Singapore Chinatown - Heng Ji Chicken Rice 18/04/26

Tried Heng Ji Chicken Rice today, and honestly, this ended up being one of those experiences that reminds you why local food culture is unbeatable.

Originally, we were actually planning to go for a chicken noodle spot that seemed to have more hype online, even our driver was recommending it heavily. But because we were short on time, we checked TikTok quickly and ended up finding this market hall with street food stalls spread across the top two floors.

The surrounding area wasn’t glamorous at all, and that made it feel more authentic. Cheap food, busy atmosphere, workers constantly trying to keep everything clean despite the chaos, exactly the kind of environment where you know the food might surprise you, since the locals are here too!

We almost fumbled the whole thing because we didn’t have cash. I actually had cash with me but forgot to bring it out. In Singapore, especially in these local spots, it’s either cash or apps like Grab, Alipay, and the usual Chinese payment systems. Some foreign cards cannot even be loaded on these apps, so be wary/prep in advance. Luckily my friend managed to pay through Grab.

I will be straight, the chicken looked incredibly bland when it arrived. But after the first bite? Completely different story.

The chicken was soft, juicy, properly flavoured, and the rice carried everything. Super simple meal, but done extremely well. I’m very selective and picky with food, so for me this was a genuine 7.8/10, which is honestly a strong score coming from me. I can easily see proper foodies rating this 8.5+. Also, it cost around £3 for a full satisfactory lunch.

We also got really lucky because there was basically no queue when we arrived. By the time we were halfway through eating, the line had started wrapping around the stall.

Sometimes the least impressive-looking meals end up being the most memorable.