Tong Kee Chicken Rice – Queue-Worthy Roast Chicken Stall Reopens at Margaret Drive

Tong Kee Chicken Rice is a popular chicken rice stall at the old Margaret Drive Hawker Centre. After the market was demolished, the stall moved to Tanglin Halt hawker centre on Commonwealth Drive.

With the opening of the new Margaret Drive Hawker Centre, Tong Kee Chicken Rice has moved back to their old home. On a busy Saturday afternoon, this stall has the longest queue in the hawker centre.

To be honest, I am always someone who loves poached chicken. So I wasn’t too interested to have roast chicken for lunch. But boy, was I impressed.

Many may not have guessed but the ‘roasted’ chicken is actually fried! Tong Kee’s roast chicken is seasoned with spices and deep fried in oil, leaving the golden brown skin crispy as if I was eating fried chicken.

It is different from what’s served at many roast chicken stalls where the skin of the chicken is usually smooth and does not deliver the crunch. I definitely love Tong Kee’s version more because the meat still retains its juiciness and it’s a delicious dish to have. It ticks all the boxes — perfectly roasted chicken that’s bathed in a plate of soy sauce, fluffy seasoned rice, and a mandatory bowl of soup.

For those who prefer poached chicken, Tong Kee has started selling poached chicken. Its steamed chicken was succulent and tender, with just the right amount of light soya sauce drenched on top.

The fragrant rice was cooked with chicken oil and lots of aromatics like ginger and shallots. We liked that the rice was not overly oily, yet fragrant. The chicken portions were generous. The chilli was also potent — spicy and gave a good kick.

Be sure to pair the dish with their signature braising sauce. It had a lovely balance of sweet and savoury notes. What’s interesting was the light smoky flavour which you cannot find at other chicken rice stalls. It is no wonder I see many diners requesting for additional gravy to pair with their rice.

MissTamChiak.com made anonymous visit and paid its own meal at the stall featured here.