Ji De Lai Chicken Rice (Chong Pang Market & Food Centre)

Ji De Lai has been my top rated chicken rice for a few years now, and it has even earned itself a spot on the Michelin Bib Gourmand list in 2023. So, has the quality dropped off from the excitement of earning a spot on the Bib Gourmand and from the increased crowds?⠀
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Ladies and gentlemen, it is with great pleasure I announce that Ji De Lai is just as good as it used to be before getting the thumbs up from Michelin. The steamed chicken sports smooth porcelain skin that covers the moist meat beneath, and that meat has been fully infused with all the sapidity of the stock it has been poached in. After chopping up the bird, Ji De Lai’s secret fantastically fragrant soya sauce mix is ladled over the chicken for maximum piquancy. The chicken is savoury, herby & carries a faint pandan note, and each bite topped off with a dollop of Ji De Lai’s fiery, ginger-y chili is pure chicken bliss.⠀
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Even though I prefer the steamed/poached chicken over the roasted (JDL is the only place where I would pick the steamed over the roast chicken), the roast chicken is more than capable. It’s salty & savoury from all the aromatic spices rubbed into the bird before getting roasted, and the fat is rendered out while roasting to leave behind a nicely crisped skin. The meat is still marvellously moist and terrifically titillating, and each bite of bird is guaranteed to spark joy.⠀
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Pair these breathtaking birds with the luscious, rich grains of fragrant chicken rice, and you’ll start to see why even the Michelin guide remembers to honour Ji De Lai in their prestigious list.

Now that the gyms are closed and the pubs are strictly takeaway only, my weekends have become painfully empty, just like my entire life and bank account. That leaves me with a ton of time to kill, so what better (and tastier) way to do that than to venture out to the massive open air insane asylum that is Yishun for some of the best chicken rice in Singapore?⠀
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For years now, Ji De Lai has been fighting off its competitors like a Yishun resident fighting off the cops, and they’re still chicken rice royalty. The supple steamed chicken sports silky smooth skin swaddling tender, juicy meat that’s been fully flavoured with the subtle yet tasty herbs & seasoning.⠀
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The roast chicken is ridiculously redolent from the five spice mix & herbs, and is roasted perfectly. Gloriously golden skin is backed up by perfectly roasted chicken that’s moist & provides a marvellous mouthfeel as you savour every chew of this charmer of a chicken.

Spice these chicks up with a dash of delightfully gingery & garlicky chili sauce that’s rather potent, and chase it down with a spoonful of felicitously chicken fat flavoured chicken rice. Repeat as much as possible, and you will eventually find yourself in Flavortown.

Ji De Lai’s name is prophetic, because they foresaw my unforgettable addiction to what might just be the best chicken rice in sunny Singapore.

The chicken rice here; I can just eat the rice and chilli alone. Chicken rice starts from $3.

Chicken was succulent and skin was smooth. But somehow the soya Sauce that wasnt impressive on its own pairs really well with the chicken and adds so much savouriness. Rice was average but well seasoned which im a Fan of. The chili though, while lacking in complexity, makes up for it in explosiveness. Strong ginger and garlic, as well as spiciness and sourness would have made me regret if i added any more of it. The worst part is that the heat lingers so take heed. The ginger paste on the other hand was rlly fresh and i enjoyed it a lot. As did the cabbage soup which was flavourful and has ethereal slices of cabbage floating around

It may be located smack dab in the middle of Crazytown, and it may be kinda out of the way, but Ji De Lai's steamed and roasted chicken rice is so awesomely addictive that I'd gladly carry my cross and make a pilgrimage to the Mecca of chicken rice every now and then.

The steamed chicken is ridiculously redolent despite it being just steamed chicken. It's ain't just that stellar, savory soya sauce that makes this chicken the tastiest bird on the block, but it's the seasoning/cooking process that makes Ji De Lai's Hainanese style chicken so damn delicious.

There's a thin layer of gelatin below that porcelain skin, which is the hallmark of a competently cooked white chicken, and the meat is extraordinarily juicy and moist. Even the thick breasts are bouncy, moist, and excitingly juicy. I wasn't eating the chicken, I was practically inhaling the thick slices of chicken. That's right, it was THAT exceptional.

The rice may not be the tastiest around town, but it complements the chicken perfectly with its balance of rich, fatty and savory. Each grain is cooked to perfection, and is so smooth and velvety on your tongue.

Remember To Come? Thanks for the memories, fam.

This was actually one of the food we absolutely look forward to during my army days — it's often we would have an entire chicken and share it amongst four people. Possibly the best White Chicken you can find in Chong Pang Market & Food Centre (I personally prefer this to even Yishun 925), I always like how smooth and succulent it was with the moisture of the meat locked in. The gelatinous skin on the outside makes it even better!