Hainanese chicken rice, a simple yet delicious dish made with boiled chicken, chicken oil-cooked rice, and dip, has been a source of nostalgia for many overseas Chinese in Southeast Asia. The dish has its roots in the Hainan province of China, where it was created by the Hainanese people more than a century ago. As these people migrated across Southeast Asia, they took their beloved dish with them, and it gradually became a popular cuisine in countries like Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia.
One such restaurant in Malaysia where you can get a taste of authentic Hainanese chicken rice is Andrew Wong Hainanese Chicken Rice in Kota Kinabalu. Owned by Andrew Wong Hin Hau, whose ancestral home is in Qionghai, Hainan province, the restaurant has been serving up this beloved dish since 2003.
For Wong, making the perfect Hainanese chicken rice is a labor of love that starts early in the morning. He wakes up at around 4 am every day to head to the market to purchase the freshest ingredients he can find. Then, he begins to prepare the dish at 5:30 am, putting all of his skills and expertise to work. By 10:30 am, everything is ready for the restaurant’s hungry customers.
The dish itself is deceptively simple. The boiled chicken is cooked until it is juicy and tender, with a flavor that is infused with ginger and other aromatics. The rice is cooked in chicken oil, which imparts a rich, savory flavor to the grains. Finally, the dip, made from a blend of chili, ginger, garlic, and other ingredients, adds a spicy and tangy kick to the dish.
Despite its simplicity, Hainanese chicken rice is a dish that requires a lot of skill and finesse to get just right. Wong has spent years perfecting his recipe and technique, learning from his family and other Hainanese chefs. He uses only the freshest ingredients and takes great care to make sure that everything is cooked to perfection.
Wong’s dedication to his craft has paid off, as his restaurant is a favorite among locals and visitors alike. Many people come to Andrew Wong Hainanese Chicken Rice specifically to taste this iconic dish, which represents a piece of Southeast Asian culinary history. For many, the dish is not just a meal but a source of nostalgia and cultural pride.
Hainanese chicken rice is a beloved dish that has a rich history and cultural significance. It has become a staple of Southeast Asian cuisine, with many variations and interpretations throughout the region. Andrew Wong Hainanese Chicken Rice is just one example of a restaurant that has dedicated itself to serving up the best possible version of this iconic dish. With its tender, juicy chicken, flavorful rice, and spicy dipping sauce, Hainanese chicken rice is a true culinary delight that continues to captivate the taste buds of people all over the world.
According to Andrew Wong Hin Hau, the owner of Andrew Wong Hainanese Chicken Rice restaurant in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, making a delicious Hainanese chicken rice requires several key ingredients and techniques. Wong, whose ancestral home is in Qionghai, Hainan province, has been cooking the dish since 2003 and believes that the most important aspect of the dish is the quality of the chicken, rice, and dipping sauce.
Despite its deceptively simple appearance, Hainanese chicken rice is a challenging dish to prepare well, according to Wong. However, he has been constantly refining his recipe over the years to ensure that his customers receive the best possible experience. “If the guests are not satisfied, I will find a way to make it better,” he says, emphasizing his commitment to quality.
One of the key factors that sets Wong’s restaurant apart from others is his refusal to use inferior ingredients to cut costs. According to Wong, maintaining the highest possible standards is essential to creating an authentic and delicious Hainanese chicken rice. He has also been studying the dish at other restaurants to continue improving his recipe and stay competitive.
As a Hainanese, Wong is proud to cook Hainanese chicken rice and considers it a delicacy and heritage from his home. He has been cooking the dish for 19 years and sees it as his dream career. Wong’s dedication to the dish and his customers is reflected in the number of servings he sells each day. His restaurant sells about 180 servings of Hainanese chicken rice daily, which is a testament to the quality of his food.
Wong’s passion for the dish has not gone unnoticed by his regular customers. Scott Chong, from China’s Guangdong province, is a regular customer at Wong’s restaurant and praises the chicken’s tenderness and the rice’s fragrance.
While Hainanese chicken rice has become popular in Southeast Asian countries like Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia, it originated from Wenchang, a city in Hainan. The basic ingredient for the dish is Wenchang chicken, which is a type of chicken native to the region.
Andrew Wong Hin Hau’s passion for Hainanese chicken rice is evident in his commitment to quality and constant improvement. The dish may appear simple, but its complex flavors and textures require precise techniques and high-quality ingredients. Wong’s dedication to his customers and the dish has made his restaurant a popular destination for those seeking an authentic and delicious Hainanese chicken rice experience.
At 69 years old, Song Shenmei is the fourth-generation owner of a chicken restaurant in Wenchang, which he has been running for more than 40 years. According to Song, people in Wenchang eat Wenchang chicken during all the festivals, including the Qingming Festival, also known as Tomb Sweeping Day, when many overseas Chinese returning home from Southeast Asian countries come to his restaurant to eat Wenchang chicken.
