Loy Kee Best Chicken Rice

Loy Kee Best Chicken Rice is a family-run restaurant on Balestier Road that specialises in Hainanese chicken rice. The family has sold the dish since 1953, and the second and third generations now run the business.

The story began with Loy Nie In, who came to Singapore from Hainan Island, and his wife Qua Tee. In 1953 they opened a small stall selling chicken rice and porridge at a market on the site of today's Whampoa Makan Place. In 1994, James Loy and Jane Tan of the second generation opened the restaurant on Balestier Road, in a former coffee shop.

What to order

Start with the chicken rice, the dish the family built its name on. The chickens are bought fresh, not frozen, and the kitchen steams and poaches them. The rice picks up plenty of flavour as it cooks, so it tastes good even on its own. The kitchen also blanches Chinese cabbage briefly to go with the chicken.

The three sauces are homemade: a dark soy sauce from a family recipe, a chilli sauce enriched with chicken fat, and a ginger sauce blended with chicken oil. Try each one with the chicken, then mix them your own way. Our guide to chicken rice sauces explains what each one adds.

The wider menu goes well beyond chicken. You will find:

• Roast meats: char siew and crispy roast pork.
• Hainanese and home-style dishes: Hainanese-style beef stew, curry chicken and curry prawns.
• Sides: ngor hiang prawn rolls, wanton, chicken liver and gizzard, and a prawn omelette.
• Noodles and porridge: chicken noodles, char siew wanton noodles and a special house porridge.
• Desserts and drinks: ice kachang, chendol, kopi, teh and fresh coconut.

The setting

The dining room has an old-fashioned look, with timber tables, vintage-style chairs and fans. It suits a relaxed family meal. Set plates for two to five people make sharing easy.

Loy Kee has also been part of the National Heritage Board's Street Corner Heritage Galleries in Balestier. The project featured objects from the family's early years, such as chicken choppers and old menus.

Good to know before you go

• Takeaway and delivery: you can order online for pick-up or islandwide delivery through the official website.
• Sauces to take home: the chilli, ginger and dark soy sauces are sold in bottles.
• First visit? Read how to order chicken rice before you go.

Nearby

Balestier Road has a long history of chicken rice shops and old shophouses. Nearby, you can try fish soup at Beach Road Fish Head Bee Hoon or pork rib soup at Founder Bak Kut Teh. For some history, visit the Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall.

See more hawker favourites or all places to eat in Balestier and Toa Payoh.