🍽️ Hainanese Chicken Rice

Wenchang chicken with fragrant rice, tender and juicy.

Hainanese chicken rice traces to Wenchang and is the signature rice set of Haikou and all of Hainan. Wenchang chicken is poached and chopped, skin taut and meat tender; the rice is cooked in chicken oil and broth with lemongrass and southern ginger, turning glossy golden and fragrant. Three dips are offered, ginger-garlic paste, chili sauce and dark soy, each to taste. The chicken is juicy and silky while the oily rice is distinct-grained and savory. It is usually served with a small bowl of clear chicken soup on the side, and locals freely adjust the balance of the three dips to suit their own taste. A complete one-chicken-many-ways meal loved both at feasts and on ordinary days, layering flavors through the dips.