71 Seng Poh Road, Tiong Bahru, Singapore 160071
Operating Hours: Daily 7:00 AM – 10:00 PM | February 2026
- Executive Summary
Today Kampung Chicken Rice is a retro-themed kopitiam nestled in the historically rich enclave of Tiong Bahru, Singapore. The establishment distinguishes itself through a meticulously prepared kampung (free-range) chicken rice anchored by a six-hour bone broth, an extensive all-day menu spanning breakfast to zi char, and the co-location of the Michelin Bib Gourmand-recognised LiXin Teochew Fishball Noodles stall. This review provides a rigorous analysis of every dimension of the dining experience — from ingredient provenance and culinary technique, to texture profiling, colour palette, ambience, and logistical considerations including delivery.
Overall Verdict: Highly Recommended — a sincere, technique-driven homage to Hainanese heritage cuisine within a warmly nostalgic setting. - Stall Profile & Heritage
2.1 Concept & Identity
The stall positions itself at the intersection of heritage preservation and accessible dining. The name ‘Today Kampung Chicken Rice’ telegraphs its dual promise: contemporary daily freshness and a commitment to kampung (village-reared, free-range) poultry. Unlike mass-market chicken rice chains that rely on commercially farmed birds, kampung chicken offers a firmer, leaner flesh with a more pronounced flavour profile — a distinction that has become a premium differentiator in Singapore’s hawker landscape.
2.2 Operational Context
The eatery operates as a traditional kopitiam — an open-concept coffeeshop model ubiquitous in Singapore and Malaysia — allowing multiple food vendors to operate under one roof. This model explains the co-presence of LiXin Teochew Fishball Noodles within the same premises. The kopitiam format also dictates the open-air, naturally ventilated ambience, which is a deliberate stylistic and operational choice rather than an infrastructural limitation.
2.3 Location & Accessibility
Situated at Block 71, Seng Poh Road, the eatery is positioned in one of Singapore’s most storied neighbourhoods. Tiong Bahru — derived from the Hokkien-Malay term meaning ‘new cemetery’ — is a pre-war housing estate developed in the 1930s and today celebrated for its Art Deco architecture, independent boutiques, and vibrant food culture. The stall is a nine-minute walk from Tiong Bahru MRT Station (East-West Line, EW17), and is conveniently situated across from Toast Box Coffee House, providing an easily recognisable landmark. Street-level parking is available along Seng Poh Road, though spaces are competitive during peak hours. - Ambience & Atmospheric Analysis
3.1 Interior Design & Aesthetic
The interior of Today Kampung Chicken Rice is an earnest exercise in mid-century Singaporean nostalgia. The design language draws heavily on the visual vocabulary of 1960s–1980s kopitiam culture: vintage enamel signboards, retro posters with period typography, tiled flooring in earthy ochres and terracottas, and wooden furniture with rattan accents. The colour palette throughout the space — warm ambers, faded cream, deep forest greens, and oxidised copper — coalesces into an environment that feels both lived-in and lovingly curated.
Natural sunlight permeates the open-fronted space, casting soft, diffused illumination across the decorative elements and lending the venue an inviting, photogenic warmth during daylight hours. The absence of harsh fluorescent overhead lighting — common in more utilitarian hawker centres — is a notable design distinction that elevates the dining atmosphere considerably.
3.2 Sensory Profile
Beyond the visual, the eatery engages multiple senses concurrently. The aromatic register is dominated by rendered chicken fat and pandan-scented rice, punctuated by the sharp, volatile notes of toasted garlic and ginger. Background notes of char from the wok station and the faint sweetness of caramelised pork marinade provide olfactory depth. Acoustically, the open plan encourages the ambient sounds of the neighbourhood — the hum of passing traffic, the percussion of wok cooking — creating a textured sonic backdrop that reinforces authenticity.
3.3 Thermal Comfort & Ventilation
The absence of air-conditioning is the most significant practical compromise in the ambience equation. Singapore’s equatorial climate — characterised by year-round temperatures of 28–33°C and high relative humidity — means that midday visits can be thermally uncomfortable. Ceiling fans are operational and provide moderate relief, but diners sensitive to heat are advised to visit during the morning breakfast service (7:00–10:00 AM) or after 7:00 PM when ambient temperatures drop. The open frontage does facilitate cross-ventilation, which partially mitigates discomfort.
