Hawker centre #7: Maxwell Food Centre

After all the walking around Chinatown, I was getting peckish, so I headed to the famous Maxwell Food Centre for a late lunch.

It turned out that I was simply following Anthony Bourdain's footsteps once again. From roast pig in Ubud to chicken rice in Singapore, he is everywhere!

And this was some great chicken rice. From the vaunted Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice stall, it only set me back S$3.30. And the flavors of each component were distinct and perfect. The rice was more al dente than normal, and also was infused with chicken flavor. The steamed chicken was incredibly tender and juicy, with the skin adding flavor and not detracting from the texture. And the chilli-garlic sauce and the thick soy were wonderful, strong and vibrant yet balanced when mixed with the rice. This was serious chicken rice. I ate my portion and took a fresh batch home to my sister.

Maxwell's was also home to some other good eats, but no photos are available. One was goreng pisang (banana fritter), which was somehow perfectly fried. Even after being transported hot in a bag on the bus for 45 minutes, it was not soggy and still had contrasting texture inside with melty banana and outside with the crisp crust. The other were sweet potato dumplings that similarly survived the journey home. Delectable to the end!