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Singapore Food & Drink Chicken Rice

The 11 Best Chicken Rice Spots in Singapore (2026)

Updated October 2026 · 11 picks

The best Hainanese chicken rice in Singapore in 2026 is at Tian Tian in Maxwell Food Centre, Zi Jing Cheng in Alexandra Village, Chicken House on Upper Thomson Road and Tiong Bahru Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice. Boon Tong Kee in Balestier is the best sit-down restaurant, and Chatterbox at Hilton Singapore Orchard serves the famous hotel version.

Hainanese chicken rice is poached (or 'white') chicken served at room temperature with rice cooked in chicken stock, garlic and pandan, plus chilli-lime sauce, ginger and dark soy. Most stalls also sell roasted chicken. Hawker stalls charge from around S$5 a plate; restaurants sell whole or half chickens to share. The best stalls sell out, so lunch beats dinner.

1. Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice — Maxwell Food Centre, Chinatown

The stall that made Singapore chicken rice world-famous, still the benchmark.

$ Budget

Tian Tian has been at Maxwell Food Centre since the 1980s and is the name most visitors know, helped by years of Michelin recognition — it is on the 2026 Bib Gourmand list. The chicken is tender and lightly dressed with soy and sesame oil, and the rice is properly fragrant.

Order the steamed chicken with rice and add a side of vegetables; the chilli is on the mild side, so ask for extra. Locals argue some newer names beat it, but for a first plate it is the one to try.

Good to know: The queue moves faster than it looks; come before noon, and note it rests on Mondays.

#01-10/11 Maxwell Food Centre, 1 Kadayanallur St, Singapore 069184

Google Maps Website

2. Zi Jing Cheng Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice — Alexandra Village Food Centre, Bukit Merah

A single-dish heartland stall that many food writers now rate above Tian Tian.

$ Budget

Zi Jing Cheng does one thing — steamed boneless chicken rice — and does it with real care: silky chicken, well-seasoned rice and a sharp chilli. It has been a Bib Gourmand stall and has a following well beyond Bukit Merah.

Sets are sized for one to three people. It opens only a few days a week and only for lunch, so plan around it and pair it with claypot laksa from the same hawker centre.

Good to know: Hours are short and it sells out — check opening days before going, and arrive early.

#01-15 Alexandra Village Food Centre, 120 Bukit Merah Lane 1, Singapore 150120

Google Maps

3. Chicken House — Upper Thomson

Kampung chicken and punchy chilli — Eatbook's top-ranked chicken rice of 2026.

$ Budget

Chicken House is a casual eatery on Upper Thomson Road built around kampung chicken, which has more flavour and a firmer bite than the standard bird. It came top in Eatbook's 2026 ranking of Singapore's chicken rice for both rice and chicken.

Order the kampung chicken rice and pile on the chilli, which is brighter and hotter than most. It is out of the centre, so combine it with a walk in MacRitchie Reservoir or a visit to Thomson's other food spots.

Good to know: It closes in the early evening, so make it lunch.

255 Upper Thomson Rd, Singapore 574382

Google Maps

4. Tiong Bahru Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice — Tiong Bahru Market

Rich, glossy chicken at a 2026 Bib Gourmand stall inside Tiong Bahru Market.

$ Budget

This stall upstairs at Tiong Bahru Market serves a fattier, richer style of chicken with smooth, glistening skin, and the roast chicken is good too. It is on Michelin's 2026 Bib Gourmand list.

Order a plate of steamed chicken rice for one, or a half chicken to share, and make it part of a morning in Tiong Bahru. It closes when it sells out.

Good to know: Arrive by late morning — it shuts once the chickens are gone.

#02-82 Tiong Bahru Market, 30 Seng Poh Rd, Singapore 168898

Google Maps

5. Boon Tong Kee — Balestier

The best sit-down chicken rice restaurant, with a full Cantonese menu around it.

$$ Mid-range

Boon Tong Kee started as a stall and grew into a restaurant chain; its Balestier Road flagship, spread across three shophouses, is on Michelin's 2026 Bib Gourmand list. It is air-conditioned, takes groups and serves a long menu of Cantonese home-style dishes alongside the chicken.

Order a half chicken to share with rice for everyone, then add tofu, vegetables and soup. It suits families and anyone who wants chicken rice as a proper meal rather than a hawker plate.

Good to know: Balestier Road has several other chicken rice shops — the flagship is at numbers 399–403.

399, 401 & 403 Balestier Rd, Singapore 329801

Google Maps Website

6. Margaret Drive Sin Kee Chicken Rice — Holland Drive, Dempsey & Holland Village

A cult Bib Gourmand stall with juicy chicken and a ground ginger sauce.

$ Budget

Sin Kee moved from its old Margaret Drive home to a coffee shop on Holland Drive, a short walk from Holland Village, and kept its following. It is on Michelin's 2026 Bib Gourmand list.

