Hawker favourite Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice opens flagship outlet at Jewel Changi Airport
If you’ve ever been to Maxwell Food Centre, you’d have seen the snaking queues at the famed Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice — you know, the one at the corner with the deep blue signboards.
If you’ve always wanted to try it, but couldn’t bear to wait in this heat, the homegrown chicken rice specialist has opened at Jewel Changi Airport.
This is actually the brand’s sixth outlet islandwide, and is currently in its soft-opening phase. It’ll open officially on August 22.
Now, easties and visitors curious about Singapore’s world-famous chicken rice can easily tuck into Tian Tian’s offerings without having to brave the long waiting time at Maxwell!
Founded by Foo Kui Lan and her elder brother, Tian Tian started as a humble stall at Maxwell Food Centre in 1986.
Today, the family-run business is helmed by Kui Lan’s daughter Loi Mui Yin, who took over as its second-generation owner in 2019.
After stepping into the role, Mui Yin’s first priorities included setting up a central kitchen, where Tian Tian’s roasted and steamed chicken, and housemade chilli sauce are prepared fresh daily. This helps keep those good ol’ flavours consistent across all its outlets.
It’s no wonder Tian Tian remains one of Singapore’s much-loved chicken rice names.
Since 2016, its Maxwell stall has been a Michelin Bib Gourmand recipient for 10 consecutive editions. The brand has also earned praise from late American chef Anthony Bourdain.
Tian Tian even came out on top against celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay at the Hawker Heroes Challenge by Singtel in 2013.
One thing to keep in mind is that prices at the Jewel Changi outlet are higher than what you’d find at its hawker branches.
That said, you get more attentive service from the staff here, as well as a cleaner and much more comfortable dining space.
The cosy interior, accented in Tian Tian’s signature blue hue, makes it a homely spot for family meals — and a convenient location to bring friends visiting Singapore to enjoy one of our most iconic hawker dishes.
Obviously, you can’t miss out on the signature Tian Tian Hainanese chicken rice (S$11). You can choose between the steamed or roasted chicken, served alongside a bowl of chicken rice and chicken soup.
The steamed chicken is a crowd-favourite with its tender and moist flesh. Add some of the signature chilli sauce and ginger paste, and each bite gets a nice kick of heat, balanced by the ginger’s aromatic warmth.
The rice is delightfully fragrant and oh-so-comforting, though it’s a little drier than we recall it being, having tried the OG version at Maxwell some time ago.
New exclusives at the Jewel Changi outlet
If you want to venture beyond the classics, Mdm Foo’s steamed chicken curry (S$13.80) is a solid choice and is an outlet-exclusive, too. It is a jazzed-up take on founder Kui Lan’s own recipe, which has long been a favourite among her family and friends.
The dish comes with Tian Tian’s steamed chicken, paired with your choice of chicken rice, white rice, yellow noodle, thick vermicelli, or a baguette.
If you already have enough carbs on the table, choose the baguette. After all, you can’t go wrong with bread and curry — it’s a pairing many of us know and love.
Tian Tian’s curry is gao (thick), rich, and robust, armed with a prominent kick that hits the back of your throat. Whichever carb you pick, we’re sure it will do a great job at soaking up all that curry goodness.
There’s also the crystal chicken feet (S$9.80), available exclusively here. It was served at the Maxwell stall during its early days, but was eventually taken off the menu due to the manpower and time needed to prepare the dish.
Each chicken foot is carefully deboned, with the tiny bones removed while keeping the skin intact, before it is cooked.
The result? A firm, crunchy, yet gelatinous texture, complemented by a light and savoury soy-sesame sauce.
We know chicken feet aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. But if you’re worried about any funky flavours, or having to work your jaw, there’s none of that here.
For something to share around the table, the Tian Tian heritage platter (S$26.80) — best enjoyed by two to three diners — is a great way to try a little bit of everything.
The hearty platter comes with fried salad prawns (deep-fried prawns coated in a creamy mayo sauce), tiger-prawn beanskin rolls, ngoh hiang, Hainanese pork chop, and Thai-style fried tofu.
While each item is also available as a full a la carte portion (from S$12.50), the platter is a good pick if you’re keen to try more, while saving some tummy space for the other dishes.
If you’re a fried chicken enthusiast, the Nanyang golden chicken (S$12.80) is worth a try, too. It features Tian Tian’s chicken, marinated in turmeric and curry leaves, then fried until golden crisp.
The turmeric flavour is fairly muted, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing if you’re not a fan of the earthy spice.
What really stood out, though, was the crispiness of the chicken — the skin has a light, flaky crunch that I particularly enjoyed.
To wash it all down, go for the refreshing homemade fresh lime juice (S$5.30), made with freshly squeezed limes, or the lightly sweetened homemade barley juice (S$4.30).
Free chicken rice & blind-box plushies up for grabs
To mark the official opening of its Jewel Changi outlet, Tian Tian will be giving away 88 packets of its signature chicken rice (U.P. S$11), for takeaway only, on August 22 and 23.
From August 22, Tian Tian will also launch an exclusive blind-box series, featuring four cute designs — chopping board, chicken, chilli bowl, and a special-edition chicken rice plate — at S$10.80 each, while stocks last.
To get your hands on one, you have to spend a minimum of S$30 in a single receipt at the outlet. Alternatively, you can grab the entire lineup for S$38.88 (U.P. S$43.20), with all four designs guaranteed.
So the next time you’re craving a Tian Tian fix but aren’t quite ready to sweat it out in the Singapore heat, you know where to go.
This was a hosted tasting.
Hungry for more eats at Changi Airport? Read about 886 Taiwan Yeshi and the newly revamped Food Republic at Jewel Changi Airport.
Tue 10am - 10pm
Wed 10am - 10pm
Thu 10am - 10pm
Fri 10am - 10pm
Sat 10am - 10pm
Sun 10am - 10pm
- Changi Airport
Shannon has the taste buds of a grandmother and perpetually struggles with a food coma.
Read more stories from this writer.New Openings Chicken Rice Jewel Changi Airport East Asian Local Chinese Hawkers Restaurants
