Eat Singapore Chicken Rice at Brick and Mortar Liao Fan Hong Kong
Another chicken rice?
Not just any chicken rice but Michelin Starred Soy Sauce Chicken Rice!
Liao Fan Hong Kong
- 2016 Michelin Star
- First Brick and Mortar Location Across the Street From Their First Store
- Serves Soy Sauce Chicken Rice, BBQ Pork (Char Siu), and Roast Pork (Siew Yoke)
Chicken rice, both a Singaporean and regional dish that has pleased many palates from around the world. There’s something simply soul warming about slices boiled chicken served with fragrant rice with your individual DIY sauce mixture (especially since each vendor makes their own unique versions of the same chili sauce). Heck, I used to cook this myself for a period of my life before we moved to Singapore.
In that same breath, I’m now much more exposed to the variety and versatility of such a simple meal. Simple meals take a lot of effort to maintain purity of flavor. And it shows in the flavor and preparation of the ingredients. But I know, as with everything as subjective as taste, it’s not for everyone.
Shaking Up the Competition
I went there to try out their first restaurant version especially since it’s across the street from the original branch. As the story goes, their chicken rice is prepared differently:
- They prepare a soy sauce version of chicken rice
- Their soy sauce preparation forms the base of their flavor
- The menu is expanded with roasted and BBQ dishes
Personally, having eaten and cooked chicken rice the traditional way I find this to be different. Similar to the different flavors of Singaporean pork soup, Bak Kut Teh, soy sauce chicken rice is a stark contrast to the cleaner tasting boiled chicken rice. While not a bad thing, I would find it hard to eat this version as often as I would reach for a plate of regular chicken rice.
It is nice though to have the option of eating differently prepared pork. It’s a different touch and something not typically offered at other chicken rice hawkers. This amount of choices would convince to me to come back again to try them all.
What is It
Liao Fan Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice and Noodle restaurant is the 2016 Michelin Star chain’s first attempt at a step to literally cementing their hawker operation.
Where is It
Liao Fan Hong Kong brick and mortar location is right on the corner across Smith Street from their first original hawker store location at Chinatown Complex.
What to Do There
For me, I went because I had heard about their award and wanted to know what all the fuss was about. Well, I’ve already gone to their first store from which they won their award for but never went to this branch and wanted to know the difference.
From what I can tell, this location is enclosed and air conditioned and because of that, I feel the menu is ever so slightly more expensive. And honestly, if I can go here and spare myself from the prolonged line in the hawker center across the street, I’ll pay their elevated prices.
Overall, it’s not bad and is a nice change if I’ve been eating regular chicken rice all the time.
You might feel the same after trying it out?
Liao Fan Hong Kong
- 78 Smith Street, 058972
- +65 6221 1668
- Street View
