What happens when a Sheikh Haikel fan meets a chicken rice fan? They go to Hai Ge Ji Hainanese Chicken Rice, a new restaurant opened by, you guessed it, local rapper Sheikh Haikel himself. Fun fact: “Hai Ge Ji” is a fun wordplay on the rapper’s last name!
The newly opened restaurant sits amongst the rows of charming shophouses along North Bridge Road, tucked between Bugis and Lavender MRT Stations. While Hai Ge Ji Hainanese Chicken Rice isn’t the first to offer halal chicken rice, we were curious to see what this famous rapper’s rendition would taste like. And so we dropped by to try it out for ourselves.
We started with the Single Chicken Rice Set ($11.80+). The set comes with chicken, either steamed or roasted, and vegetables of your choice, either baby kailan with oyster sauce or bean sprouts. We chose steamed instead of roasted chicken, because that’s the way you can tell if the chicken is indeed fresh and good.
A few bites in and we were pleasantly surprised! The steamed chicken was exceptionally juicy, tender, silky, and fresh, far surpassing the usual steamed chicken we usually find at hawker centres.
The rice was wonderfully fragrant and light, with just the right amount of moisture and none of the unnecessary greasiness you might find elsewhere. It also had the right amount of savouriness, so eating it without any sauce would’ve been good enough too.
A good sauce always elevates a dish with its complexity and depth. The sauces provided with the set—chilli, dark soy, and ginger scallion—were rather conventional. Given that this was a restaurant, I had high hopes for the sauces, particularly the chilli. Regrettably, it turned out to be rather underwhelming and fell short of my expectations.
As a chicken rice enthusiast, what completes good chicken rice for me is always the soup. Though the soup here was on the lighter and blander side, it still offered a nuanced depth of flavour that added to the overall experience.
Next, we tried one of their most popular dishes—the Braised Beef Gua Bao Buns ($12.40+). The mantou came with everything you’d expect in a traditional Chinese kong bak bao AKA braised pork belly bun, with tender, flavourful meat, and all the classic accompaniments, but with a satisfying twist of beef instead of the usual pork. A delightful and hearty variation on a beloved classic!
Unlike traditional kong bak bao, these Braised Beef Gua Bao Buns are served deconstructed, allowing you to assemble them yourself. This unique presentation offers a fun, interactive dining experience, letting you customise each bun to your taste with separate components.
We also tried their Crispy Chicken Skin with Spicy Balacan ($6+). The sauce for this one was definitely a highlight—though the chicken skin alone is mildly flavoured, when paired with the accompanying sauce, it transforms into a standout dish.
The spicy balacan sauce had a delightful kick, and tasted like a nice combination of shrimp paste and spicy mayonnaise, a flavour that complemented the crispy chicken pretty well.
We ended our meal with some sweet Home-Made Chin Chow with Longan ($3.80+). It was a really satisfying finish, especially in the sultry Singapore heat.
The dessert leaned towards the sweeter side, with a noticeable longan flavour that added a nice layer to the overall taste. I also noticed that their chin chow was chopped more finely than other chin chow-based drinks elsewhere, which made it a lot easier to drink.
Located a 10-minute walk from either Bugis or Lavender MRT Station, this spot is nestled in one of the most culturally rich areas in Singapore, surrounded by rows of charming shophouses. Playing close to their overall vibe, the ambience is distinctly Chinese. From the moment we walked in, the restaurant was playing modern Chinese jazz till the moment we left. Along with the round marble tables and retro glamour, the setting was really nostalgic.
Despite some minor drawbacks, Hai Ge Ji Hainanese Chicken Rice offers some quality halal chicken rice, with some pretty darn premium chicken.
For more halal food in the area, specifically, a cajun-inspired restaurant by The Halal Mixologist, read our RIB Soul Food review where we tried halal gumbo and jambalaya. Otherwise, find out what we thought of the new Korean Fried Chicken at Bugis Junction from our Daily Chicken review!
Address: 783 North Bridge Road, Singapore 198751
Opening hours: Daily 11:30am to 3pm, 5pm to 9:30pm
Tel: 9478 2070
Hai Ge Ji Hainanese Chicken Rice is a Muslim-owned eatery.
Photos taken by Maisie Chong.
This was an independent review by Eatbook.sg.
Summary
Pros
– Steamed chicken tasted really silky, juicy, and fresh
– Chicken rice was nice and moist, very flavourful and not too greasy
– A good halal option for Hainanese chicken rice in general
Cons
– Quite a walk from both Bugis and Lavender MRT Stations
– The Crispy Chicken Skin ($6+) was quite bland, and would not have been great without the spicy belacan sauce
– On the pricier side
Recommended dishes: Single Chicken Rice Set ($11.80+), Home-Made Chin Chow with Longan ($3.80+)
Opening hours: Daily 11:30am to 3pm, 5pm to 9:30pm
Address: 783 North Bridge Road, Singapore 198751
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