To love Singapore and Malaysia means to love Hainanese Chicken Rice.

During my recent trip to Malaysia, we stayed at Kuala Lumpur where food was the center of attraction. Well aside from the Petronas Towers and KL Tower, tourists plan a trip to Malaysia for their rich exquisite Malaysian dishes. One famous Malaysian dish is what you call Hainanese Chicken Rice. In all corners of any mall, I spot a restaurant that shells chicken rice. If not in restaurants, I see fast food or hawker places all around with Hainanese Chicken Rice selling at a very affordable price.

Hainanese Chicken Rice is like Malaysian’s version of Jollibee Chickenjoy in the Philippines.

If Jollibee is almost everywhere in the Philippines, same goes as The Chicken Rice Shop in Malaysia. This is the counterpart of Jollibee in Malaysia.

Now, The Chicken Rice Shop is here in Manila to give us the chance to enjoy Malaysian’s famous Hainanese Chicken Rice at an affordable rate.

O and I were very impressed on how they made their Hainanese Chicken very identical to the ones in Singapore and Malaysia. The meat is really tender, soft and authentic. I couldn’t believe the chicken is locally sourced and not imported all the way from Malaysia. Its light soy sauce builds more flavor to the juiciness of every bite. O and I agree that this is our number 1 favorite among all dishes served to us at The Chicken Rice Shop.

Just a little fact, O lived in Singapore for years so I believe his critical judgments in these types of food.

You don’t eat the chicken alone. Normally, you mix your own dip. The dip is usually topped with dark soy sauce and a heap of freshly pounded ginger with hot chili sauce depending on your spiciness level.

The traditional Hainanese chicken now resides in Manila, thank you to the Pancake House group for bringing The Chicken Rice Shop to Manila.

There are Filipinos who aren’t open to the idea of eating their favorite chicken, the Hainanese way. For a smokier version, this Roast Chicken my be opt for those who want their chicken slightly away from the traditional Hainanese Chicken. This is my second favorite! The tenderness of the chicken meat still lingers, with its roasted skin that is very appealing to partner with a plate of steaming chicken rice.

A Malaysian appetizer you can’t miss out in Malay parties or events. Malaysians are very proud of their very own Nyonya Pai Tee as it encompasses creativity, class and patience in cooking. A mix of fresh ingredients on one cup, julienned jicama, carrot, and chopped chicken. Traditional Malaysian cooking uses shrimp instead of chicken. If you fail to make the case crisp, the delight in eating Nyonya Pai Tee is gone. It is important for the cases to be really crisp as it creates the texture when you munch a piece of Nyonya Pai Tee in your mouth.

For our starter, this was a refreshing treat before delving into all the Chicken Rice to fill our bellies.

I love any kind of lettuce wrap in general! This is Malaysian’s version of salad where you use a piece of lettuce as a wrap, stuff the chicken mix inside and use the traditional dip (dark soy sauce, ginger and hot chili sauce) to add extra flavor.

Very light and fresh! A healthier version of eating your chicken is to add pieces of lettuce. Those who don’t enjoy greens might be interested as they try this lettuce wrap.

Chicken glazed with honey barbecue can never go wrong for Filipinos’ type of food. My sister loved this more than other chicken recipes from The Chicken Rice Shop. Her sweet palate lead her to prefer this Honey BBQ Chicken partnered with steaming chicken rice.

I admire the consistency of every chicken meat I try from The Chicken Rice Shop. Their quality supply of chicken and the process of making it tender and juicy can make any chicken recipe successful. Whether it is roasted, honey bbq or plain hainanese, the rich and delicacy of their chicken is fused to make every chicken delightful.

Since I tasted Cereal Prawns in Singapore, my tummy fell in love with it. The crunchy cereals with its sweet and a little spicy flavor boosted my cravings for more cereal prawns when I hear of Singaporean or Malaysian cuisine. Ideally, I like the cereals to be thin and rich with sweet and spicy flavors. On the other hand, The Chicken Rice Shop didn’t pass my standards. I was looking for something more like the ones I tasted in Singapore. Here in Manila, Wee Nam Kee and Taza De Oro got it right. I was not that disappointed, it wasn’t just the taste I was expecting in Cereal Prawns.

Hooray for this 3 layered tea! I really loved this drink! Sweet milk tea that you have to mix altogether to achieve the best tasting milk tea of The Chicken Rice Shop.

Pinoy’s Halo-Halo is still the best! But I have to give Malaysians and Singaporeans a handshake for trying to achieve their Ais Cendol – green rice noodles and red beans in coconut milk. A must-try before leaving the glass doors of The Chicken Rice Shop.

Casual dining where you don’t have to worry too much about your budget.

Choosing this venue as a date spot isn’t a problem. As you go out of the restaurant, this is the view you’ll see.

The Chicken Rice Shop is now my newest restaurant to rave about! Their food is something I can eat almost every single day. Practicality is what I’m loving most here! Adding more branches around the metro will delight me the most. I don’t know when they’ll add more branches near my area but I’m crossing my fingers they’ll do it asap! Driving all the way to Manila is not practical for me. Hehe.

Cheers,

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Location: G/F Harbour Square, CCP Complex, Pedro Bukaneg St., Malate Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines

Contact: (+632) 823-9834

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TheChickenRiceShopPhilippines

Budget: PHP200++

Rate:

Food	9/10
Ambiance	9/10
Service	9/10
Cost	9/10
Overall	9/10