Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice 天天海南鸡饭 at Maxwell Food Centre has become famous beyond Singapore, attracting tourists from all over the world. There is almost always a long queue at the Bib Gourmand award recipient for its chicken rice which starts at $5 a plate.
Maxwell Food Centre
Maxwell Market opened in 1928. The wet market was converted into a food centre in 1987 and is now known as Maxwell Food Centre. There are many popular food stalls there and it was voted Singapore’s favourite hawker centre in the 2014, 2015 and 2016 editions of City Hawker Food Hunt.
The stall that put Maxwell Food Centre into many tourist guidebooks is probably Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice, which was endorsed by Anthony Bourdain and was one of the recipients of the “Bib Gourmand” award in the inaugural Michelin Guide Singapore 2016.
Tian Tian Chicken Rice Stall
天天海南鸡饭 Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice occupies 2 stall units in Maxwell Food Centre.
To get your hands on a plate of chicken rice, you will need to navigate the two-stall setup. First, join the queue at Station A and study the menu. Then place your order and make payment. Once that is done, move on to Station B to collect your plate of chicken rice.
Flavourful Hainanese Chicken Rice
A basic plate of chicken rice is $5. You get rice, chicken and slices of cucumber served in a plastic plate.
Tian Tian’s rice is cooked with chicken stock. The rice was fluffy, slightly oily, and and flavourful. It was enjoyable to eat the fragrant rice on its own without anything else – passing one of the key tests for Hainanese chicken rice in Singapore.
The chicken had a thin layer of gelatin beneath the glistening skin. It was drizzled with a light brown sauce. The meat was tender and succulent. The tangy and spicy chili sauce would add a nice kick to the dish. With or without the chilli, having a plate of Tian Tian chicken rice was a delectable experience.
Roasted chicken is also available and you can also order a few side dishes like beansprouts with cuttlefish.
If you prefer not to eat in Maxwell Food Centre for whatever reason, you can opt to takeaway.
Worth the Queue
The debates about the best chicken rice stall in Singapore will continue indefinitely but we will say that Tian Tian’s version of Hainanese chicken rice is very good. Despite the long queue at the stall, the line actually moves quite swiftly. The affordable plate of aromatic and flavourful chicken rice at the end of the line will make the few minute wait well worth it.
Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice 天天海南鸡饭
Maxwell Food Centre, #01-10/11
1 Kadayanallur Street
Singapore 069184
Opening Hours:
Tue – Sun: 10 am – 8 pm (or when sold out)
Closed on Mondays
The Ordinary Patrons | Real Dining Experience of Ordinary People
an independent Singapore food blog
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