Katong Mei Wei Chicken Rice Review: Does The Famous Basement Stall Hold Up Today?

Katong Mei Wei Boneless Chicken Rice has famous chicken rice

Being one of Singapore’s staple dishes, Hainanese chicken rice has a place in many a Singaporean’s heart. Most have strong opinions on which plate is the best, but at the top of our list right now stands Katong Mei Wei Boneless Chicken Rice, located in the basement of Katong Shopping Centre.

This stall has been a reliable favourite among Easties for years, earning a loyal following for its thick slices of meat and complimentary bowls of double-boiled cabbage soup. With the shuttering of Hua Kee Chicken Rice, Katong Mei Wei—which we ranked second—has now effectively claimed its spot as our favourite in Singapore.

As it has been a while since our last visit, we decided to give the famous Katong stall another run—and here’s how it went!

Food at Katong Mei Wei Boneless Chicken Rice

Don’t let the prices fool you—though one portion starts from $7.70, it comes with a plate of rice, a larger-than-usual serving of chicken, and a bowl of double-boiled cabbage soup.

I was taken aback by this on my first order of the Steamed Chicken Breast Rice ($7.70). You see, the portion of rice and chicken was pretty massive—perhaps enough for two light eaters. What also stood out was the addition of accompanying house-made achar, and a topping of fried garlic bits.

I loved how each slice of chicken was sliced thick and chunky, and the golden fried garlic elevated the dish with a highly aromatic dimension of flavour. Unfortunately, I thought that the meat was slightly dry even with the soy marinade—a common element of chicken breast. Some pieces also had a strong presence of bones, which made extracting the meat a tedious task.

While well-portioned, we thought the turmeric-infused rice was quite lacking in fatty chicken flavours that define the uniqueness of Hainanese chicken rice. Credit where credit is due, the rice was fluffy and moist, though it failed to impress.

Though the achar on the side added a funky zing with its medley of pickled pineapples, onions, and cucumber, it was admittedly not my cup of tea, though the serving was rather generous.

We also tried the Roasted variation of the Chicken Breast, for which we had the same complaints as the steamed version. Though I’d say, the sharp flavours of the fried garlic complemented the roasted skin quite well.

Thankfully, we also sampled the Drumstick ($8.20), which we found to be much more enjoyable. The skin here was rather fatty, which imparted a wealth of flavours to each bite. While there was a heavy presence of bones to navigate, we thought that this part was well worth the upgrade.

One of the selling points of this chicken rice spot is the accompanying soup—a chicken-based cabbage soup that comes with a bountiful collection of ingredients.

While the soup was rather light, it was packed with a heartwarming complexity—the earthiness of the Chinese cabbage went really well with the chicken stock. It was certainly a welcome step-up from the standard “MSG water” soups that come with other chicken rice offerings.

Let’s not avoid talking about the chilli here—a defining characteristic of the national dish. Sadly, it was a letdown, being rather lacklustre in the garlicky flavour department, though it packed a decent amount of spice.

Ambience at Katong Mei Wei Boneless Chicken Rice

Katong Mei Wei Boneless Chicken Rice is located at a coffee shop in the far end of Katong Shopping Centre’s basement, which is rather out of sight. Though the location is enclosed and air-conditioned, the space felt rather cramped and gloomy, and with the immense popularity of the stall, expect to share tables with other patrons.

Katong Shopping Centre is located right between East Coast Road and Mountbatten Road, and is a 10-minute walk from Marine Parade MRT Station.

Katong Mei Wei Boneless Chicken Rice – Eatbook review

An order of chicken rice here should be thought of as a holistic “experience”, rather than a simple plate. Though the price of the portions here are justified by their size, I was not impressed by the quality of the chicken and rice—though it was saved by the interesting addition of fried garlic and a rich accompanying soup.

For a stab at the next spot on the list, check out our 95 Yishun Chicken Rice review. The famous Dona Manis Cake Shop, also located in Katong Shopping Centre, has also opened a new Heritage Bakehouse nearby.

Address: 865 Mountbatten Road, #B1-85/87, Katong Shopping Centre, Singapore 437844
Opening hours: Wed-Sun 11am to 7pm
Tel: 9826 5197
Katong Mei Wei Boneless Chicken Rice is not a halal-certified eatery.

Photos taken by Mordecai Lee and edited by Marcus Neo.
This was an independent review by Eatbook.sg.