Soya sauce chicken was an underrated dish until the early 2000s, when Liao Fan Hong Kong Soy Sauce Chicken received a Michelin star for its $2.50 plate of soya sauce chicken, thus propelling it to fame.
Yet, not all of us can brave the sweltering heat for the snaking queue at Chinatown Complex. So if you have neither the time nor patience to wait in line, here are 13 alternatives to get your soya sauce chicken fix.
Image credit: @hangrypingpong
Lee Fun Nam Kee is my personal go-to place for a comforting plate of soya sauce chicken rice. This old-school gem has been around for the past 40 years, and was my dad’s favourite stall when he was a student. Their unique, soya sauce chicken (from $6) is cooked in a traditional Hainanese sauce consisting of 15 herbs, giving a subtle and savoury flavour.
What I love about their chicken is how tender it is. Paired with either a bowl of fragrant chicken rice or springy soya sauce noodles, this dish is a perfect perk-me-up if you’d like to satisfy your cravings in a clean, spacious and comfy environment.
Address: Blk 94 Lorong 4 Toa Payoh, #01-04, Singapore 310094
Opening Hours: Daily 11am to 3pm, 5pm to 9pm
Tel: 6255 0891
Image credit: @shanmaine
Started by an ex-Raffles Hotel chef, Xiang Jiang Soy Sauce Chicken serves a killer plate of Dry Soy Sauce Chicken Noodle ($4). Expect a plate full of al dente mee kia topped with succulent chicken and stalks of kai lan miao. Request for their tender drumstick, which is drenched in an addictive house-made dark soya sauce.
While you are there, be sure to also order their Pork Dumplings ($0.60 each). These plump and flavourful dumplings are filled with minced pork, chestnut and prawns, pairing beautifully with your plate of soya sauce chicken.
Address: 120 Bukit Merah Lane 1, #01-77, Alexandra Village Food Centre, Singapore 150120
Opening hours: Wed-Mon 8am to 2pm
Tel: 9185 7756
Image credit: @vintage.sg
The founder of Ma Li Ya Virgin Chicken is believed to have been the mentor of Chan Hon Meng, the man behind Liao Fan Soya Sauce Chicken. As such, when it comes to the dish, we’d definitely hold high expectations to it.
Maria’s Soya Sauce Chicken ($7 half /$14 whole) comes with a shiny glazed skin drenched in a sauce that’s perfumed by herbal notes and a bit of wine. Be sure to top up $1.40 for a piece of their Signature Braised Beancurd for a tender, silky tofu drenched in a sweet and savoury braised sauce.
Address: 335 Smith Street, #02-189, Chinatown Complex Food Centre, Singapore 050335
Opening hours: Tue-Thurs, Sat 9am to 4pm, Sun 7am to 4pm
Image credit: @chunhouzi
Hua Zai HK Roasted Delights serves a humble and no-frills plate of Soy Sauce Chicken Rice ($3) that’s stripped down to basic ingredients like rice, soya sauce chicken, and a few strips of cucumber.
The chicken here is tender, and is drenched in a slightly viscous soy sauce with herbal notes. The sauce is not over-the-top salty and goes well with the fluffy and flavourful chicken rice as well as the garlicky chilli on the side. The stall also sells an assortment of roast meats, which smell heavenly when roasted over the charcoal stove.
Address: 827 Tampines Street 81, #01-827, Tampines West Foodcourt, Singapore 520827
Opening hours: Daily 7:30am to 8:30pm
Image credit: @jinena
Haikee Brothers is an old gem that’s now being run by third-generation hawkers James and Joseph Wang. This stall boasts a decent plate of Soy Sauce Drumstick Noodles ($6.50), drenched in a generous amount of braising sauce.
The chicken is braised for hours in their special dark braising sauce, and is then paired with a generous bowl comprising al dente mee kia, boiled vegetables and an egg.
Website | Full list of locations
Image credit: @food.ally
If you are looking for a more atas plate of soya sauce chicken to impress others, Kam’s Roast may be the place for you. Though this one restaurant is famous for its Roast Duck, it also sells a nice plate of Soya Sauce Chicken ($19.80 half, $34.80 whole) that goes addictively well with their ginger and spring onion condiment on the side.
For those who like a variety of meats, we suggest their takeaway version of Four Treasure Rice ($11.80+) featuring a hearty plate of succulent roast duck, soya sauce chicken, caramelised char siew and salted egg, on top of a plate of gravy-drenched rice.
