Xing Ji chicken rice ($4)!
Steamed Hainanese chicken rice from Xing Ji Famous Chicken Rice at Holland Drive: silky poached chicken over fragrant rice with cucumber, chilli and broth. $4.
A classic hawker lunch with BB, steamed chicken rice ($4) from Xing Ji Famous Chicken Rice at Holland Drive Food Centre. 😋
What we had:
- Steamed chicken rice: silky poached chicken over fragrant rice, with cucumber, chilli, dark soy and a bowl of broth
Xing Ji sits in the Holland Drive market and food centre (Blk 40, just off Holland Village), one of those reliable neighbourhood stalls that does the national dish properly. We went for the steamed (white) chicken, and it was beautifully done: tender, silky slices with that smooth, gelatinous skin, moist and clean-tasting.
The rice is the real test of a chicken rice stall, and this one nailed it, each grain cooked in chicken stock and fat so it came out glossy, fragrant and savoury enough to eat on its own. The slices of cucumber keep it fresh, and the bowl of light broth on the side is for sipping between mouthfuls.
The chilli here deserves a mention: that bright, garlicky, tangy chilli-lime blend that you dab on every piece, with a drizzle of sweet dark soy. Get the balance right and each bite of chicken sings. Simple, comforting and very well executed.
At $4 a plate it is honest neighbourhood pricing for a stall that clearly cares. A satisfying, no-fuss plate of one of Singapore’s best.
Overall: 4.6 / 5. 😋👍🏼 Silky steamed chicken, fragrant stock-cooked rice and a punchy garlic chilli. Would re-visit.
