Locals love this flavor – fragrant and smooth Weinanji Hainanese Chicken Rice

▲ Weinanji Hainanese Chicken Rice – deliciously fragrant and smooth.

Text and photos by 95 Evil Wives

Many visitors to Singapore will try Hainanese Chicken Rice as part of the local experience. Besides well-known brands like Boon Tong Kee and Tian Tian, there’s also “Weinanji Hainanese Chicken Rice,” a favorite among locals and one of the target restaurants for 95 Evil Wives during their trip to Singapore.

Established in 1989, Weinanji Chicken Rice Stall mainly offers three varieties of chicken rice: white chicken, soy sauce chicken, and roasted chicken. The signature white chicken has thin skin and tender meat, served thinly sliced with a few pieces of cucumber and drizzled with sauce. Take a bite along with the distinct grains of rice, and the rich aroma instantly fills your mouth – you’ll think, “So fragrant!”

▲ The dining environment inside Weinanji – simple yet classic.

The smooth chicken skin and tender meat absorb the flavors of the fat and sauce, while the aromatic rice itself adds to the fragrance. This makes Weinanji’s chicken rice full of rice aroma, oil aroma, and meat aroma. The slightly chewy yet distinct grains of long-grain rice, paired with soft chicken, also enhance the texture. The refreshing cucumber occasionally helps cut through the richness, making every bite of the Hainanese Chicken Rice more flavorful.

Other than the chicken sauce, there are no extra seasonings in the Hainanese Chicken Rice. Customers can also mix the chicken oil and soy sauce into the rice or add minced ginger or chili to the chicken for extra flavor.

▲ The rice, cooked with fragrant rice, has distinct grains and can be mixed with chicken oil.

As Hainanese Chicken Rice is a local Singaporean dish, it’s sold at hawker centers and roadside eateries. But based on 95 Evil Wives’ real-life tastings of multiple Hainanese Chicken Rice stalls in Singapore, the simplicity of the ingredients (chicken, fragrant rice, cucumber) highlights the quality of the ingredients and the true skill in cooking and seasoning. Compared to typical hawker versions, Weinanji offers an even richer, mellower aroma – no wonder it’s a favorite among many locals.

Besides chicken rice, Weinanji also offers dumplings, char siu, noodles, and cold drinks. Staff revealed that in 2014, the store relocated to the first floor of United Square, and business hours were slightly adjusted. Overseas visitors should take note to avoid going to the wrong place.

Weinanji Hainanese Chicken Rice (main store)
Address: 101 Thomson Road #01-08, Singapore (near Novena MRT Station)
Phone: (65) 6255-6396
Price: S$4.80 per serving of chicken rice (approx. NT$113)