Chicken rice controversy in Singapore: What makes Vietnamese customers wake up early and line up in long lines?

"Before I had time to brush my teeth or wash my face, I followed my friend down the MRT and walked towards Maxwell Food Centre in Chinatown. It was just after 9am but there were already dozens of people waiting in front of Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice", Ms. Ha Phuong (a tourist from Ho Chi Minh City) recounted her unforgettable experience on her journey to explore Singaporean cuisine .

- Ảnh 1. — Queue from early morning just to eat a plate of chicken rice

Maxwell Food Centre - an open-air hawker centre located at 1 Kadayanallur Street, is one of the oldest and busiest food spots in Singapore. Among the more than 100 stalls here, Tian Tian is always the most mentioned name, and is also the place where long queues of diners patiently wait every day.

Vietnamese customers disappointed

For Vietnamese people, Hainanese chicken rice may not be too strange, but in Singapore, this dish has been elevated to a spiritual representative of national cuisine. And Tian Tian has contributed to putting this dish on the world culinary map.

What makes diners fall in love with it is its simplicity and sophistication in every detail: The chicken is boiled just right, not dry or tough, soft, juicy and retains the sweet taste of the meat.

Rice is cooked from chicken broth, the rice is lightly roasted with garlic and chicken fat before cooking so it is fragrant, fatty and just the right amount of sticky, not boring to eat.

- Ảnh 2. — Close-up of Tian Tian chicken rice at Maxwell Food Centre, which Vietnamese tourists tell each other is a "must-eat" dish when traveling to Singapore.

Three distinct dipping sauces: dark soy sauce, ground ginger and Singaporean chili sauce - enhance the flavour without overpowering the main dish. According to Ms. Ha Phuong, a person who has eaten chicken rice in many places, including Geylang or Changi: "The chicken at Tian Tian is much softer, you can clearly feel that the chicken is well-cooked but still juicy. The rice is very delicious, fragrant but not too fatty. The portion is not too big, so it is a very satisfying breakfast, not too full to eat other dishes in the market".

Although famous and checked in by many tourists, the flavor of Tian Tian chicken rice also causes a lot of controversy, especially in the Vietnamese tourist community.

Many people commented that the chicken meat was too soft and lacked firmness, making the dish bland and not as satisfying as expected. Others also said that this was industrial chicken, not native chicken or free-range chicken like in Vietnam.

"After nearly 40 minutes of queuing, I expected more, but the chicken was soft and not fragrant. The rice was delicious, but the main dish was a bit disappointing. I think Hoi An or Tam Ky chicken rice in Vietnam has more soul," Mr. Long (a tourist from Ho Chi Minh City) shared frankly.

- Ảnh 3. — Why is the chicken here so tender?

Is chicken tender an advantage for international customers?

According to Singaporean culinary circles, the softness of the chicken is not a fault, but a traditional Hainanese cooking style. The chicken is boiled thoroughly and then soaked in cold water to retain moisture, prevent dryness and help the skin to be shiny and the meat to be tender.

In addition, the chicken source used in Singapore is mostly industrial chicken, raised in a closed process, ensuring food safety, but often has short, soft meat fibers, not as firm as chicken in Vietnam. This is the difference that makes many Vietnamese diners, who are used to Hoi An chicken rice and shredded chicken rice in the Central region, feel "unfamiliar with the taste".

However, for locals and international tourists, this softness is an... advantage, because it is easy to eat, easy to digest and not dry like regular boiled chicken.

Tian Tian restaurant is open from 10am to around 7pm, but according to the experience of many food lovers, if you come after 1pm, there's a high chance you'll... run out of food.

"The first time I arrived at 2pm, the staff pointed to the 'sold out' sign. Next time, I learned my lesson and arrived at 9:15am and waited in line for nearly 30 minutes to buy a meal," said Tuan Anh (a tourist from Hanoi).

The early sales were not only due to the limited quantity sold (the chicken and rice were prepared early in the morning), but also because of the large number of customers, including locals, tourists and even food tours that led groups to the place.

- Ảnh 4. — The restaurant has been praised by Gordon Ramsay and Anthony Bourdain.

It is no coincidence that Tian Tian has become so famous. The restaurant has appeared on international culinary TV shows, especially: Anthony Bourdain - famous American chef and documentary filmmaker, once praised Tian Tian chicken rice as "the most worth-trying dish when coming to Singapore".

Gordon Ramsay, the British super chef famous for the MasterChef series, once participated in a chicken rice cooking challenge to "compete" with chef Tian Tian. The result: most diners still chose... the original restaurant.

- Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 - 19:00 (or until sold out)

- Reference price: SGD 5 - 7.8/portion (90,000 - 140,000 VND)

- Tip: Come early before 10am or after the noon rush hour

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/com-ga-gay-tranh-cai-o-singapore-co-gi-khien-khach-viet-day-som-xep-hang-dai-185250728134746848.htm