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Can’t get enough of zi char? Here’s another. Today Kampung Chicken Rice Restaurant 日日茶室 is the new kid on the block at Tiong Bahru’s Seng Poh Road.
Touted to showcase the best of Singapore’s hawker heritage, the quaint coffeeshop-ish restaurant boasts an all-day dining experience; offering our iconic local fare from Hainanese Kampung Chicken Rice to the exclusive Li Nan Xing’s Hae Bee Hiam Toast.
Dig in.
Originating from the renowned Sergeant Chicken Rice, their Hainanese Kampung Chicken Rice (from S$6.50) features a closely guarded recipe that has been perfected over 19 years. To ensure a rich and succulent profile, the stall uses the largest female kampung chickens that have the ideal fat-to-meat ratio. I particularly enjoyed the buttery chicken rice. It is steamed with chicken fat and perfumed with pandan leaves, lemongrass, ginger and garlic.
Be sure to pair your chicken with their in-house chilli sauce that has a sweet tinge yielded from the touch of honey pineapple puree!
Li Xin’s Signature Fishball Noodles (from S$6.30) needs no introduction. While their Toa Payoh outlet was the one that received the Michelin Bib this year, their newest location at Today Kampung Chicken Rice Restaurant isn’t bad at all. Made with 100% yellowtail fish, the handmade fishballs have a firm yet QQ texture.
Drenched in savoury orangey-red sauce, the springy meepok wonderfully complements the clean-tasting broth as well.
Back to the zi char. Aside from your usual Har Cheong Gai (S$12/S$18) and Gu Lou Yuk (S$12/S$18), look out for dishes like the wok-kissed Dragon Beard Kai Lan (S$10/S$16), crispy Salt & Pepper Dragon Tongue Fish (S$18) and Signature Stir-Fried Chicken Rice (S$8) which is loaded with eggs, shrimp, shredded chicken and topped off with moreish pork floss.
The celeb himself, Li Nan Xing, recommended the Pui Kia Ribs (S$16/S$22)! And we have to agree.
These tender ribs are coated with a tangy sauce oozing with the essence of sun-dried tomatoes. For the satay fanatics (Rex), this is for you. Available in Pork or Chicken, their made-to-order Satay (S$1 each) is accompanied by satay sauce with yes, honey pineapple puree again.
Last but not least, Li Nan Xing’s Hae Bee Hiam Toast (S$5.50) is a Breakfast Set that comes with a drink and 2 soft-boiled eggs! Essentially, this delight has thin layers of spiced umami sandwiched between toasted-to-perfection toasts. HAHA.
Your next zi char find…steady bo?
