Tiong Bahru Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice (Philippines): It's a Mouthful but They Serve my Favorite Chicken Rice in the Country

Last week, I listed down authentic Singaporean food spots that have opened in Manila (read it here). One of them is my favorite place for what is considered Singapore’s national dish, Hainanese Chicken Rice: Tiong Bahru Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice. It’s a mouthful so we’ll just refer to it as TBHBCR from now on. LOL.

TBHBCR is a hawker stall in Tiong Bahru Market, which houses what is one of the best hawker centres in all of Singapore. It is home to amazing hawker food such as Chwee Kueh (a rice flour cake topped with preserved radish), Lor Mee (a noodle dish with thick gravy), and, of course, chicken rice.

For the uninitiated, Tiong Bahru is the oldest housing estate in Singapore. But because it has gone through gentrification in the recent years, it’s now a hip neighborhood with trendy cafes, cultural spaces, and retail stores. So many young people flock to this area.

But the old and young alike queue for TBHBCR and their famous boneless chicken rice. It’s well patronized that the hawker stall has been awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand status from 2017 to 2022. It has been expanding locally and overseas, opening its first Philippine branch in Met Live Mall at Pasay City back in 2019. Ever since, the Philippine operations has been branching out, with 4 locations as of the time of this writing.

Let’s talk about the food. Of course, I have to start with their chicken rice. As expected, the chicken itself is on the plain side and was served at room temperature. But as with any good chicken rice, the flavor really comes from the rice and the sauces, which are all very good.

Hainanese Chicken (Single Serving with Rice: P295; Half Chicken: P540; Whole Chicken: P980)

The rice is oily and perfectly cooked. The chili is spicy, the ginger paste is salty, and the hoisin is sweet, all complementing the chicken really well. The cucumbers and tomatoes add crunch, while the coriander add freshness. Unfortunately, they are inconsistent with the soup. The one I had in Met Live Mall branch was tasty, while the one in Sct. Torillo was bland.

If you’re not into poached chicken, then you can have their Roasted Chicken, which is juicy and tender, and has a slightly crisp skin.

Roasted Chicken (Single Serving with Rice: P295; Half Chicken: P540; Whole Chicken: P980)

While the TBHBCR in Singapore focuses on chicken rice, its Philippine counterpart offers other Singaporean dishes such as curry dishes and noodle soup. I was happy when I learned that they offer my favorite Singaporean dish: Fish Head Curry.

It has a soft and meaty fish head, swimming in a flavorful, rightly thick, and slightly spicy coconut-based gravy. The vegetables add different layers of texture, the fried beancurd skin add crisp, and the tomatoes add tang. It’s almost perfect except that I’m missing sweetness. Maybe they can add pineapples? (I did it for my leftover! LOL.)

Another Singaporean classic that they offer is Curry Chicken Noodle, a noodle soup dish with curry-based broth and poached chicken. (Laksa always gets the attention. So I’m happy that TBHBCR showcased this dish instead.)

The first thing that hit me is the aroma, instantly transporting me back to the hawker centres of Singapore. The broth is creamy, savory, a bit salty, and spicy (though I’m not sure if it’s the effect of the chili from the chicken rice). The chicken used is obviously the one they serve for their chicken rice, and the noodles are springy. The egg, fried beancurd skin, and potatoes (yes, there are potatoes in this noodle soup dish) add layers of texture. This is a great dish!

If you want some sides for your meal, TBHBCR offers a few. I have tried their Kikiam (or Ngoh Hiang as they call in SG) and vegetable in oyster sauce.

Kikiam (Left; P195) and Kailan in Oyster Sauce (Right; P230)

Tiong Bahru Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice Philippines is definitely an authentic Singaporean restaurant. I’ve enjoyed their specialty chicken rice, which is for me the best in the Philippines so far, and other Singaporean dishes. So while you’re waiting for your trip to the Lion City, satisfy your Singaporean food cravings here. I highly recommend this place to you!

Which of the dishes above have you tried or would like to try? Comment them below!

Check out TBHBCR’s Facebook and Instagram pages, and their website.