3.4 Ambience Rating Summary
Criterion Score Max
Visual Aesthetic & Decor 9/10 10
Lighting Quality 8/10 10
Acoustic Environment 7/10 10
Thermal Comfort 5/10 10
Spatial Layout & Seating 7/10 10
Overall Ambience 7.2/10 10 - Menu Architecture & Dish Analysis
The menu at Today Kampung Chicken Rice is deliberately broad, encompassing breakfast staples, kampung chicken rice sets, zi char (cooked-to-order) dishes, and noodle options — a strategic decision to capture footfall across all three daily dining occasions.
4.1 Dish Compendium — At a Glance
Dish Price (SGD) Rating Key Notes
Hainanese Kampung Chicken (½) $20+ ★★★★★ Silken skin, robustly flavoured broth
Dragon Beard Kai Lan $10–$16+ ★★★★½ Dual texture — crunchy stalk + crispy leaf
Pui Kia Ribs $16–$22+ ★★★★★ Sun-dried tomato marinade, caramelised glaze
Salt & Pepper Dragon Tongue Fish $18+ ★★★★ Entirely edible; ikan bilis-adjacent crunch
Satay (Pork/Chicken) $1+ per stick ★★★★ Min. 10 sticks; classic charcoal-grilled
Signature Stir-Fried Chicken Rice $8+ ★★★★ Distinct wok hei; pork floss elevation
LiXin Signature Fishball Noodles $8.30+ ★★★★★ Michelin Bib Gourmand; 100% yellowtail
4.2 Hainanese Kampung Chicken Rice — In-Depth Analysis
Provenance & Preparation
The foundational element of kampung chicken rice is the bird itself. Kampung chickens — free-range birds raised in a semi-wild, village environment — develop a physiologically distinct musculature compared to commercially reared broiler chickens. Increased physical activity results in firmer, more densely textured flesh with a pronounced, gamey-sweet flavour that conventional chickens cannot replicate. The fat-to-meat ratio is more balanced, with a thinner but more flavoursome subcutaneous fat layer.
The broth preparation at Today Kampung Chicken Rice is notably labour-intensive: over 10 kilograms of chicken bones are combined with a proprietary blend of aromatics — understood to include ginger, garlic, pandan leaves, and spring onions — and simmered for a minimum of six hours. This extended extraction produces a clear, amber-toned stock with deep umami resonance and a natural gelatinous body from collagen breakdown.
Texture Profile
The steamed chicken exhibits a textbook silken exterior — the result of an ice-water shock post-poaching that contracts the subcutaneous fat, creating the hallmark smooth, almost translucent skin. Beneath, the meat is tender without being soft, offering a slight resistance on the first bite that speaks to the kampung bird’s elevated muscle fibre density. The juncture between skin and meat retains a jewel of golden gelatin — the most prized textural element in Hainanese chicken rice connoisseurship.
Colour & Hue Analysis
Visually, the chicken presents a pale champagne-gold exterior where the skin has been lightly anointed with sesame oil, transitioning to a pearl-white interior. The cross-section reveals a faint blush of rose at the bone — a sign of correct cooking temperature, not undercooking, owing to the myoglobin content in kampung bone marrow. The rice glistens with a warm, polished ivory tone, the individual grains coated with rendered chicken fat and pandan-tinted chicken stock, giving a subtle jade undertone in certain light.
The Chilli Sauce — A Condiment of Note
The house-made chilli sauce is a genuine differentiator. The inclusion of pineapple introduces a bright, tropically sweet acidity that cuts through the fatty richness of the chicken and rice. The sauce’s texture is finely puréed yet retains a perceptible body — neither watery nor paste-like — and its colour is a vivid coral-red, deepening to amber at the edges. The heat level is moderate, building progressively rather than delivering an immediate spike, which renders it accessible across a broad palate range.
4.3 Dragon Beard Kai Lan — In-Depth Analysis
Preparation Technique
The Dragon Beard Kai Lan presents a technically inventive interpretation of a standard Chinese broccoli preparation. The dish is bifurcated: the stalks are blanched or stir-fried to retain structural integrity and a satisfying snap, while the leaf portions are deep-fried to achieve a translucent, airy crispness reminiscent of dried seaweed. This dual-technique approach creates a textural counterpoint within a single dish — a concept borrowed loosely from fine dining plating philosophy but executed in a hawker idiom.
