Zheng Swee Kee

Wow dam surprised to find this shop that serves KAMPUNG CHICKEN at a dam reasonable price. The white chicken, their rice, and their chilli are dam good man. The staff are also super "ON" (on the ball). Very attentive and good service. Would definitely want to come back again if there are no public smokers outside their shop. Admittedly, there was once I wanted to dine in but had to walk somewhere else because of smokers outside / quite near their entrance. Maybe they should stick a no smoking sign to deter the public from smoking outside their shop.

Between Seah Street and Purvis Street, along Beach Road, where there are multiple Hainanese Associations and Clans, there are also at least five famous Hainanese Chicken Rice besides other Hainanese eats. This is probably the real Hainanese enclave for many decades, rather than the Hainanese Food Village in Hougang and I have been fed here since I was a growing up Hainanese kid four decades ago. Hailed as the undisputed Best Hainanese Chicken Rice in the 50s to the 70s, Swee Kee was operating out of Yet Con from 1949 by the Moh Family. As a kid I remembered besides Chicken Rice by Swee Kee, they served Hainanese Steamboat and Tze Char. Since then there were many changes resulting in up to five Famous Chicken Rice along Beach Road, all unaffiliated to the Moh Family though at least two were named Swee Kee. This restaurant I visited is the older one along Seah Street, set menu for Chicken rice at $7.80 which offered a generous Kampong Chicken leg boneless, Blanched veggies, Choice of plain or chicken rice and a soup. Logically all Chicken Rice comes with a soup. I don't get why some famous stalls in Maxwell Market simply doesn't offer soup. Chicken here is tender and moist, kampong chicken offers lesser fat and more bite. Veggies is blanched just right in a light sauce, soup is light and goes well. The Chicken rice is fluffy, aromatic, light and not oily at all. Lacks a bit of ginger and its perfect. Easily a 9.5 out of 10 for me. The chilli is vinegary and spicy, ginger is a little diluted, dark soy sauce of good quality and aromatic. Try it like i do. Rice in its own, rice with dark sauce, rice with chilli and ginger, Chicken on its own, chicken with dark sauce, chicken with chilli and vinegar and dark sauce on rice. Feels the different sweet and savoury for your sweet spot. Me, I love the eventual flavour explosion of a nostalgic staple since a kid.

Food is tasty. Cheap. Their morning glory was one of the best I ever had. It is season with salty fish. Well done. They made me pay right away, which was weird? Not sure that is customary or they got burned by other tourist. Maybe mainland chinese.... 😅. But great spot!!