Address: 9 Scotts Road, #01-04/05/06/07, Pacific Plaza, Singapore 228210
Opening hours: Daily 11am to 10pm
Tel: 6836 7788
Chew Kee Eating House serves a decent plate of Soy Sauce Chicken ($5) that comes with your choice of carbohydrates, from rice to egg noodles and kway teow. Depending on your preference, get the egg noodles for a QQ, al dente texture, or the kway teow if you would like your noodles to soak up the flavourful braising sauce.
The chicken is juicy and nicely coated in a braising sauce that is rather addictive. Top up $1 for three soup dumplings for an added texture and crunch of water chestnut and minced meat.
Address: 8 Upper Cross Street, Singapore 058327
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 8am to 5:30pm
Tel: 6222 0507
Website
Image credit: @curious.food
You can find Fatty Ox HK Kitchen at the more secluded section of Chinatown Food Complex. For $3, you get a plate of silky chicken with springy noodles and kai lan, topped with a spruce of spring onion.
The tender chicken holds notes of rose wine, Chinese herbs, and minced ginger, while the springy noodle does not have a strong alkaline flavour. We also recommend getting their Soy Sauce Chicken and Char Siew Mee ($5), which has meat that’s roasted in a charcoal oven.
Address: 335 Smith Street, #02-84, Chinatown Complex Food Centre, Singapore 050335
Opening hours: Wed-Sun 7:30am to 2:30pm
Tel: 9638 5345
Located just 80 metres away from Chew Kee Eating House, Chiew Kee Soy Sauce Chicken serves the exact same Soy Sauce Chicken ($5) dish, although the flavour is vastly different. For those who prefer sweeter tasting notes to your food, Chiew Kee’s chicken is cooked in a braising sauce that is sweeter than the former’s salty, savoury punch.
Do remember to give their dumplings a try too. For just $0.50 a piece, you can expect plump chicken flavoured dumplings mixed with diced water chestnuts for a bit of texture.
Address: 32 Upper Cross Street, Singapore 058339
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 8am to 6:30pm
Tel: 6221 3531
Website
Image credit: @ivanity07
Ho Kee Wo Lai Ye serves a decent plate of Soya Sauce Chicken Drumstick Rice ($3.50), with fragrant chicken rice served with glossy, braised chicken. The soy sauce chicken here may be a bit overcooked, but it is still delightful when drenched in its braising sauce.
Top up an additional $0.50 for some chicken innards or $1 for their braised egg and tau kua to spruce up your meal. Unlike the usual plain, salty soup that comes with most chicken rice, the soup here is boiled with chicken feet, red dates, and soft cabbage.
Address: 49A Serangoon Garden Way, #01-49A, Singapore 555945
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 11am to 8:30pm
Website
Image credit: @sayeeah
Praised for their especially succulent chicken and the value for money that you get with your order, Hong Kong Soy Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle is a quintessential stall to try out if you’re dining in Bedok.
Prices start from just $3 for soya sauce chicken rice or noodles, but you can also choose to pay a touch more and get half a chicken for only $7.50.
Address: 16 Bedok South Road, #01-22, Singapore 460016
Opening hours: Tue-Sun 7am to 2pm
Image credit: @3ferny
As one of the more popular stalls in the Geylang Bahru Market & Food Centre, Sheng Ji Soya Sauce Chicken Rice serves their signature dish for just $3. If you prefer to enjoy it with noodles, the price remains the same as well.
The noodles come drenched with a moreish, sweet soy-based sauce, and we fully encourage you to toss a spoonful or two of their housemade chilli sauce into the mix to give the dish a kick.
Address: 69 Geylang Bahru, #01-13, Geylang Bahru Market & Food Centre, Singapore 330069
Opening hours: Tue-Sat 11am to 9pm
Image credit: Singapore Food Story
This Telok Blangah stall is another one with a perpetual queue, thanks to their affordable servings of soya sauce chicken rice or noodles.
Portions are either $3 or $4, and you can choose additional parts of chicken that go on your plate, for an extra fee. This includes $2.50 for chicken breast, $3.50 for a drumstick, and more.
Address: 11 Telok Blangah Crescent, Telok Blangah Crescent Block 11 Market And Food Centre, Singapore 090011
Opening hours: Tue-Fri 6:30am to 1:30pm, Sat-Sun 7am to 3pm
If you enjoy chicken rice as much as I do, you could also consider Go-ang Pratunam, a famous Bangkok chicken rice that’s now at Nex! For the more adventurous, consider our listicle on unique chicken rice dishes, that includes chicken rice sushi!
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