Many Hainanese chicken rice shops in Singapore don’t have chicken for sale

The owner of Hainanese chicken rice restaurant, Tian Tian in Singapore, announced that he would stop serving chicken dishes if he could not find a source of fresh chicken – Photo: Sethlui.com

Foo Kui Lia, owner of the Tian Tian chicken rice restaurant chain in Maxwell, Clementi and Bedok, thinks it’s probably the first time in 36 years that she’s been forced to remove it from the menu due to a lack of fresh chicken stock. .

Although the Singapore government insists that there is enough frozen chicken supply to make up for the shortfall, Ms. Foo asserts that it is impossible to process chicken rice from frozen chicken and if it cannot be sourced from Malaysia like tens of thousands of people. Last year, she would sell other items.

There are two shops selling Hainanese chicken rice at the Pek Kio food court on Owen Street. But since Malaysia banned the export of chicken, Tan Kee chicken rice restaurant has reduced its staff by a third, the shop still has boiled and roasted chicken for sale every day, but it seems the future is not long.

“Our partners still provide us with chicken. They have actively stocked a lot of fresh chicken before Malaysia’s export ban took effect, but I don’t know what will happen next,” said Jenny Tan, the owner’s wife, sighing.

According to Ms. Tan, the shortage of fresh chicken from Malaysia still happens often because of disease or sudden increase in demand, but Malaysia’s suspension of fresh chicken exports is something almost no one in the chicken rice business can think of. According to Ms. Tan, more than 60% of the customers who have eaten at her restaurant over the years have eaten boiled chicken rice, then roasted chicken, pork and roasted duck dishes, only diversifying the menu.

Her husband and some other chicken rice shops are discussing sourcing chicken from other countries. However, what they have been wondering for a few weeks is whether that type of chicken is suitable for the cooking and processing of the Hainanese chicken rice dish that they have been doing business for a long time.