The chicken is juicy, the rice rich, and the ground ginger sauce is the thing regulars rave about. Add a side of the braised gizzards and liver if you like offal.

Good to know: Pair it with a stroll round Holland Village; buses run along Holland Avenue.

#01-39 Blk 40 Holland Drive, Singapore 270040

Google Maps

7. Katong Mei Wei Chicken Rice — Katong

Generous portions and the best value plate in Katong.

$ Budget

Katong Mei Wei is a long-running shop inside Katong Shopping Centre on Mountbatten Road, known for boneless chicken and generous servings. Eatbook named it the best-value plate in its 2026 ranking.

The set comes with achar and soup, which makes it a full meal. It is an easy add-on to a day exploring Katong's Peranakan shophouses and laksa.

Good to know: It is closed on Mondays and closes in the early evening.

Katong Shopping Centre, 865 Mountbatten Rd, Singapore 437844

Google Maps

8. Wee Nam Kee Hainanese Chicken Rice — Novena (United Square)

Dependable restaurant-style chicken rice in an air-conditioned mall.

$$ Mid-range

Wee Nam Kee is a well-known chicken rice restaurant whose flagship sits in United Square, next to Novena MRT. It is reliable rather than revelatory: tender chicken, fragrant rice and quick service in air-conditioned comfort.

Individual sets make it easy for solo diners; groups can share a whole chicken with side dishes. It is a good choice with children or on a rainy day.

Good to know: Novena MRT links straight into the mall.

#01-08 United Square, 101 Thomson Rd, Singapore 307591

Google Maps

9. Chatterbox — Orchard Road (Hilton Singapore Orchard)

The famous hotel chicken rice — pricey, polished and generous.

$$$ Upmarket

Chatterbox has served its Mandarin Chicken Rice for decades and is now on Level 5 of Hilton Singapore Orchard. The chicken is boneless and tender, the rice rich, and the sauces are served in generous portions.

It costs several times a hawker plate, but you get table service, air-conditioning and a full menu of local classics including lobster laksa. It suits business lunches, family celebrations and shoppers on Orchard Road.

Good to know: Book ahead for weekend lunch; it fills with families.

#05-03 Hilton Singapore Orchard, 333 Orchard Rd, Singapore 238867

Google Maps Website

10. Five Star Hainanese Kampung Chicken Rice — Katong (East Coast Road)

Kampung chicken until late — the Katong flagship stays open past midnight.

$$ Mid-range

Five Star built its name on kampung chicken served restaurant-style in a casual shophouse setting. The East Coast Road flagship stays open until 2am, which makes it a supper favourite.

Order the kampung chicken with rice, plus a few zi char dishes to share. Portions are on the small side for the price, so order more chicken than you think.

Good to know: Come late — it's one of the few good chicken rice spots open after midnight.

191 East Coast Rd, Singapore 428897

Google Maps Website

11. Uncle Louis Famous Chicken Rice — Maxwell Food Centre, Chinatown

The smart alternative at Maxwell when Tian Tian's queue is too long.

$ Budget

Uncle Louis is a few stalls from Tian Tian at Maxwell and gets a fraction of the queue. Eatbook's 2026 ranking put it ahead of Tian Tian overall and gave it the best chilli of the lot.

Order the steamed chicken rice and go heavy on the chilli. It keeps long hours, so it also works for a late dinner in Chinatown.

Good to know: Try both Maxwell stalls side by side and decide for yourself.

#01-36 Maxwell Food Centre, 1 Kadayanallur St, Singapore 069184

Google Maps

Frequently asked questions

Where is the most famous chicken rice in Singapore?

Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice at Maxwell Food Centre (#01-10/11) is the most famous, and it is on Michelin's 2026 Bib Gourmand list. It also has a newer outlet at Jewel Changi Airport, handy before a flight.

How much does chicken rice cost in Singapore?

At hawker stalls a plate costs from around S$4 to S$7 in 2026. Restaurants such as Boon Tong Kee and Wee Nam Kee charge more and sell sharing portions, and Chatterbox's hotel version costs several times a hawker plate.

What is the difference between steamed and roasted chicken rice?

'Steamed' or 'white' chicken is gently poached so the meat is silky and the skin smooth and gelatinous; roasted chicken is cooked further for browner, firmer skin. Most stalls sell both — order the steamed version for the classic Hainanese style.

What is kampung chicken?

Kampung ('village') chicken is a free-range breed with leaner, firmer, more flavourful meat than standard broilers. Chicken House on Upper Thomson Road and Five Star in Katong both build their menus around it.

Where else should I eat at Maxwell Food Centre?

See our guide to the best hawker centres in Singapore for what else to order at Maxwell and the other big centres.

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