Ah Tai Hainanese Chicken Rice 阿仔海南鸡饭

 


Maxwell Hawker Centre is well-known for its plethora of chicken rice stalls - at last count, there are as many as eight plying their trade within this food centre. Two in particular - Tian Tian and Ah Tai - have undergone in-depth reviews by many bloggers and critics for several years now. Living up to the intense media attention, they have maintained their high standards and rightly earned their own groups of die-hard fans.

Ah Tai Hainanese Chicken Rice sits a few stalls away from their rival Tian Tian. It is well-documented that the owner, Ah Tai, used to be the head cook at Tian Tian for many years before his working relationship with the owner's daughter became estranged and he went on to open his own stall at the same food centre in 2012. At the height of their rivalry, when media scrutiny was at its most intense, both stalls had snaking queues resulting in long waiting time for their food.

These days, it is apparent that Tian Tian enjoys the longer queues, especially during peak hours. Nevertheless, the fare at Ah Tai is doubtlessly top-notch.

The presentation of the chicken is a visual treat in itself. This looked so appetizing that it garnered several likes shortly after I shared this online. The chicken was fresh and gleaming from the concoction of sauces drizzled onto the meat. The bird was tender and well-cooked, with no traces of raw blood in the bone marrow.


The rice was neither too heavy nor oily, with just the right fluffiness and exuding the amazing fragrance of chicken oil.

The chilli was on-point - tart and spicy, going well with both the chicken and the rice. Special mention to this plate of chicken gizzard and liver combo ($3) which I felt was very fresh and addictive. In fact, we polished off the dish in double-quick time. A definite must-try if innards are for you.


Definitely one of the top chicken rice stalls around.

Ah Tai Hainanese Chicken Rice 阿仔海南鸡饭
Maxwell Food Centre, 1 Kadayanallur Street #01-07 S(069184)
Opens 11 am to 8 pm, Closed on Tuesdays

Date of Last Visit: 15th December 2020




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