Let’s be actual: it’s laborious to search out meals beneath S$4 these days, not to mention Michelin-recommended ones at that value. Properly, you’ll be delighted to know that there’s a gem that provides precisely that. It’s none aside from Zi Jin Cheng Hainanese Boneless Hen Rice, a Michelin-recommended stall that serves tasty hen rice priced at simply S$3.50 a plate!
Zi Jin Cheng is housed in Alexandra Village Meals Centre, amongst a plethora of hidden gems with scrumptious eats aplenty. They’re a fairly recent addition to the Michelin information, having earned their spot on the coveted record in 2023.
Enjoyable reality! Their title, 紫金城(zi jincheng), is a play on 紫禁城 (additionally zi jin cheng), the Chinese language title for Beijing’s well-known Forbidden Metropolis. Nonetheless, the Michelin information has their title misspelled as ‘Zi Jing Cheng’. Oops.
As their prolonged full title suggests, Zi Jin Cheng specialises in Hainanese boneless hen rice; nothing else. Oh sure, they solely supply steamed hen, too.
The stall isn’t one you’d recognise in a heartbeat, particularly compared to enormous fixtures like Tian Tian Hen Rice and Tiong Bahru Hainanese Boneless Hen Rice. Nonetheless, within the phrases of the Michelin Information, you’ll be able to “count on to queue any time”.
I suppose that’s precisely what makes it a hidden gem.
In addition to, how may the stall not draw queues? Zi Jin Cheng’s 1 particular person hen rice Set Meal will get you a plate of aromatic rice accompanied by a beneficiant portion of tender, flavourful hen, together with a bowl of soup. It’s a steal and a half, for those who ask me. The very best half? They debone the hen for you, priming it for continuous devouring.
When you’re seeking to feast, the 2- and 3-person units value S$9 and S$13.50 respectively. Alternatively, you may get a Half or Complete Hen at S$12 and S$24 respectively.
Be warned, although; they’re stated to promote out by early afternoon on some days. You finest get there early, or danger disappointment for those who see nothing however naked hen bones hanging over the metallic rod behind the glass-fronted counter.
