The sauce is also light and smooth for dark soy, and incredibly delicious. Wow, I'm amazed. In the UK, the sauce is thick and quite sweet, but the one at this restaurant is much less sweet, which I think is great. The menu says "Top quality brand thigh meat." With the sauce still on, I hungrily gobbled down two, then three slices.

The jasmine rice cooked in chicken soup is made from Thai rice and has a slight ginger scent, which is also exquisite. The chicken soup is not too salty, but very delicious. So, overall, I enjoyed an unexpected paradise.

It was time to change the flavor. I mixed it with some homemade chili sauce, ginger sauce, and coriander, and ate it with rice.

Hmm, I think this one is better after all.

If I could be greedy, I'd like them to leave everything to the customer, including the dark soy sauce. Well, maybe that's how confident they are in this sauce. Maybe it was too much of a hassle to put three kinds of sauce on each table (lol). What was strange was the sign posted inside the restaurant. It said, "Rising raw material prices, labor shortage, wages increased!" It looked like some kind of propaganda. Is this class warfare? (lol). They should have just written something like, "Due to rising prices of various goods, we are revising our prices." Apparently the price will change from August 16th.

Another thing that was strange was that the menu said "Top quality brand chicken thighs", so while I was paying, I asked "Where do they use chicken?" The cashier replied "I can't answer that question". Huh? Why? Is that a trade secret?! "Japanese chicken", they said. They asked me "Did it suit your taste?" but there's a certain way to say things. I felt a bit uneasy. It was a strange restaurant.

Regardless of the waiters and class struggles, the Hainanese chicken rice is top-notch and delicious. Oh, and the homemade lime juice is freshly squeezed and refreshing. It was delicious.

Hainanese Chicken Rice Yumehan

It's about a two-minute walk from the north exit of Nishi-Ogikubo Station. It opened in 2000, so it's been 25 years. It has a casual tropical atmosphere. As I peered in from outside the door, someone called out, "Welcome!" The staff all dressed in clothes that clearly show they like Southeast Asian music. The background music changed from the Jackson 13 to "Hey Jude" by Ella Fitzgerald, but it seemed to be mostly black music. I entered the store at 30:XNUMX p.m. and was able to get in easily, but customers kept coming in. It's a popular store.

What's good about this restaurant is that you can choose half and half between boiled and steamed chicken and roasted chicken. If you eat only boiled chicken, you'll want to eat fried chicken like Khao Man Gai sometimes. Another good thing is that they offer small, medium, and large chicken rice. I often don't feel full with the regular size.

Well, the first thing to arrive was soup as usual. It was chicken soup, but the ingredients included cabbage and a little bit of tofu. The sweetness of the cabbage seeped out, giving it a gentle flavor. A little later, the chicken rice arrived. I ordered a medium, but at a glance, I thought, "This is a little small" (lol). I ate the boiled and steamed chicken first. It had a bit of fat, and it was okay. Next came the roast, which was quite tasty. If anything, the roast won out. The rice had a ginger scent, but it was just average.

In addition to the three sauces mentioned above, lemon juice is also included. The dark soy sauce is not very sweet but is quite rich, and the chili sauce is quite spicy. Even when the three sauces are mixed together, the chili stands out. It's quite tasty. However, there is only one piece of coriander the length of a pinky finger! That's stingy. I was surprised. Is coriander expensive?

Weinanki Hainanese Chicken Rice

This Singaporean restaurant opened in Tamachi in July 2015. Apparently the main store in Singapore is a famous restaurant. They also have a store at Changi International Airport. The interior of the restaurant has a high ceiling and large fans slowly rotating overhead, creating a truly tropical atmosphere. There is also outdoor terrace seating. It is what they call a big restaurant. As it is a popular restaurant, I was able to get in easily if I went around 13:30pm, outside of peak lunch hours.

Maybe it was because it was after the crowded lunch, but the staff were somehow sluggish. They had zero energy. They were not considerate. Oh well. Anyway, I'm a big eater, so I ordered the "Wee Nam Kee Lunch Set" which came with a mini salad, bak kut teh soup, and chili prawns in addition to the chicken rice. This was, well, a failure.

I love chicken rice to death, but Singaporean food doesn't suit my taste at all (lol). That's why I can't stand the soup bak kut teh or chili shrimp. I can't stand the spicy smell of cinnamon, anise and cloves in bak kut teh, and the sweetness of chili shrimp rather than its spiciness. By the way, I don't like the sweetness of coconut either. Although it uses the same spices, Thai food suits me much better. To put it very roughly, Singaporean food is vague, while Thai food is crisp and sharp.

In conclusion, the chicken rice was all I needed at this restaurant (lol).

Now, there's one thing unusual about the chicken rice here.

Half of the steamed chicken was chicken wings, and the meat was firmly attached to the bone. I have never seen meat on the bone in Singapore (though, by the way, there are quite a few restaurants that do that). With meat on the bone, you have to peel the bone from the meat, which makes it quite a hassle to eat. However, chicken wings with bones are fatty and chewy. I can't bite into chicken wings right away, but they are much tastier than the remaining half of the breast meat. The breast meat was thick and bland, but soft and quite tasty.

At first, I ate it without any condiments, but when I mixed the chicken pieces and rice with ginger, chili, and dark soy, it became even more delicious. The rice cooked in chicken soup was also, well, normal and there was nothing particularly wrong with it. The rice was quite fluffy. The chicken soup was also just normal, and not something that made me want to shout with joy.

Therefore, out of the five, it's the last one. Sorry.

Author profile

Bassey is a foodie who has been eating around for over 40 years. In addition to Japan, he regularly goes to Hong Kong to eat Chinese food at his own expense, and also travels to Taiwan, Singapore, Bangkok, and Seoul for delicious food. During his time as the editor-in-chief of a travel magazine, he visited many Michelin-rated restaurants around the world, especially in Europe, and later on in the World's Best 50 restaurants. We want everyone who loves food to try ``Crab Miso Bean Paste Noodles'' from ``Tenkorou'' (Hong Kong). Actually, I like the Chinese food at this restaurant the best in the world. Another example of the best Western food is "El Seger de Can Roca" from Girona, Spain, which was ranked number one on the World's Best 50 list. Ah, I want to go there again.