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Hainanese Chicken Rice

By Tony Tan

4.7

(3)

Sliced chicken breast with rice and chile sauce.
Photo by Greg Elms

While Hainanese chicken rice is practically the national dish of Singapore, this dish, made famous by my ancestors, is not that common in Hong Kong. Perhaps this has something to do with the relatively small Hainanese community in the city, but everyone I’ve spoken to knows of this legendary dish. It isn’t difficult to make. You need a good free-range chicken and, after poaching the bird, the stock is used to steam the rice and to make the soup. The chicken is dressed and served with a dipping sauce. 

Where to find this delicious chicken in Hong Kong? As well as at Hainan Shaoye in Kowloon, it’s on the menu of the Grand Café at the Grand Hyatt, Café Causette at the Mandarin Oriental, and Café Malacca over in Sai Wan. 

If you live somewhere where this dish isn’t widely available, though, it’s definitely worth making at home. In the time-honored tradition, this Hainanese chicken rice recipe has been handed down from my mother and her mother before her.

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