With the reopening of Chatterbox, foodies were ‘debating’ on the question of expensive vs affordable Chicken Rice.
On one end of the spectrum, there is the $25 Chicken Rice in a hotel, contrasted to hawker stalls like Xing Yun 幸运海南起骨鸡饭 which still serve up a plate for $3.50.
Located in a residential area in Jurong East, Yuhua Market and Hawker Centre is one of the largest food hawkers in Singapore.
Taking the train? Yuhua Market and Hawker Centre is closest to the Chinese Garden MRT Station.
It is well-loved for its broad range of hawker stalls at value-for-money prices, with popular stalls being Lai Heng Handmade Teochew Kueh, Hua Xing Bak Kut Teh, and 晶晶 Carrot Cake.
Out of the 50 – 60 stalls here, Xing Yun (which literally means “lucky”) is one of the easily one of the longest queued stalls.
The Michelin Guide (it has a Michelin Plate) praises its Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice, highlighting the tender chicken meat and aromatic rice, components of a dish that attract queues of diners.
The line can go on a loop during lunch time; and while closing hour states 2pm, most of the chicken parts can be sold out by 1pm or so.
My friend mentioned he has had this dish since childhood (when it was $2), a stall that can affordably appease hunger without skimping on flavours.
The price starts from $3.50 per plate of basic Chicken Rice, with more elaborate choice of Chicken Drumstick & Wings with Rice at $5.60.
If you come with a partner and want more meat, get half a chicken for $12 and 2 plates of rice for $1. Or a whole chicken at $24; with add-ons of liver, gizzard or egg at $0.50 each portion.
The chicken is supposedly steamed, served in succulent deboned slices. They serve the prized meat over a fragrant pool of sweet savoury brown sauce. You can tell it has soy sauce, sesame oil, and a sweetener.
Also came with a slice of pineapple and tomato, perhaps to help cut through some of the greasiness.
As for the rice, I thought it was cooked to the dry side and would have personally preferred the grains to be more fluffy.
It gets some of the flavours from the drizzled sauce, so parts that were not mixed it could taste a little plain (some say delicate flavours).
It is recommended to add chilli and ginger sauce for added layers of flavour. Xing Yun’s chilli sauce is a sharp and spicy blend of chilli, ginger, garlic, and other seasonings.
While the sauces can carry most of the flavours in this dish, it is still the juicy, flavourful boneless chicken that keeps fans coming back.
Xing Yun Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice (幸运海南起骨鸡饭)
Yuhua Market & Hawker Centre #01-202, 347 Jurong East Ave 1, Singapore 600347
Opening Hours: 7am – 2pm (Thu – Mon), Closed Tues, Wed
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Sin Kee Famous Cantonese Chicken Rice (Holland Drive)
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Will try the tasty boneless chicken rice first