What do you do when you’ve been deprived of chicken rice for months, and you’re constantly assaulted by pictures of the most titillating chicken rice around town on Instagram?

Simple. You go straight to the OG bird hawker to get that itch scratched real good the minute you hop off the plane. Boon Tong Kee has been around for decades, yet I have never quite appreciated their supple, tasty birds this much until now.

Boon Tong Kee’s Cantonese style steamed chicken is tastier than the Hainanese equivalent, and the hot soy sauce mixture that they pour over the chicken just elevates the wonderful flavors to another level. The flesh is supple, moist and utterly unforgettable. The skin is like gelatin; wobbly, slippery and excitingly enjoyable.

The chicken rice is one of the best in the world too. It’s heavy, full of fabulous flavor, fluffy, and stunningly slick. The fragrance is almost better than the taste, as you can smell the rice coming to your table, and it is heaven.

Truly, the humble Singaporean (hands off, Malaysia) dish of chicken rice is an art form of its own.