the great chicken rice challenge

Sam 1 and Sam 2 were chatting to me one day and we got onto the topic of all things chicken rice in Darwin. This was inspired by my visit to Singapore at Christmas where I became OBSESSED with chicken rice: the cheapest, the yummiest, the most authentic, the biggest serves… and then I came back to Darwin. With a thud. But figuring that Darwin has a massive Asian population, there MUST be chicken rice. But where? Thus the great chicken rice challenge was begat. Admittedly, we started it after Christmas this year, and it’s now July *sheepishly*. I would like to offer up this excuse: I was so scarred by one of our chicken rice experiences that I couldn’t write about it, plus I ate chicken rice 3 times in one week and after that it was all over – no more chicken rice for CWG *gag*

We ate our first chicken rice at the Waterfall Café (Saturday and Sunday only). Mine was singularly unappetising, the chicken a greyish colour, but everyone else was pretty happy with theirs. They serve up their chicken rice with BBQ pork, but again, mine for some reason was very random, the pork all cut against the grain looking very weird. There was also a very unpleasant tasting soup. The spice mix served up is lovely; the rice nice, and it was mixed opinions all round. But they clearly have a faithful following as the times that I have been there it has been full of locals chowing down on chicken rice!

Later that week was a chicken rice experience in town, Asian Pot I think it was called, in an arcade off Smith St and it was foul! No pun intended. The chicken had been deep fried I suspect, to expedite the process and it really doesn’t do anything for the chicken. Even remembering it makes me sweat. I liked the soup; the rice was dull, and all round it was pretty shite.

Then there was Roast Pork and Duck 328 – always a winner. Chicken plump, pillowy, chunky, slices of fresh cucumber served with chicken and sweet corn soup (admittedly this is breaking from tradition but it’s sooo good), spice mix delicious, steaming jasmine rice … to say that this place has a faithful following would be to misrepresent what happens in this arcade every lunchtime – it’s almost religious the way people queue up. Service is always quick and efficient and it’s also excellent value for money. So 3 for 3 and the clear winner is Roast Pork and Duck 328 – but wait, there’s more….. or is there?

post traumatic stress

Met up with Hungry and an old mate today for lunch - lets call her NGO chick - admittedly, our friendship is relatively young, but when you've lived in darwin together, its like going to WAR man! We hooked up at the roast duck/pork/chicken place cos i needed to check out the steamed chicken to see how it compared to yesterdays lunch and it. shat. all. over. it.

for $10 i got the steamed chicken combo, but unlike a combo at nandos, maccas or any other such hideousness, this consisted of chunks of pillowy steamed chicken on steamed bok choy and fluffy rice served with a small dish of soy sauce and cut chillis, a bowl of sweet corn and egg soup and a bottle of water. WOOOOOOHOOOOOOO!!

i took photos with Hungry's phone but will have to bluetooth them and post them
later :-))))

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 :-)))))