Maria Ma Li Ya Virgin Chicken. HK Soya Sauce Chicken in Singapore Chinatown 瑪俐亞處女雞

I just finished breakfast at Chinatown Complex and on my way for the day's errands when I walked past these succulent birds at Blue Zone stall #02-189 Ma Li Ya Virgin Chicken 瑪俐亞處女雞. Bantering with the lady boss who was just setting up for the day, I was swayed to taste Ma Li Ya's famous HK soya sauce chicken for the first time.



Ms Maria Siew 萧佩英 has her own loyal following and is one of the Hong Kong soya chicken stalwarts of Chinatown Complex. Indeed, the Michelin starred hawker Chan had worked for Maria for more than a decade before striking out on his own. 

Maria's HK soya sauce chicken recipe came from her dad who was a partner at the legendary New Nam Thong Tea House on Smith Street founded in 1926. New Lam Thong was famous for dim sum and HK soya sauce chicken. Maria had been working in her dad's restaurant since she was 9 years old, so she has over six decades of culinary experience under her belt 😮



I had a chicken drumstick with rice and braised tofu, all for $5.40. If I have at least one more kaki, I would order half a bird.



The meaty drumstick was a little pink, especially at the marrow. The meat was tender and moist. The skin was smooth.

The flavour was sweet savoury leaning slightly on the sweet side with underlying savouriness from soy sauce. There was also a subtle herbal note.

I enjoyed Maria's HK soya sauce chicken.



Maria is proud of her rice which is the same as those served at Hainanese chicken rice stalls. Most HK soya sauce chicken stalls serve their chicken with plain white steamed (actually boiled) rice or generic noodles.



I like Maria's rice as the grains had just the right moistness and tender nutty bite. The flavour was gentle - it's a balance of sweet with garlicky savouriness. It was also not overly greasy.



I like Maria's braised tofu. The texture is tender (not soft) and it has a soft grainy feel (not silky smooth). The tofu is subtly sweet layered with sweet savouriness from the braising stock.



Maria and helper Ah Ying. They have known each other for over twenty years.



👉 瑪俐亞處女雞 serves one of the nicest HK soya sauce chicken in Chinatown Complex, if not Singapore. Ideal for you, if you like food with a slight sweet leaning taste profile.

Chinatown Complex Heritage Food Tour 👈 click

What was Hong Kong Soya Sauce Chicken Rice & Noodle (Hawker Chan) like before the Michelin inspectors found him in 2016? I have not been back since then. The already long queue got way, way too long lah 😜 👈 click



Restaurant name: 瑪俐亞處女雞
Address: Blk 335, Smith Street #02-189, Chinatown Food Complex, Singapore 050335 (Blue Zone)    
GPS: 1°16'57.7"N 103°50'34.4"E | 1.282705, 103.842889 
Waze: Chinatown Complex 
Hours: 7:30am to 4:30pm (closed Mon, Tues, Fri)

Date visited: 1 Apr 2018





Maria Cordero and Maria Siew are sworn sisters 结拜姐妹, and share the same first name.

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