Lee Fun Nam Kee Chicken Rice (李范南记), Toa Payoh Lor 4 (Closed)

Lee Fun Nam Kee Chicken Rice And Restaurant (李范南记鸡饭餐室) is a restaurant in Toa Payoh which is well-known for their soya sauce chicken rice. According to their website, they began in 1968 as a small hawker stall in Toa Payoh. They have since grown up to be a full restaurant at Lorong 4 Toa Payoh. It occupies a large space, the size of a very large coffee shop. It was a full house during the weekday lunch. The standard of chicken rice in Singapore is high and competition is keen. To be able to grow a chicken rice business to this size is impressive. Of course we had to try their soy sauce chicken rice but it was another dish that won our hearts that day.

Lee Fun Nam Kee Chicken Rice restaurant is not air-conditioned but the temperature was kept to an acceptable level by many whirring fans. An open kitchen displays the roasted meats. Not surprisingly the most items on display were the soy sauce chicken and the honey roasted pork – char siew. We did not need a menu that day as we knew exactly what we wanted. If you would like to see the Lee Fun Nam Kee Chicken Rice menu for reference, you can see a menu (with price and pictures) on the website (link provided below). Online deliveries can also be arranged at the LFNK website (delivery by Oddles or Getz).

There were only two of us and we ordered the three items which we were told were the must try items at Lee Fun Nam Kee Chicken Rice. A plate of soy sauce chicken rice, a plate of char siew rice and a bowl of shrimp dumpling soup.

Here are pictures of the char siew with chicken rice ($4.50) and soy sauce chicken with chicken rice ($4) that we had at LFNK. The rice was well cooked with a nice texture but did not have the intense fragrance that we were hoping for. The char siew was well made. The chicken was good and smooth but was drenched with too much gravy. We thought that the portion of the chicken and rice was very generous. Paying $4 for this amount of food, particularly at a famous eatery was a pleasant surprise.

The star attraction of the day was the shrimp dumpling soup ($5 for a small portion). The soup was light and contained a fair proportion of vegetables. The dumplings (there were five of them) were plump and wonderful tasting. Containing some meat, prawn and other crunchy bits, they were delicious.

We thought that both the char siew and chicken rice at Lee Fun Nam Kee Chicken Rice were good. We like them to the extent that we will certainly want to eat them again should we be in this part of Toa Payoh. But we are unlikely to go out of our way to get them. The dumplings, they are another story. I am finding an excuse to get to Lorong 4 to have another go at them and to try other items from the LFKN menu.