mush!

Hainanese chicken rice... mmmmmmmmmmmm.............in Singapore i became a little bit obsessed with it after finding out that it's regarded as the national dish of Singapore (just lucky it isn't kaya toast!!) - and i did a lot of compare and contrasting of HCR in different places, refining my criteria ...... the meat has to be tender, the flabby looking goosebumply white skin has to be easily removable *shudder*, lots of cucumber on or near the chicken is excellent, the rice must taste good......naturally i've carried the hunt over to Darwin and on the weekend, Director Chick 2 told me of a place that a mate refers to as the best hainanese chicken rice ANYWHERE. Try try must buy! I took off like a bat out of hell this afternoon (i even went to sleep last nite thinking about it) and found myself near the roast bbq duck and pork place looking at an unprepossessing place called asian cuisine on the mall ...lots of bain maries ... ? so i read the menu thinking this was surely the wrong place when suddenly i spied "chef's special - hainan chicken rice". As i hungrily read this i watched the chef ( a wizened woman) carry a massive tray of steaming chicken out of the kitchen - so i ordered it on the spot. I sat down, read my book, until a similar tray appeared .. big pile of tender chicken - check, skin off quick - check, lots of cucumber hidden under the chicken - check, broth yummy - CHECK! ok so it wasn't the best chicken rice i've ever had - that award would go to the lone man hacking up chcken with his cleaver at a stall at bugis junction dry market in Singers - but it was bloody nice. tomorrow i'm going to have a go of the steamed chicken from the roast pork and duck place and let you know which one is better :-)))))