Texture & Flavour Profile
The stalk component delivers a clean, vegetal crunch with a slight bitterness characteristic of brassica species. The fried leaf shreds, however, are the standout element: paper-thin, deeply green, and intensely flavoured with a concentrated bitterness that registers pleasantly on the palate as a finishing note. The textural contrast between the two preparations — one hydrated and turgid, one dessicated and brittle — makes each bite a layered experience. The only caution is the oil quotient from deep-frying, which can become cumulatively heavy over larger portions.
Colour Palette
The dish presents a vivid, multi-tonal green spectrum: deep forest green in the blanched stalks, transitioning to a darker, almost olive-charcoal in the fried leaf sections, with occasional bright emerald catching the light where the oil has not fully penetrated. The visual contrast against the pearl-white chicken and amber rice creates a complementary colour relationship on the table.
4.4 Pui Kia Ribs — In-Depth Analysis
Marinade Composition & Technique
The Pui Kia Ribs represent the most texturally and flavour-layered dish in the menu. The marinade is the defining variable: sun-dried tomatoes — an ingredient unusual within the Singaporean zi char canon — introduce a concentrated, low-moisture acidity that permeates the meat during the marination period. The caramelisation achieved during cooking creates a mahogany-glazed exterior with a distinct Maillard crust that delivers both visual appeal and flavour complexity.
Texture & Mouthfeel
Each rib portion is notably meaty, with the meat adhering cleanly to the bone during handling yet releasing easily on the bite. The moisture retention — critical in rib cookery — is exemplary: the interior is succulent and yielding without any tendency toward mushiness. The caramelised exterior provides the requisite textural contrast, its slight tackiness necessitating the gloves provided at the table — a thoughtful operational detail.
Flavour Architecture
The flavour builds from an initial sweet-caramel note (from the Maillard crust and likely brown sugar or maltose in the marinade) into a mid-palate complexity where the sun-dried tomato’s tangy, savoury umami registers, before a clean, savoury finish. This three-act flavour progression elevates the dish beyond standard sweet barbecue ribs into a more nuanced sensory experience.
4.5 Salt & Pepper Dragon Tongue Fish — In-Depth Analysis
Species & Preparation
Dragon tongue fish — known in Mandarin as 龙利鱼 (lóng lì yú) and taxonomically referred to as a species of sole or flatfish — is prized for its flat morphology, tender flesh, and, when whole-fried, its ability to render the fine bones edible through deep-frying at high temperatures. The entire fish, including skeleton, is edible post-frying, eliminating the primary deterrent of bone-anxiety common with whole fish preparation.
Texture & Sensory Profile
The frying process transforms the fish into a construction of contrasting textures: the flesh, protected by the thin batter coating, retains a faintly tender, flaking interior, while the exterior achieves an aggressive, shattering crispness. The bone structure, rendered brittle by sustained high-temperature oil, dissolves entirely on contact, contributing a mineral salinity to the overall flavour. The preparation evokes fried ikan bilis (dried anchovies) in textural character — an intentional parallel that enhances its compatibility with steamed rice.
Hue & Presentation
The fish presents a deep golden-amber hue across its surface, with darker caramelised patches at the thinner extremities where heat concentration is greatest. The sambal accompaniment, served alongside, introduces a vivid scarlet contrast — a visual and flavour counterpoint that breaks the monotone gold of the fried preparation.
4.6 LiXin Teochew Fishball Noodles — In-Depth Analysis
Institutional Context
The co-location of LiXin Teochew Fishball Noodles within the Today Kampung Chicken Rice premises represents a significant value proposition. LiXin has earned recognition from the Michelin Guide Singapore as a Bib Gourmand establishment — an honour signifying exceptional quality at a moderate price point — and is widely regarded among food critics and local diners as one of Singapore’s finest fishball noodle purveyors.
Product Differentiation
LiXin’s defining distinction is its exclusive use of 100% yellowtail (金鲳, jīn chāng) in the production of their fishballs, fishcakes, and dumplings. Yellowtail offers a richer, more nuanced flavour than the tilapia or Spanish mackerel commonly used in commercial fishball production, with a firmer, more bouncy texture owing to its higher natural protein content. All products are made in-house daily, ensuring peak freshness and the structural integrity of the fish paste.
