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Chicken rice isn't unique to Singapore though. It's pretty much the same in Malaysia and the Thai version is quite close as well. Katong laksa on the other han

Chicken rice isn't unique to Singapore though. It's pretty much the same in Malaysia and the Thai version is quite close as well. Katong laksa on the other hand (which is in the article) is probably the famous hawker dish that is most uniquely Singapore. Incidentally, the Katong laksa at Cassia in Santa Monica is probably as close to the real deal as you can get outside of Asia. But be prepared for sticker shock.

ValentineC 8y ago
> Chicken rice isn't unique to Singapore though. It's pretty much the same in Malaysia and the Thai version is quite close as well. Funny enough, many of the chicken rice vendors in Singapore sell a Cantonese-influenced version (though many places continue to label their chicken rice as "Hainanese chicken rice"). From what I understand, the Cantonese-style steamed chicken gets dunked in ice to keep the gelatin in the skin. The rice also tends to be slightly wetter and more flavourful. The chicken rice I've had in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and in some other "Malaysian" restaurants around the world, tend to be dryer and yellower.
- swampthing 8y ago
  Hainan was part of Guangdong province until the late 1980s – so I think the dish is Cantonese to begin with. My understanding is that it spread to other places from there. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hainanese_chicken_rice https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hainanese_chicken_rice
- pthomas551 8y ago
  My experience in the US is that Thai restaurants are the best bet for Hainanese chicken rice. It’s not on the usual Thai restaurant menu so any place offering it is probably doing so because they have a passion for the dish and/or their Thai clientele demand it. Greatly missed chicken rice until I figured this out.
  - speedplane 8y ago
    Hainanese chicken rice in a thai place may be serviceable, but I've yet to have a good one. I live in NYC, and even here, with thousands of asian fusion restaurants, there are only 3 or 4 that serve chicken rice that compares well to Singapore.
modlinska 8y ago
Agreed on Cassia's rendition of the katong laksa

ValentineC 8y ago

> Chicken rice isn't unique to Singapore though. It's pretty much the same in Malaysia and the Thai version is quite close as well. Funny enough, many of the chicken rice vendors in Singapore sell a Cantonese-influenced version (though many places continue to label their chicken rice as "Hainanese chicken rice"). From what I understand, the Cantonese-style steamed chicken gets dunked in ice to keep the gelatin in the skin. The rice also tends to be slightly wetter and more flavourful. The chicken rice I've had in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and in some other "Malaysian" restaurants around the world, tend to be dryer and yellower.

swampthing 8y ago
Hainan was part of Guangdong province until the late 1980s – so I think the dish is Cantonese to begin with. My understanding is that it spread to other places from there. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hainanese_chicken_rice https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hainanese_chicken_rice
pthomas551 8y ago
My experience in the US is that Thai restaurants are the best bet for Hainanese chicken rice. It’s not on the usual Thai restaurant menu so any place offering it is probably doing so because they have a passion for the dish and/or their Thai clientele demand it. Greatly missed chicken rice until I figured this out.
- speedplane 8y ago
  Hainanese chicken rice in a thai place may be serviceable, but I've yet to have a good one. I live in NYC, and even here, with thousands of asian fusion restaurants, there are only 3 or 4 that serve chicken rice that compares well to Singapore.

modlinska 8y ago

Agreed on Cassia's rendition of the katong laksa