You know...., this drab looking chicken rice at Kuching's Petanak Central Market doesn't make me drool or feel hungry at first sight 🤔
Buddy LKC who comes to Kuching regularly on business, calls 61 Chicken Rice, legendary. Chai our Kuching expert historian buddy highly recommends 61 Chicken Rice.
61 Chicken Rice is a nondescript, pass by type of stall. No display window, no birds hang outside, not even those fake plastic birds you sometimes see in Singapore.
If you know the stall, you know. If you don't, it's your loss 😅
Inside the tiny stall, the boss was busy cutting up chicken - no time to talk.
Three of us, we ordered the lower quarter of a bird and some braised pork with two plates of rice to share.
As I said, the bird cut in chunks looked dull, came without any sauce, no dressing at all, no garnishing, the meat was cooked through (no pinkness), no cold bath, only air cooled, so no gelatinous layer between the meat and skin, all those things you see in Singapore style Hainanese chicken rice.
Not exactly the same, but 61 Chicken Rice's rendition is closer to what you will find in Wenchang in Hainan island today.
This is Wenchang chicken, the precursor of Singapore style Hainanese chicken rice.
61 Chicken Rice's version reminds me of Yet Con, Singapore's last traditional Hainanese chicken rice which closed in 2021.
Coming back to 61 Chicken Rice in Kuching, it was delicious.
The meat was tenderly chewy to the bite, moist but not juicy unlike Singapore style. But, we can taste the chicken's freshness and natural chicky sweetness without interference from sauce or dressing.
Yeah, just like at Yet Con.
61 Chicken Rice's bird is served with pickled cucumber which is great - crunchy, juicy, sweet, slightly zesty, refreshing. Better than raw cucumber which I usually leave untouched.
The rice grain quality was average, slightly mushy, starchy, lumpy, slightly wet but flavours and aromas were on point as it was well infused with the chicken stock and chicken oil it was cooked with.
I thought it would make great chicken rice balls.
Soup was good too - tasted like it was made with chicken instead of MSG or flavourings.
The savoury, spicy chili sauce laced with chicken soup and grease was also on point.
The braised pork was worth ordering.
Tender, moist and sweet savoury - the taste reminded me of char siew (roast pork) sans the toastiness of well roasted meat. This was obviously braised, of course.
Come to Kuching to eat Hainanese chicken rice 🙄
But, if you one of those who want to try the local version of Hainanese chicken rice everywhere you go, than with 61 Chicken Rice, your calories will be well spent.
If you are a fan of Yet Con, I am confident you may like this too.
Stall name: Petanak Chicken Rice Stall 61 夜市鸡饭
Address: 110, Jalan Petanak, 93100 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia (Petanak Central Market)
Tel: +6014 681 3434
Hours: 5pm - 10pm (Sun off)
Written by Tony Boey on 25 Jan 2024
🎗 To be neutral, I paid for my own food. This blog is powered by voluntary contributions from appreciative readers to Tony Boey Johor Kaki PAYNOW 96888768 in Singapore $.
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