Review: Today Kampung Chicken Rice delivers more flavour than most, but needs work

Ah, chicken rice, the one dish that seems to embody the very soul of Singaporean hawker culture. Despite its prevalence in our local food scene, not all plates chicken rice are made equal. 

This is especially true today as stalls favour the plump factory-raised white broiler chickens — typically more suited for stews and soups — for their lower cost rather than something a little leaner, gamier, and (many would argue) tastier kampung chicken.

There are of course some fantastic stalls out there making incredible chicken rice with regular broiler chickens, but in the crowded chicken rice arena where the competition is fierce, the free-range, old-school kampung chicken is an affordable luxury that we can all enjoy. 

Five Star Kampung Chicken Rice along East Coast Road is a classic for kampung chicken, as is Upper Thomson’s Chicken House, and now there’s a new contender who’s set up shop in Tiong Bahru — Today Kampung Chicken Rice, housed within Today Restaurant.

The backstory

Yet another coffeeshop concept by the BreadTalk Group, Today Kampung Chicken Rice spotlights a 19-year-old chicken rice recipe from the well-known Sergeant Chicken Rice chain. 

The main difference is that Today uses only large female kampung chickens for their ideal fat-to-meat ratio and pronounced taste.

Situated right opposite the carpark entrance to Tiong Bahru Market, the eatery is easy enough to spot with the large sign board that just shouts “gentrified coffeeshop”. It’s a modest place that tries to evoke the old-school charm of yesteryears, and it’s mostly successful on that front.

While the chicken rice’s naturally the star here, you’ll also find a sizable menu of zi char offerings, desserts and other sides. The space also houses an outlet of Lixin Teochew Fishball Noodles, the Michelin-recommended brand from Kim Keat Palm Food Centre.

Our verdict

So, does Today Kampung Chicken Rice deliver? Somewhat. 

The chicken rice is absolutely delicious, but the zi char dishes and other menu items are mostly a mixed bag. An eatery of this size can’t be cheap, so the rest of the menu has to step up unless the owners are relying purely on chicken rice sales and the popularity of its noodle-swishing tenant. 

There’s no shortage of good chicken rice within walking distance either. 

I feel that the prices here are fair and comparable to other stalls in the neighbourhood, but you’ll naturally be paying more (a plate starts from S$6.50) because of the establishment’s use of kampung chicken.

What it’s good for

Like most places, the Hainanese kampung chicken (from S$12) comes both poached and roasted. You can opt for a quarter, half or whole chicken, or with rice, as part of a set from S$6.50. 

Keen on trying both types, I ordered the premium duo style chicken rice (S$9.50) for and suffice to say, it was worth it. 

The poached version is firmer yet tender and flavourful with a touch of garlic and Shaoxing wine, but it’s really the skin that stands out, compared to the regular broiler chicken. The former is silky but resilient with a touch of gelatin to hold all the flavour in. There’s a moreish drizzling sauce that’s nice to have, but really not needed at all, given the flavour of the kampung chicken. 

The poached version tastes cleaner compared to the oilier roasted chicken, but darn does the latter taste good — the extra flavourful meat (thanks to the light soy marinade) and slightly crispy skin is really quite hard to beat.

Whichever chicken you choose, you’ll still get its plump rice that’s half fluffy and half moist, if that makes sense — it’s fragrant, as chicken rice should be, but there’s also a rich complexity, with chicken essence and just the gentlest hit of garlic and ginger. 

It goes great with the chilli sauce, which is sweet with a unique tang (I later learn that this is because of some honey pineapple puree in the mix, which makes it not-so spicy that it overwhelms). The clear scallion-y soup also shows off more fragrance and depth than other soups I’ve had. 

The ginger-garlic sauce could be more pronounced, though.

A signature zi char dish here is the salt and pepper dragon tongue fish (S$18). 

Dragon tongue is a type of small sole fish that isn’t easy to find in Singapore, but when you do, chances are, it’s usually served deep-fried till golden-brown and extraordinarily crispy, like giant ikan bilis. 

You eat the whole thing, bones and all, and even the taste is similar to ikan billis.

I’m not the biggest fan of crunchy deep-fried fish like this (I find it tough to break apart and eat), but I can see others really enjoying this. Plus, the lime-forward sambal dip is full of flavour.

Want to try the barbecued otah (S$1 each)? Order early, because you’ll have to wait a bit during peak hours, as it’s grilled to order. 

You have to order a minimum of three pieces, and boy am I glad for that. 

While somewhat small, each bite of the spicy fish paste is soft and moist in the best way possible. It hits the palate smoky and sweet, then deepens with notes of lemongrass, galangal and coconut milk. Could it be spicier? Probably, but it’s still a treat.

At S$5.50, the traditional kaya butter toast set is actually quite reasonable when you think about how expensive the local chains Ya Kun and Toast Box have become. 

The bread is of the thin variety, lightly grilled till fairly crispy for a good crunch, along with thick but irregular pats of lightly salted butter and slightly sweet pandan kaya. The kaya’s actually very decent kaya, if only Today didn’t skimp on the amount. 

Overall, perfect soft-boiled eggs, decent kopi.

What it could improve on

The dragon beard kai lan (from S$10) comes recommended by several other food writers, which makes this oily dish even more disappointing for me. 

The kai lan is cooked in two different ways — the stems are pan-fried and the leaves are shredded and deep-fried. 

The stalks are somewhat tender and fresh, but the leaves, while possessing a nice crisp texture, have a slightly bitter aftertaste and have my mouth feeling oily after a few bites. The saving grace are the bits of anchovies and pan-fried garlic.

I’m a big chendol fan, and usually can’t get enough of the well-rounded and delicate flavours of aromatic coconut milk, sweet pandan jelly, and the salty caramel hit you’d typically get from the gula melaka syrup. 

But rather than a comforting sweet and salty icy dessert, the chendol (S$2.50) here is quite tasteless, and is just icy. Sure, there’s plenty of soft and sweet red beans, but there’s no flavour to support that. 

The jelly strands are pasty with barely any pandan flavour, and there’s barely any coconut milk or gula melaka to be found. The few pieces of attap chee (nipa palm seeds) are a nice touch, but not enough to save this dessert.

Service here is a tad confusing due to a lack of communication on the process — it operates like a zi char joint, but you have to fill up an order form before queuing up at the counter to pay. 

If ordering toast or drinks, you collect your drinks at the counter before going back to wait for your toast and eggs (similar to a Toast Box experience). 

Similarly, desserts are a self-service endeavour – I made the mistake of ordering at the cashier before returning to my seat, only to head back two minutes later to find the bowl sitting on the counter, just waiting. 

Despite the seemingly self-service nature of some things, most of the other dishes were served to my table and there are staff helping to collect your trays and clean tables.

It’s not the best system, but hey, at least the chicken rice is great.

Our quick takes

Is it conducive to conversation? You’re right next to the road so there’ll be plenty of traffic noise.

Is a reservation necessary? Nope, just walk right in! 

How to get there? Today Kampung Chicken Rice is a 9-minute walk from Tiong Bahru MRT Station Exit A.

HungryGoWhere paid for its meal at this restaurant for this review.

For the latest eats, check out the newest openings in Singapore here, or read about Tims Signature, the new Tim Horton’s offshoot at 313@Somerset. 

Do explore the GrabFood Dine Out service for awesome deals.

You can also book a ride to Today Kampung Chicken Rice to try its fare.