Proclaimed by celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain as Singapore’s best hainan chicken, this eatery takes up two stalls in the Maxwell Road Hawker Centre. There might be over 100 stalls here, selling great food but it’s Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken pulls in the crowds, day and night. Noodlies, Sydney food and travel blog tried to get a taste of that chook, but alas on a Saturday night around 8pm, they were already closed. On that occasion, I went for the chicken at Maxwell Hainanese Chicken.
Undaunted, I return the following afternoon. Check out the queue in the noodlies featured video above. Oh, and as it can be a little chaotic, check out the video for how to order your hainan chicken.
But how does it taste?
The rice, while not as dark as at other places is still very, very tasty with a lovely but subtle fragrance. Anthony Bourdain has declared their rice is so good, it can be eaten on it’s own. It’s a good looking tender chicken served with bone and skin. In fact Bourdain says it’s even better than the rice. Watch carefully in the noodlies video and you can see Tian Tian pours a thin sauce over the rice and chicken after they’re assembled. My head says that’s cheating because the rice and chicken should stand on their own, but my mouth says this cheating renders the whole thing extra delicious.
So is it Singapore’s best hainan chicken? I’m not sure, just about every corner shop sells this dish and I’ve really only had it at three places. However, I can declare it’s clearly the best hainan chicken I’ve had this trip.
Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken
Maxwell Road Hawker Centre
Maxwell Road, Singapore
This noodlies, Sydney food and travel blog Singapore experience is courtesy of the Singapore Tourism Board.
