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If there is one thing Singaporeans will defend with all our might, it’s probably chicken rice.<\/p>\n
Many nations claim they do it best, so one man has decided to put it to the test in a TikTok video posted on Sunday (July 12).<\/p>\n
Over a period of four months, Alderic Teo tried 48 plates of chicken rice across eight cities \u2014 Singapore, Johor, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Hoi An, Da Nang, Hong Kong and Hainan \u2014 to determine which was the best according to his taste.<\/p>\n
The content creator \u2014 who describes himself as a home cook and “food hunter” \u2014 started by visiting popular names in Singapore such as Chicken House at Upper Thomson Road, Michelin-recognised Boon Tong Kee at Balestier Road, Tian Tian Chicken Rice at Maxwell Food Centre as well as Ji Zai Ji Golden Mile Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice.<\/p>\n
His top three choices for Singapore turned out to be Chicken House, Boon Tong Kee and Ji Zai Ji.<\/p>\n
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\n\n @asiaone<\/a> TikToker Alderic reviewed 48 plates of chicken rice across six cities and regions to crown his champion. #sgnews<\/a> #Singapore<\/a> #Food<\/a> #Travel<\/a> \u266c original sound – AsiaOne<\/a><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n
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In Malaysia, Alderic patronised Pine Chicken Rice in Johor Bahru, Swee Kee in Senai and The Reagent in Kuala Lumpur, among others.<\/p>\n
“Malaysian chicken rice is similar in style, but just… lousier on average,” he boldly said in his video.<\/p>\n
However, The Reagent’s kampong <\/em>(free-range) chicken was an exception, even making him realise his preference for its leaner and firmer meat as part of an ideal chicken rice dish.<\/p>\n
Alderic then went to Bangkok, and shared that Thai-style chicken rice is not his preference as it typically uses tau cheo <\/em>(fermented soybean paste).<\/p>\n
However, he did enjoy the premium liver offered at Muek Mun Kai, which is also his favourite place for chicken rice in the city.<\/p>\n
The nearly 3.5-minute-long video, which garnered over 150,000 views also showed him trying Vietnamese com ga <\/em>as well as chicken rice in Hong Kong and Hainan.<\/p>\n
He shared that while com ga <\/em>was inspired by Hainanese chicken rice, it has since evolved into its own dish.<\/p>\n
“Good com ga <\/em>will not be good Hainanese chicken rice and vice versa,” he said.<\/p>\n
In Hong Kong, after eating at places like Golden Chicken and Yung Kee, Alderic stated that the city has the “highest average standard” of all in the video, but that the “shallot-forward rice” was not to his personal liking.<\/p>\n
Lastly, Alderic arrived in Hainan, where the dish first originated. Places he visited include Wang Xiang Lou and Bai Qie Shi Jia.<\/p>\n
He expressed his surprise that while the chicken in Hainan was full of flavour, and most satisfying of those that he visited for this video, their rice was often bland \u2014 acting more like a side than a main component of the dish.<\/p>\n
After trying a grand total of 48 dishes during his travels, the content creator finally appointed a winner: Singapore’s Chicken House. Seems like nothing tastes better than home.<\/p>\n
He even collated every plate of chicken rice he tried during this journey in a Google sheet for others to refer to.<\/p>\n
Reactions to the ranking<\/h2>\n
Alderic’s assessment was met with mixed reactions from netizens, with some praising his effort while others expressed disagreement with his conclusion.<\/p>\n
One netizen wrote: “I love the attention to detail, the research, the fieldwork, the spreadsheet, the video editing” and requested that he make more of such videos.<\/p>\n
“Haha again, I applaud and respect you for your efforts. Thanks for sharing,” said another comment.<\/p>\n
A comment which disagreed with Alderic read: “The fact that you didn’t try Ipoh chicken rice or Ampang Lok Yuen chicken rice invalidates your opinion to be honest.”<\/p>\n
“Easy unfollow,” stated another.<\/p>\n
Still, one positive comment stood out, garnering overing 450 likes as of publishing time, which reads: “Ladies and gentlemen, we are witnessing greatness in the making. We have our very own Anthony Bourdain in Singapore and his name is Alderic Teo.”<\/p>\n
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Finally ready<\/h2>\n
Speaking to AsiaOne, Alderic said that he has been hunting for good food for quite some time, but only now felt ready to take on Singapore’s national dish.<\/p>\n
He adds that he finds the way the dish has changed and evolved across borders fascinating.<\/p>\n
“We grew up seeing chicken rice as we know it, but most of our neighbouring countries eat the same thing with their own interpretation,” he said, explaining that different countries prioritised different components based on what their palates leaned towards.<\/p>\n
One challenge Alderic faced in this journey was “chasing an answer that he knew wasn’t there”.<\/p>\n
He explained that taste is subjective and it would be impossible to communicate a single “best” chicken rice, least of all among Singaporeans.<\/p>\n
“As we speak, I’m sure I’m getting roasted in the comments for my pick,” he quipped.<\/p>\n
However, this challenge highlights the growing pressure on Singapore’s hawker scene, Alderic told us.<\/p>\n
“We’re rightly discerning, and being particular about food is part of who we are, but there’s a difference between holding a high standard and treating every plate as a disappointment waiting to be exposed,” he said.<\/p>\n
“When ‘standard dropped already’, ‘overpriced’ and ‘overrated’ become the reflex, I don’t think that’s healthy for the people actually keeping this food alive.”<\/p>\n
Alderic also shared that he plans to continue chasing the best version of various other dishes.<\/p>\n
\n@asiaone<\/a> <\/p>\n TikToker Alderic reviewed 48 plates of chicken rice across six cities and regions to crown his champion. #sgnews<\/a> #Singapore<\/a> #Food<\/a> #Travel<\/a><\/p>\n
\u266c original sound – AsiaOne – AsiaOne<\/a> <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n