Local Gem: A Bowl of Hainanese Chicken Rice That Will Take You Back in Time

Zeus Zou, Associate Editor | Sep 20, 2020 4:30 pm | Add a comment | 646 reads

A so-called tea, without any tea; a dish that is named for Hainan but is now regarded as a Singaporean specialty. These are the sort of mind-boggling items you'll find on a traditional menu in Singapore – aka Lion City – but these little riddles only serve to enrich the cuisine's flavor, leaving you scratching both your head and your belly.

In Beijing, today, it isn't difficult to find a bowl of Hainanese chicken rice, however, few may know there is a humble eatery that has been practicing this tradition for eight years now, long before the dish came into the spotlight on Beijing dining tables.

Despite its location in the greater Sanlitun area, Beijing’s nightlife hub, Cheung Kee Singaporean Restaurant is still something of a hidden treasure, in part due to its low-key facade. Unlike some restaurants or Kopitiam that became instant hits with the younger crowd thanks to their upbeat, dynamic brands and interior design, this small eatery stays true to a vintage Singaporean ambiance inside and out.

Stepping into Cheung Kee is like stepping through space and time. The muted brown striped wallpaper, mounted fans, and black and white photographs of Lion City, all seem to be plucked right from a Singaporean eatery of yore, and for a moment you may forget that 21st century Beijing sits right outside the door.

To be sure, Cheung Kee's food is as sincere and humble as the venue itself, stemming from the owner's belief that the quality of the dishes can outshine any gimmicky marketing stunts, and is enough to keep customers coming back. I can safely say their Hainanese chicken rice is the best value for the money, from the moment the plate is laid in front of you to the last bite. Admittedly, I'm not the biggest fan of eating chicken skin, but their butter chicken is nevertheless delightfully crispy and its fragrance is simply irresistible, not to mention the tender meat within. If that weren't enough, it's served with a trio of sauces – lime chili, sweet black soy sauce, and ginger puree – that together add another dimension to its already stunning flavor, making the whole experience a sort of balancing act as you try different combos in search of the perfect ratio.

Of course, no Hainanese chicken rice is complete without a serving of the meal's namesake, and despite the fact that you can't see a shred of chicken in the bowl, the stock carries all its flavorful weight in spades. According to the restaurant's manager, Zhang Yang, Cheung Kee's kitchen exclusively uses freshly butchered 清远鸡 qīngyuǎn jī (Qingyuan Chicken), a breed that's prized for its golden skin and tender meat. And given that the chicken rice set meal (chicken, rice, soup) runs RMB 39 – with deeper discounts if you order online – it truly is one of the better deals in town.

Besides their proud signature Hainanese chicken rice, Cheung Kee has plenty of other options. From assorted marinated pot-stew delights to Nyonya bean paste chicken and Bak-Kut-Teh to sweets such as grass jelly, their menu is everything you could possibly want from a Singaporean dining experience, short of hopping on a plane and flying there yourself.