Traditional Hainanese Chicken Rice at Zion Riverside Food Centre

Classic Hainanese chicken rice at Zion Riverside, with silky poached chicken and fragrant rice done the traditional way.

Traditional Hainanese Chicken Rice is a hawker stall at Zion Riverside Food Centre, stall #01-20, dedicated to Singapore's unofficial national dish. As the name proclaims, the stall focuses on the time-honoured Hainanese method of preparing chicken rice, from the gentle poaching that yields silky, tender meat to the flavourful rice cooked in chicken fat and broth. Zion Riverside Food Centre along Zion Road is a well-patronised hawker destination in the River Valley area.

The stall's chicken rice follows the classic formula: poached chicken with smooth, gelatinous skin, served over rice tinted golden from chicken stock and pandan leaves, accompanied by a trio of chilli sauce, ginger paste, and dark soy sauce. Some versions may also offer roasted chicken as an alternative. The quality of the rice is as crucial as the chicken itself, and stalls that emphasise "traditional" in their name typically pride themselves on getting both elements right, along with a deeply flavoured chicken broth on the side.

MakanSouth recommends this stall for a benchmark plate of Hainanese chicken rice at Zion Riverside. When the craving hits, only the real thing will do.