Back in Singapore and straight into the food! First stop: Tian Tian.
I’ve been here once before, many years ago, but I thought I’d visit again, especially since it still comes up as one of the places you should try when visiting Singapore.
I went outside during the busy hours, 9:30am, in fact. Since I was staying so close to Maxwell Food Centre, I figured I might as well make it breakfast. There was no queue, so I walked straight up and ordered to my heart’s content. Well… almost. I kept it simple with a medium portion of poached chicken with rice and an egg.
For just $6 SGD, the presentation is really impressive. The fragrant rice is neatly packed underneath the poached chicken, topped with their brown sauce, with slices of skinless cucumber on the side. The chilli sauce comes separately, and I added a boiled egg for an extra $1.
The first thing you notice about the chicken is just how white it is. The skinless chicken has this lovely gelatinous, almost reflective appearance, partly from the chicken itself and partly from the sauce poured over the top. It’s incredibly tender, with a subtle flavour that lets the texture really shine.
The rice was probably my favourite part. It had a lovely nuttiness and plenty of flavour, while the individual grains were non-starchy, light and easy to separate. Then there’s the chilli sauce; it packs a serious amount of heat but also brings the whole dish together. The cucumber provides a refreshing contrast, cutting through the richness of the chicken and rice, and the egg is something special, especially when you add chilli sauce. I was also impressed by how tender and silky the chicken was, especially since they gave me breast meat.
I visited Tian Tian again as the MTR stop I needed to get off at was right next to Maxwell Centre. This time, I went on a Saturday at around 4:45 pm, and there was already a long line of people waiting to order. I ended up waiting around 30 minutes before I could finally place my order, and it was incredibly hot and humid outside.
This time, I decided to order the small chicken, which only comes with the roasted version. When they handed it to me, though, it looked so good that I immediately felt the wait was worth it.
The roasted version definitely has more flavour. You can really taste how the chicken was prepared, along with the soy-based seasoning that adds an extra layer of flavour. The chicken was still incredibly tender, with a glossy coating from their brown sauce. I also found the chilli sauce noticeably spicier this time than the version I remember from my last visit.
Both are simple dishes, but when you consider the price, quality, textures, and how well everything works together, it’s easy to see why Tian Tian keeps getting talked about.
I would recommend trying both varieties and seeing which one you prefer. Honestly, I can’t decide which is better because they’re both so good in their own way. Either version, with their fragrant rice and chilli sauce, takes the dish to another level.
Website: Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice
Address: 1 Kadayanallur St, #01-10/11 Maxwell Food Centre, Singapore 069184