Bowl Composition & Texture
The Lixin Signature Noodles bowl is architecturally precise: thin, springy noodles dressed with a calibrated emulsion of house chilli sauce and rice vinegar, topped with generously sized fishballs that exhibit the characteristic ‘Q’ bounce (a Singaporean culinary descriptor for the ideal elastic-yet-yielding mouthfeel), and crowned with rendered lard puffs that melt on contact, releasing a deep, porky richness into the broth. Timing is critical: the noodles degrade rapidly as they absorb the dressing, making immediate consumption essential. - Kampung Chicken Rice — Reconstructed Recipe & Cooking Instructions
The following is a home cook’s interpretation of the Hainanese kampung chicken rice preparation methodology inferred from publicly available information and culinary tradition. This is not a proprietary recipe disclosure.
5.1 Ingredients
Criterion Score Max
Kampung chicken (whole) 1.2–1.5 kg Free-range preferred
Jasmine rice 600 g Washed and drained
Chicken fat (or lard) 3 tbsp Rendered from trimmings
Garlic 8 cloves Minced; 4 for rice, 4 for broth
Ginger 80 g Sliced; divided
Pandan leaves 4–5 leaves Knotted
Spring onions 4 stalks Whole
Sesame oil 2 tbsp For finishing
Light soy sauce 2 tbsp For dipping
Fresh pineapple 100 g For chilli sauce
Red chillies 6–8 For chilli sauce
Calamansi lime 4 For chilli sauce
5.2 Broth Preparation (Base Stock)
Step 1 — Bone Extraction: Collect at minimum 1.5 kg of chicken carcass and neck bones. Blanch in boiling water for 3 minutes, discard water, and rinse thoroughly. This process removes impurities and ensures a clear final broth.
Step 2 — Aromatics Assembly: In a large stockpot, combine blanched bones with 3 litres cold water. Add sliced ginger (40g), 4 cloves crushed garlic, knotted pandan leaves, spring onions, and 1 tsp white peppercorns.
Step 3 — Extended Simmer: Bring to a rolling boil, skim surface foam diligently, then reduce to the lowest possible simmer. Maintain for a minimum of 6 hours, adding water as needed to keep bones submerged. The final stock should be clear amber with a naturally gelatinous consistency when cooled. Season with salt and a small quantity of fish sauce to taste.
5.3 Poaching the Chicken
Step 4 — Preparation: Rub the whole kampung chicken inside and out with salt and a light coating of sesame oil. Stuff the cavity with remaining ginger and spring onion.
Step 5 — Poaching: Submerge the chicken entirely in the prepared simmering stock. Maintain the temperature at 75–80°C — the hallmark of Hainanese poaching technique, which produces the characteristic silken skin and just-cooked translucency near the bone. A 1.4 kg kampung chicken requires approximately 45–50 minutes at this temperature.
Step 6 — Ice Bath & Resting: Immediately upon removal from the poaching liquid, plunge the chicken into an ice-water bath for 10–12 minutes. This process contracts the skin, creates the signature smooth exterior, and halts carryover cooking. Rest for 15 minutes before carving. Coat lightly with sesame oil and light soy sauce before serving.
5.4 Chicken Fat Rice
Step 7 — Fat Rendering: In a wok over medium heat, render chicken fat trimmings until golden. Remove solids and retain approximately 3 tablespoons of liquid fat.
Step 8 — Aromatics: In the rendered fat, fry minced garlic and ginger until fragrant and just golden — approximately 90 seconds. Do not allow to brown excessively as bitter notes will develop.
Step 9 — Rice Toasting: Add washed, drained jasmine rice to the wok. Stir-fry in the aromatics and fat for 2–3 minutes until each grain is lightly coated and the rice exudes a nutty fragrance.
Step 10 — Steaming: Transfer the toasted rice to a rice cooker or heavy-lidded pot. Add 600ml of the prepared chicken stock (replacing water), knotted pandan leaves, and a pinch of salt. Cook until absorbed. The finished rice should be glossy, separate-grained, and fragrant with pandan and chicken fat.
