Why go
The dish was refined in Wenchang, on Hainan's northeast coast, where free-range chickens peck at coconut and grain and develop a layer of fat under a thin, golden skin. The classic method is to poach the bird in barely simmering water until just cooked, then shock it in ice water so the skin tightens while the meat stays moist.
The rice is cooked not in water but in the strained poaching fat, with ginger, garlic and pandan leaves, until every grain is fragrant. The whole plate comes with three dips: a chilli-garlic vinegar, fresh ginger, and dark soy. When the dish migrated to Singapore, it became the island's national dish — but the original remains the benchmark.
- The chicken is poached at low heat so the flesh stays silky and the skin snaps
- The rice is cooked in chicken fat — the real soul of the dish
- Serve with three dips: chilli-garlic, ginger and dark soy
- Wenchang chicken, free-range and fat-fed, is considered the best breed
What to order
A classic set is chicken, chicken-fat rice, a bowl of soup and the three dips. Order a mixed platter to taste both white chicken and, if available, the roasted version. In Wenchang, some restaurants serve the chicken with the skin on and a slice of lime on the side. Prices run 25–50 RMB a set.
Where to go
In Wenchang, the most famous names are in Wencheng town, where the local breed is served; many locals say the best versions are in simple family restaurants. In Haikou, the old city near Qilou Old Street has excellent chicken rice shops. The truest test: the chicken should be just cooked through, the skin glossy, and the rice unmistakably chicken-scented.
Getting there
- In Wenchang, the town of Wencheng has classic chicken rice restaurants; in Haikou, look along the old commercial streets
- Method
- Low-temperature poached, then ice-shocked
- Signature breed
- Wenchang chicken
- Price
- 25–50 RMB a set
