Authentic Hainanese Chicken Rice at Sanlitun's Ji Kun Café

We know the AQI has been out of control recently, but the smog can’t stop us from looking for authentic Southeast Asian restaurants, not just because we have a helpless need for chicken rice, but also because these full-flavored dishes are extremely comforting. Located next to the Pakistani embassy in the north of Sanlitun, Ji Kun Café focuses on providing Hainanese chicken rice fit for the soul.

The small but neat restaurant has eight tables, and is decorated simply with delicate black and white floor tiles. Behind the counter and into the open kitchen lies a line of Wenchang chickens hung up and slowly cooking, as well as a huge rice cooker, and a big barrel of free water. The whole setup is so Malaysian that you'd be forgiven for forgetting that you are in fact still in Beijing, not at a streetside restaurant in Malacca, except for of course, the current lack of sweaty weather and necessary spinning fans.

The options are RMB 48 for a white cut chicken, bowl of rice, and soup set; or get half of the chicken for RMB 88. The steamed white cut chicken was delicious and juicy (particularly good for those that prefer a cold lunch), and is served with three different kinds of sauces – soy sauce paste, authentic chili sauce, and the ground ginger sauce, of which the latter was a clear winner.

Unlike the Malaysian version of chicken rice rice, which is served in ball form, this version comes in a bowl, with crumbs of fried garlic sprinkled on top and a little ginger for flavor. We found it a little dry, a problem that is easily remedied by adding a little soup. To pair with the food, we had some aromatic lemongrass tea. There is also barley drink, Ovaltine, Lipton tea, and Milo (our favorite, and again, couldn’t be more Malaysian), all for RMB 16.

This was in fact, our second time visiting as after a disappointing first attempt during which we found that, somewhat oddly, Ji Kun Café isn’t open on Sundays. So keep that in mind so as to not have your weekend chicken rice dreams crushed. In our opinion, the chicken rice here is better than at most chain restaurants in Beijing, and may just be one of the most authentic renditions in town.

Ji Kun Café
Mon-Sat 11.30am-2pm, 5.30pm-9.30pm. 4 Sanlitun Dongsanjie, Chaoyang District (8532 1991)
鸡坤茶室：朝阳区三里屯东三街4号

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Photos: Tracy Wang