Best Chicken Rice in Singapore: 13 Best Spots (2026)
Chicken rice — poached or roasted chicken served with fragrant chicken-fat rice, chilli and pounded ginger — is one of Singapore's national dishes, found everywhere from HDB hawker stalls to hotel dining rooms. The scene spans Michelin-recognised hawker stalls such as Tian Tian and Hawker Chan, long-running sit-down institutions like Wee Nam Kee, Boon Tong Kee and Chatterbox, and neighbourhood specialists doing Hainanese steamed, roasted, Cantonese soya-sauce and free-range kampung styles. The venues below are spread across the island and across price points; as hours and prices change, it is worth confirming before you go.
Last verified: September 2026. Hours and prices can change — we re-check our guides regularly, but do confirm before a special trip.
- Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice
- Hawker Chan (Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle)
- Wee Nam Kee Hainanese Chicken Rice
- Boon Tong Kee
- Chatterbox
- Five Star Hainanese Kampung Chicken Rice
- Chicken House
- Loy Kee Best Chicken Rice
- Uncle Louis Famous Chicken Rice
- Zi Jing Cheng Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice
- Katong Mei Wei Chicken Rice
- Nan Xiang Chicken Rice
- Chye Kee Goldhill Roasted Chicken Rice
The list
Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice Hainanese chicken rice · $
The most famous chicken rice stall in Singapore, a Michelin Bib Gourmand regular known for tender chicken and fragrant rice; expect long queues.
- Cuisine: Hainanese chicken rice
- Price: $ · Chicken rice from ~$5 (roasted) / ~$6 (steamed)
- Must-try: Steamed Hainanese chicken rice, Roasted chicken rice
- Where: 1 Kadayanallur Street, #01-10/11, Maxwell Food Centre, Singapore 069184
- Area: Tanjong Pagar / Chinatown
- Nearest MRT: Maxwell
- Hours: Tue-Sun 8:30am-8pm (closed Mon)
- Halal: No
Hawker Chan (Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle) Cantonese-style soya sauce chicken rice · $
Chan Hon Meng's stall earned a Michelin star (2016-2021) and now holds a Bib Gourmand, famous for silky soya sauce chicken at hawker prices; can sell out.
- Cuisine: Cantonese-style soya sauce chicken rice
- Price: $ · Hawker prices (from a few dollars)
- Must-try: Soya sauce chicken rice, Soya sauce chicken noodle, Char siew rice
- Where: Blk 335 Smith Street, #02-126, Chinatown Complex, Singapore 050335
- Area: Chinatown
- Nearest MRT: Chinatown
- Halal: No
Wee Nam Kee Hainanese Chicken Rice Hainanese chicken rice · $$
A long-running sit-down chain known for tender, delicately poached chicken and reliable quality across generations.
- Cuisine: Hainanese chicken rice
- Price: $$ · Chicken rice from ~$5.90++
- Must-try: Steamed Hainanese chicken rice, Roasted chicken
- Where: 101 Thomson Road, #01-08, United Square, Singapore 307591
- Area: Novena
- Nearest MRT: Novena
- Hours: Daily 11am-9pm (United Square outlet)
- Halal: No
Boon Tong Kee Hainanese chicken rice · $$
Balestier institution famous for its ice-bath blanched chicken with a silky, slippery texture; a comfortable sit-down option with multiple outlets.
- Cuisine: Hainanese chicken rice
- Price: $$ · From ~$14++ (sit-down; chicken sold by portion)
- Must-try: Ice-bath poached (blanched) chicken, Chicken rice
- Where: 399, 401 & 403 Balestier Road, Singapore 329801
- Area: Balestier
- Nearest MRT: Boon Keng
- Hours: Balestier: Mon-Fri 11am-3pm & 5pm-11pm; Sat & PH 11am-11pm; Sun 11am-10:30pm
- Halal: No
Chatterbox Hainanese chicken rice (restaurant) · $$$
The upmarket, air-conditioned take on chicken rice; its long-standing 'Mandarin Chicken Rice' (served since 1971) is a hotel-dining icon at premium prices.
