I was feeling pretty skeptical when my fellow peers highlighted to me about a chicken rice stall that is amazingly crowned as one of the best eats around the vicinity of my university.
As usual, there is always this strong urge of doubt as I could not help but to emphasise that there is just too many overrated stalls out there that have self-proclaimed themselves to be the best.
However, being a fanatic of this dish & with numerous close observations of this stall, I have decided to take the leap of faith to try it out for myself. Known as Leong Yeow Famous Waterloo St. Hainanese Chicken Rice Branch, the impressive long line of queue is something that the folks would warn you about getting there earlier especially during lunch hours.
My review
It is a heritage stall that traces its roots back to the 1970s and it is currently passed down to the son who runs the major kitchen operation. The lady boss herself who is likely to be in her 80s, still does drop-by from time to time to help out her son.
Just simply take a look at the numerous awards or google the stall’s name and you will not be surprised to find out that they are being featured as the top 10 for this well-loved dish!
As the stall’s name suggests, Leong Yeow Famous Waterloo St. Hainanese Chicken Rice Branch offers both roasted & steamed meat options and as well as charsiew pork which is also highly recommended by the folks.
If there is a word for me to sum up this entire dish that is offered by Leong Yeow, it would have to be holistic.
The steamed chicken is so soft, juicy & tender which is nicely immersed in the sweetness and fragrance of the light soy sauce.
The introduction of the light soy sauce has provided a flavourful touch which is not too oily as it complements with the boiled freshness of the chicken.
Being a sweet tooth, I have to say that the charsiew pork is the star highlight that really astounds me! The meat is so fatty & tender which is well marinated with delightful amount of sweetness. Typically for most charsiew meat whereby one would dip it into a separate saucer of dark sweet sauce, this is good enough to have it solely on its own. However, there is no roast crispiness on the outside which is the reason why it isn’t salty too.
For rice lovers, I would be proud to say that they have nailed their plate of rice remarkably well.
Every bit of rice grain has a soft & smooth texture which is infused with a light hint of aromatic chicken stock that is not too overpowering. It is neither too dry nor too oily that opens up a hearty palate.
Meanwhile, their side ingredient of fresh gizzard deserves a noteworthy mention by how huge & chewy it is.
It is not too gamey and it complements well with the overall spread. If there is one thing that every chicken rice stall owner could have played more emphasis on, it would have to be the little aspects such as chili & soup. Be warned that the chili has so much kick to it which it contains a strong heavenly & garlicky essence that immediately dominates your tastebuds. I really enjoy every spoonful of the soup as Leong Yeow boils its own with rich ingredients such as winter melon and chicken feet. It totally deserves credit which sets it apart from other plain, peppery bowl of soup.
You know how certain dishes have their own strength in some key areas while lacking in some for others?
This is the kind of distinction that Leong Yeow has to offers as it sums up its dish with the word – holistic.For the price and queue, I would say that it is pretty worth it due to the fact that quality is the key emphasis in this plate of goodness that I am willing to spend on. Kudos to this wonderful gem that is recommended by my fellow peers which you would not be surprised to know that I will be a returning customer indeed.
Leong Yeow Famous Waterloo St. Hainanese Chicken Rice Branch (亮耀馳名四馬路海南鶏飯)
Address: Blk 261 Waterloo Street, 180261
Opening Hours: Mon – Sun: 11:30 – 20:30
Tel: +65 63343989
Average Price:
- SGD $3.50 – Chicken Rice
- SGD $5.00 – Chicken Rice + Charsiew + Gizzard
Tasting Leong Yeow’s Famous Chicken Rice
Steamed Chicken
Let’s start with the star of the show – the chicken! I tried the steamed chicken and it was incredibly juicy, tender, and soft. You can tell they use high quality chicken and don’t overcook it. It had the perfect amount of soy sauce flavor infused into it without being overly salty or greasy. Each bite of chicken just melted in my mouth – so good!
Fragrant Rice
Of course, you can’t have good chicken rice without amazing rice. Leong Yeow’s rice was a standout for me. Each grain was perfectly cooked and had the ideal fluffy, smooth texture. It was lightly scented with chicken broth aroma but not overpowering. Not too oily or dry either. Just wonderfully fragrant, soft rice that I couldn’t get enough of. To achieve such exceptional rice quality, investing in a high-quality Japanese rice cooker is a game-changer, ensuring precise cooking and consistently delightful results.
Charsiew Pork
I’m a total sweet tooth, so I was thrilled that Leong Yeow’s charsiew pork totally hit the spot for me. The meat was insanely tender, fatty, and juicy. And the sweet marinade was absolute perfection – it had that sticky glazed charsiew flavor but wasn’t too salty. The fatty pork just melted away with each bite. So good! To elevate the experience even further, I couldn’t help but appreciate the exquisite balance of flavors when combined with their ramen pork chashu. The addition of the tender and flavorful ramen pork chashu added another layer of richness, creating a culinary harmony that left my taste buds delighted.
Chili Sauce
No chicken rice is complete without a solid chili sauce. Leong Yeow’s chili sauce definitely delivered. It had a nice garlicky kick that wasn’t too spicy but still packed lots of flavor. I found myself wanting to pour it over everything!
Soup
The soup was also a highlight – way better than the basic versions you get at other stalls. Leong Yeow’s soup is simmered for hours with chicken feet and winter melon. It’s got an incredibly rich, savory broth bursting with flavor. I was scooping up every last drop!
My Takeaway
In summary, Leong Yeow Famous Waterloo St. Hainanese Chicken Rice Branch completely exceeded my expectations and is hands down one of the best chicken rice dishes I’ve ever tasted. Everything from the tender chicken to the fragrant rice to the killer charsiew pork and chili sauce was absolute perfection.
I love when a dish just gets everything right and is consistently delicious from start to finish – that’s exactly what you get here. For chicken rice lovers like me, this place is an absolute must-try and will definitely become a regular spot in my dining rotation. I can’t recommend Leong Yeow enough – run, don’t walk to try it!