There was a time at my old workplace when a Thai client came to Singapore for a site inspection of a conference venue. I was amused when she brought along with her several tupperware containers because she wanted to pack Boon Tong Kee Chicken Rice home for her family for dinner that evening. And she said her whole family liked it so much that whenever she is in Singapore, chicken rice is a must-get for her.
Boon Tong Kee’s name has indeed travelled far. I can’t even remember when was the last time I actually ate at BTK. All I knew was that I hadn’t been back for a return visit because the meal I had was forgettable. A few months back, we got to know that Boon Tong Kee had an outlet within our neighbourhood and the husband was looking forward to dine there as he had heard so much about this famous chicken rice brand so we decided to head there for dinner over the weekend to satisfy his curiosity.
Boon Tong Kee at Ang Mo Kio is located on ground level of a HDB flat, just at the opposite block of the everyday-crowded Mellben Seafood. It has both indoor (air-conditioned) and outdoor seating area here.
Braised peanuts appetiser (chargeable)
Crispy Beancurd
Such a simple dish but very well executed with a perfect contrast in texture. The outside is lightly battered, crispy, fragrant and nicely seasoned. The inside is soft tofu, so silky and smooth that it can just slip down your throat. I tried making this at home before but I failed because the tofu cubes would just disintegrate when I fry them but these look absolutely flawless. Dip them in the mayo provided or just have it on its own. Simply delicious!
This is what people come here for. Poached chicken with fragrant rice. This is half a chicken which seems rather small in portion compared to other places but good enough for 2 persons to share. I like the silky sheen of the chicken skin which makes the chicken looks deliciously smooth and mouthwatering.
The rice is oily but I like the fragrance of ginger and chicken broth in it. It is cooked perfectly fluffy, with every grain separate.
Unfortunately, the chilli sauce doesn’t make its mark. It is thick with intense flavours of chilli and garlic (simply blended) but without the extra ooomph. Something is just missing in it. Like a rich, flavourful chicken broth taste.
The dark meat is juicy with some parts pinkish (and bloody) but the white meat (breast) part is a little dry. That is probably why so much sauce is drizzled over the chicken so it keeps the meat moist. The sauce is a good mix of light soy sauce, sesame oil and chicken broth that goes very well with the rice. However it’s also because of the sauce that I’m not able to enjoy the natural flavour of the chicken, simply overwhelming in taste for me. I do like a freshly poached chicken au naturel.
A decent meal but I’ve had better chicken rice than this. In fact, the boneless chicken rice stall at the food centre near us is probably on par or better. The husband wasn’t impressed too though it was his first time trying. It turned out that the crispy beancurd was the best dish of the entire meal. We might be back for the tze char dishes but not for its pricey chicken rice.
Boon Tong Kee
Blk 233 Ang Mo Kio Ave 3
#01-1194
Tel: 6457 2696
Website
Operating hours:
11.00am to 3.00pm | 5.00pm to 10.00pm (Mon to Fri)
11.00am to 10.00pm (Sat-Sun & PH)