- Cuisine: Hainanese chicken rice (restaurant)
- Price: $$$ · Premium hotel pricing
- Must-try: Mandarin chicken rice
- Where: Hilton Singapore Orchard, 333 Orchard Road, #05-03, Singapore 238867
- Area: Orchard
- Nearest MRT: Somerset
- Hours: Mon-Fri 11:30am-4:30pm & 5:30pm-10:30pm; Sat-Sun & PH 11am-4:30pm & 5:30pm-11pm
- Halal: No
Five Star Hainanese Kampung Chicken Rice Kampung (free-range) chicken rice · $$
Casual zi-char-style spot known for leaner, more flavourful free-range kampung chicken and late-night opening hours.
- Cuisine: Kampung (free-range) chicken rice
- Price: $$ · Chicken rice from ~$5.80++
- Must-try: Kampung chicken rice (roasted or white), Braised pork belly
- Where: 191 East Coast Road, Singapore 428897
- Area: East Coast / Katong
- Nearest MRT: Marine Parade
- Hours: Daily 10:30am-2am (East Coast outlet)
- Halal: No
Chicken House Kampung chicken rice · $
Upper Thomson neighbourhood favourite serving fragrant rice with firm-textured kampung chicken.
- Cuisine: Kampung chicken rice
- Price: $ · Chicken rice from ~$6.80
- Must-try: Kampung chicken with fragrant rice
- Where: 255 Upper Thomson Road, Singapore 574382
- Area: Upper Thomson
- Nearest MRT: Upper Thomson
- Hours: Daily 10:30am-7:30pm
- Halal: No
Loy Kee Best Chicken Rice Hainanese chicken rice · $
Heritage Balestier stall (roots back to the 1950s) serving fresh, never-frozen chicken with fragrant rice and complimentary sides.
- Cuisine: Hainanese chicken rice
- Price: $
- Must-try: Hainanese chicken rice set with soya, chilli and ginger sauces
- Where: 342 Balestier Road, Singapore 329774
- Area: Balestier
- Nearest MRT: Boon Keng
- Hours: Daily 9:30am-9:30pm
- Halal: No
Uncle Louis Famous Chicken Rice Hainanese chicken rice · $
Maxwell Food Centre stall singled out for its complex chilli sauce and sesame-infused soy dressing.
- Cuisine: Hainanese chicken rice
- Price: $ · Chicken rice from ~$5
- Must-try: Roasted chicken rice, House chilli and sesame-soy sauces
- Where: 1 Kadayanallur Street, #01-36, Maxwell Food Centre, Singapore 069184
- Area: Tanjong Pagar / Chinatown
- Nearest MRT: Maxwell
- Hours: Daily 9am-10pm
- Halal: No
Zi Jing Cheng Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice Hainanese chicken rice · $
Value-for-money Alexandra Village stall serving neatly deboned steamed chicken; limited days and a short lunch window.
- Cuisine: Hainanese chicken rice
- Price: $ · Chicken rice from ~$3.50
- Must-try: Boneless steamed chicken rice
- Where: 120 Bukit Merah Lane 1, #01-15, Alexandra Village Food Centre, Singapore 150120
- Area: Alexandra / Bukit Merah
- Nearest MRT: Redhill
- Hours: Wed-Sat 10:30am-2:30pm
- Halal: No
Katong Mei Wei Chicken Rice Hainanese chicken rice · $$
Katong stall known for generous chicken portions and distinctive turmeric-tinged rice served as a set with achar and soup.
- Cuisine: Hainanese chicken rice
- Price: $$ · From ~$8 (includes achar and soup)
- Must-try: Turmeric (yellow) chicken rice with achar and soup
- Where: 865 Mountbatten Road, Katong Shopping Centre, Singapore 437844
- Area: Katong
- Nearest MRT: Dakota
- Hours: Tue-Sun 11am-7pm
- Halal: No
Nan Xiang Chicken Rice Hainanese chicken rice · $
Long-standing Tanjong Katong shop known for aromatic garlic-and-ginger rice at wallet-friendly prices.