In the early 1980s, an overseas Chinese opened a chicken restaurant in Singapore and visited Song’s restaurant to learn how to cook chicken and make the sauce upon his return home. Song’s cooking skills have also been admired by many overseas Chinese, who watch him cook and learn how to make the dish themselves to cook at home.
Hainanese chicken rice not only satisfies the diners, but also embodies the taste of home for overseas Chinese from Hainan. It is a reflection of the cultural exchange between people in countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, from history to reality.
Michael Heng Yee Boon, president of the Kota Kinabalu Hainan Association, is a second-generation Malaysian who has fond memories of his mother making chicken rice into rice balls during the Spring Festival, which symbolizes “reunion” in Chinese culture.
The popularity of Hainanese chicken rice has spread throughout Southeast Asia and beyond, becoming a beloved dish for many. In fact, there are now even international competitions held to determine the best Hainanese chicken rice.
However, making a good Hainanese chicken rice is not an easy feat. Andrew Wong Hin Hau, owner of the Andrew Wong Hainanese Chicken Rice restaurant in Malaysia, stresses the importance of using good quality chicken and Thai fragrant rice, as well as making the dipping sauce thick. He has been constantly improving his recipe and will not compromise on using cheaper ingredients.
As a Hainanese himself, Wong considers Hainanese chicken rice a delicacy and a heritage from his home. He has traveled to different cities in China and Southeast Asia to try local versions of the dish and to learn how to make his restaurant’s chicken rice even better.
Wong’s restaurant is a popular destination for diners, selling around 180 servings of Hainanese chicken rice per day. One regular customer, Scott Chong from China’s Guangdong province, praises the tender chicken and fragrant rice.
Wenchang, a city in Hainan, is the birthplace of Hainanese chicken rice, where Wenchang chicken is the basic ingredient for the dish. Song Shenmei’s restaurant in Wenchang is just one example of the long history and cultural significance behind this beloved dish.
Heng Yee Boon, president of the Kota Kinabalu Hainan Association, has tasted Hainanese chicken rice in both Hainan and Malaysia. He shares that the dish differs in the two places due to the sauce and the way it is cooked. However, he states that the cultures of different races in Malaysia have been combined to develop Malaysia’s Hainanese chicken rice.
“Our ancestors came to Malaysia to do business not just with Hainanese. There are different races and different cultures here, so we have combined the cultures to develop Malaysia’s Hainanese chicken rice,” he says.
According to him, the Hainanese chicken rice in Malaysia is enjoyed by Malays and foreigners alike, making it a very international dish that embodies the wisdom of their ancestors.
While culture is constantly evolving, Heng believes that the spirit of the Hainanese, especially their hardworking attitude, is still being passed on from generation to generation in Malaysia. For him and his community, Hainanese chicken rice is not just a delicacy, but also a part of their cultural roots, and they are committed to preserving it and passing it on to future generations. “It’s a touching moment whenever we have Hainanese chicken rice,” he says.
He adds that the dish is especially significant during the Spring Festival, where his mother would make it into rice balls symbolizing “reunion” in Chinese culture. The dish is also popular during the Qingming Festival, where overseas Chinese returning home from Southeast Asian countries eat Wenchang chicken at chicken restaurants in Wenchang.
The popularity of Hainanese chicken rice is a reflection of the cultural exchange between people in countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative. Song Shenmei, the fourth-generation owner of a chicken restaurant in Wenchang, has seen many overseas Chinese returning home to eat Wenchang chicken at his restaurant during the Qingming Festival. Additionally, he recalls that in the early 1980s, an overseas Chinese visited his restaurant to learn how to cook chicken and make the sauce.
Wong Hin Hau, the owner of Andrew Wong Hainanese Chicken Rice restaurant in Kota Kinabalu, has been cooking Hainanese chicken rice since 2003. According to him, the key to cooking a good Hainanese chicken rice is to use good quality chicken, Thai fragrant rice, and to make the dipping sauce thick. While the dish may look simple, it is not easy to make it well, and he has been constantly improving his recipe to satisfy his customers. He says that he has never replaced ingredients with cheaper ones, and he continues to study the dish at other restaurants to make his restaurant better.
In conclusion, Hainanese chicken rice is a dish that has spread beyond its roots in Wenchang, Hainan, and has become a popular delicacy in Southeast Asia, particularly in Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia. It is not just a simple dish, but a cultural symbol that represents the wisdom and hardworking attitude of the Hainanese people. As people continue to evolve and cultures continue to mix, the significance of Hainanese chicken rice endures, and people are committed to preserving it and passing it on to future generations.