5.5 Pineapple Chilli Sauce
Step 11 — Blending: Blend together 6–8 red chillies (deseeded for moderate heat), 3 cloves garlic, 15g fresh ginger, 100g fresh pineapple chunks, juice of 3 calamansi limes, 1 tsp sugar, and a pinch of salt until smooth. The pineapple should be detectable but not dominant — approximately 20% of the total sauce volume. Adjust seasoning to achieve a sweet-sour-spicy equilibrium. - Delivery Options & Off-Premise Dining
6.1 Platform Availability
Based on operational patterns typical of Tiong Bahru kopitiams and comparable establishments in Singapore’s hawker ecosystem, delivery is likely available through one or more of Singapore’s dominant food delivery platforms. Prospective customers are advised to search directly on the following platforms for the most current availability, as onboarding status can change:
GrabFood — the dominant food delivery platform in Singapore by market share — is the most probable primary delivery partner given its penetration into the hawker and kopitiam segment. foodpanda operates a parallel service with broad hawker centre coverage, and Deliveroo, while more focused on restaurant dining, has expanded its hawker partner network in recent years. Customers should also check WhyQ, a Singapore-specific platform that specialises in hawker centre delivery and may carry Today Kampung Chicken Rice.
6.2 Packaging & Delivery Considerations for Kampung Chicken Rice
Kampung chicken rice presents specific logistical challenges in a delivery context that distinguish it from simpler dishes. The chicken’s silken skin — created by the ice-bath finishing process — is highly moisture-sensitive and can become flaccid if steam condenses within closed packaging. Reputable establishments mitigate this by packaging the chicken and rice separately, with ventilated containers or perforated lids to prevent steam accumulation.
The rice, being fat-coated, retains its individual grain integrity reasonably well in transit but should be consumed within 20–25 minutes of packaging for optimal texture. The chilli sauce and ginger-scallion condiments, being cold preparations, are robust to transit and do not materially degrade within normal delivery windows (30–45 minutes).
The Dragon Tongue Fish and Dragon Beard Kai Lan are the most delivery-unfriendly items on the menu: the former’s crispness is compromised by steam within approximately 10 minutes of packaging, and the fried kai lan leaves — being ultra-thin and oil-fried — absorb ambient moisture rapidly. These dishes are strongly recommended for dine-in consumption only.
6.3 Delivery Suitability by Dish
Criterion Score Max
Kampung Chicken Rice (set) Moderate — package separately Suitable
Signature Stir-Fried Chicken Rice Good — fried rice travels well Suitable
Pui Kia Ribs Good — marinade protects moisture Suitable
LiXin Fishball Noodles Poor — noodles harden quickly Dine-in preferred
Dragon Tongue Fish Poor — crispness lost in transit Dine-in only
Dragon Beard Kai Lan Poor — fried leaves collapse Dine-in only
Satay Moderate — sauce and meat separate Conditional - Comprehensive Rating Summary
Criterion Score Max
Signature Chicken Rice (Taste & Technique) 9.2/10 10
Menu Breadth & Diversity 8.5/10 10
Value for Money 8.0/10 10
Ambience & Atmosphere 7.2/10 10
Service & Operations 7.5/10 10
Delivery Suitability 6.0/10 10
LiXin Fishball Noodles (Co-tenant) 9.5/10 10
OVERALL 8.0/10 10
7.1 Final Recommendation
Today Kampung Chicken Rice earns its place as a sincere, quality-driven addition to Tiong Bahru’s already distinguished food landscape. The kampung chicken rice is technically accomplished — the broth preparation alone, at six hours of simmering, signals a commitment to craft that far exceeds hawker convention. The Dragon Beard Kai Lan and Pui Kia Ribs demonstrate genuine culinary creativity within the zi char idiom, and the presence of LiXin Teochew Fishball Noodles on the same premises transforms a single meal into a multi-institution dining event.
The primary reservations are climatic — the open-air format is genuinely taxing in Singapore’s heat — and selective around delivery, where the most celebrated dishes perform poorly outside dine-in conditions. These are endemic limitations of the kopitiam format rather than reflections of culinary quality. For any visitor to Tiong Bahru, Today Kampung Chicken Rice represents a near-essential stop on the neighbourhood’s culinary itinerary.
- Quick Reference Card
Criterion Score Max
Address 71 Seng Poh Road, Block 71, Singapore 160071
Opening Hours Daily 7:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Nearest MRT Tiong Bahru (EW17) — 9 min walk
Halal Status Not halal-certified
Price Range $1 – $38+ per item
Best Dishes Kampung Chicken, Pui Kia Ribs, LiXin Noodles
Avoid for Delivery Dragon Tongue Fish, Kai Lan, Fishball Noodles