- Cuisine: Hainanese chicken rice
- Price: $ · Chicken rice from ~$4
- Must-try: Chicken rice with garlic- and ginger-infused rice
- Where: 271 Tanjong Katong Road, Singapore 437054
- Area: Tanjong Katong / Katong
- Nearest MRT: Dakota
- Hours: Wed-Mon 9am-8pm (closed Tue)
- Halal: No
Chye Kee Goldhill Roasted Chicken Rice Roasted chicken rice · $
Old-school Goldhill Centre stall favoured for its clean-tasting, lighter roasted chicken; opens early and closes mid-afternoon.
- Cuisine: Roasted chicken rice
- Price: $ · Chicken rice from ~$4
- Must-try: Roasted chicken rice
- Where: 151 Thomson Road, #01-151, Goldhill Shopping Centre, Singapore 307606
- Area: Novena / Thomson
- Nearest MRT: Novena
- Hours: Mon-Sat 8:30am-3:30pm
- Halal: No
At a glance: compare every spot
| Spot | Cuisine | Price | Area | Halal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice | Hainanese chicken rice | $ | Tanjong Pagar / Chinatown | No |
| Hawker Chan (Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle) | Cantonese-style soya sauce chicken rice | $ | Chinatown | No |
| Wee Nam Kee Hainanese Chicken Rice | Hainanese chicken rice | $$ | Novena | No |
| Boon Tong Kee | Hainanese chicken rice | $$ | Balestier | No |
| Chatterbox | Hainanese chicken rice (restaurant) | $$$ | Orchard | No |
| Five Star Hainanese Kampung Chicken Rice | Kampung (free-range) chicken rice | $$ | East Coast / Katong | No |
| Chicken House | Kampung chicken rice | $ | Upper Thomson | No |
| Loy Kee Best Chicken Rice | Hainanese chicken rice | $ | Balestier | No |
| Uncle Louis Famous Chicken Rice | Hainanese chicken rice | $ | Tanjong Pagar / Chinatown | No |
| Zi Jing Cheng Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice | Hainanese chicken rice | $ | Alexandra / Bukit Merah | No |
| Katong Mei Wei Chicken Rice | Hainanese chicken rice | $$ | Katong | No |
| Nan Xiang Chicken Rice | Hainanese chicken rice | $ | Tanjong Katong / Katong | No |
| Chye Kee Goldhill Roasted Chicken Rice | Roasted chicken rice | $ | Novena / Thomson | No |
Your questions answered
What makes a good plate of chicken rice?
The rice is arguably the star: it should be fragrant, well-seasoned and cooked in chicken stock (often with ginger, garlic and pandan) so it's tasty on its own. The chicken should be tender and moist, and the accompanying chilli and pounded-ginger sauces make or break the plate. Styles vary — Hainanese steamed or roasted, Cantonese soya-sauce, and leaner free-range 'kampung' chicken.
How much does chicken rice cost in Singapore?
At hawker stalls a plate typically runs from around S$3.50 to S$8. Sit-down restaurants such as Boon Tong Kee are higher (chicken is often sold by portion, so a shared meal costs more), while hotel dining like Chatterbox is premium-priced. Prices change over time, so treat these as indicative.
Are there halal chicken rice options?
The traditional Hainanese and soya-sauce stalls in this guide are generally not halal-certified — the rice is often cooked with chicken fat and many places serve pork dishes. Muslim diners should seek out dedicated halal-certified chicken rice stalls and always verify certification directly before visiting.
Which neighbourhoods are best for chicken rice?
Maxwell Food Centre and Chinatown (Tian Tian, Hawker Chan, Uncle Louis) are the classic hunting ground, Balestier is a stronghold (Boon Tong Kee, Loy Kee), and the Novena/Thomson and Katong/East Coast areas each have several strong stalls. The venues in this guide are deliberately spread island-wide.
Do I need to queue or make a reservation?
Popular hawker stalls like Tian Tian and Hawker Chan often have queues and can sell out, so go early. Sit-down restaurants such as Boon Tong Kee and Chatterbox generally take reservations and are better for groups. Several stalls have limited days or short hours, so check before making a special trip.
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