Located within Shing Boon Hwa Food Centre at Dickson Road, just opposite Sim Lim Tower, lies Hainan Chicken Rice Ball, which is famous for its steamed chicken as well as the iconic chicken rice balls from Malacca.

Hainan Chicken Rice Ball has been around for decades and it has garnered a strong following for its chicken rice balls.

The chicken rice balls itself was a tad sticky and a not as oily as the typical chicken rice you find in Singapore; it is more similar to that of a rice dumpling.

However, despite being compact it still emitted a deep savoury aroma reminiscent of the chicken rice balls we’ve had in Malacca. We were utterly surprised at how delicious it was. It is much more intensely flavoured than your usual chicken rice and the stickiness of the rice grains added an interesting textural experience.

The steamed chicken meat was tender, moist and succulent, and despite being doused only in a simple sweet soy sauce, the flavour of the chicken really held its own. Coupled with the tasty chicken rice ball, it made for a pretty satisfying meal.

While most soups that come paired with chicken rice are clear, the soup served here is of a dark brownish hue—which made us a little confused for a second. To our pleasant surprise, the soup was super tasty and comforting. It had a mild herbal flavour which reminded us of the Malaysian-style herbal bak kut teh.

Hainan Chicken Rice Ball used to opened from 10am – 3pm daily but the owner has decided to extend the opening hours to 6pm after listening to feedback from his regulars.

Hainan Chicken Rice Ball
3 Dickson Road,
Singapore 209530
Daily: 10am – 6pm

Located at Mandarin Orchard Singapore, Chatterbox is perhaps one of the most famous—and expensive—chicken rice restaurants in Singapore.

Helmed by executive sous chef Liew Tian Heong, Chatterbox’s Hainanese Chicken Rice is its most popular dish and propelled the restaurant to fame. People from all over the world flock to the restaurant for a taste of this signature dish.

Is Chatterbox’s Hainanese Chicken Rice really that good? Is it worth paying S$27++ for a plate of chicken rice?

Chatterbox has quite a variety of local snacks on its menu. From the Rojak (S$17), to Satay (S$18 for 6 sticks), and Ngoh Hiang (S$18), you can find all the popular local snacks here.

And don’t miss out on the Salted Egg Chicken Wings (S$20 for 8 pieces)—it is certainly the best appetizer on the menu, and the best way to start your meal!

Nobody comes to Chatterbox without ordering the legendary Mandarin Chicken Rice (S$27++).

It comes with tender-boiled free-range chicken that is so juicy and succulent. Paired with fragrant rice—every grain is evenly coated with chicken oil and perfumed with pandan leaves. The homemade chilli sauce is really good and kickass.

Other than the Mandarin Chicken Rice, we also love Chatterbox’s Lobster Laksa (S$38).

There’s simply no turning back once you’ve tasted their Lobster Laksa—a wondrous bowl of goodness that looks and tastes amazing. A whole fresh lobster is used in every bowl. The soup is thick with the layered taste of quality coconut milk and fresh lobster. It is as luxurious as laksa can get.

This is probably one of the most, if not the most expensive, chicken rice in Singapore. And let’s be frank, not everyone will want to pay so much for a plate of chicken rice, especially when you can get really good chicken rice at S$3-5 from the other famous chicken rice stalls in Singapore.

If you are willing to pay S$27 for pasta or risotto from an Italian restaurant, why not the same amount for a plate of chicken rice?

Chatterbox is where you can get a taste of Singapore’s local food, elevated with premium ingredients and precise cooking techniques. It’s certainly the ideal place to bring your overseas friends to have a taste of the most popular Singaporean local food in a comfortable setting.

Chatterbox
333 Orchard Road
Level 5, Mandarin Orchard
Singapore 238867