Best chicken rice in KL

It was Yeok Kai Seng who began the business in ’65. Fast forward 50 years, and the little stall set up along Jalan Klang Lama has branched out into a chain of chicken rice shops in the city. It’s a comforting, simple dish: a plate of silky smooth steamed white chicken in a pool of savoury soy sauce, with fluffy round rice cooked in chicken stock, and a small bowl of clear soup.


Photo: Daniel Chan

The nga choy kai at Kar Heong is a worthwhile reason to venture to Subang Jaya – just make sure to avoid the lunch crowd. Subang Jaya's most treasured chicken rice shop is built on its Ipoh-style, tender steamed chicken, complemented by crunchy bean sprouts all the way from Ipoh. For a super-sized meal, also order char siew, pork balls and siu yuk. 


Photo: Daniel Chan

If you can’t go to Ipoh, 1977 Ipoh Chicken Rice will come to you – the ingredients at the stalwart chicken rice shop are imported, so to speak, from Ipoh. The steamed chicken rice is good; the chicken, tender and succulent, swims in a small pool of soy sauce, and the rice complements with its fluffy grains. Tie the meal together with the signature nga choy (bean sprouts topped with cuttlefish and enoki mushroom), plus a helping of honey barbecued pork and siu yuk.


Photo: Daniel Chan

The chicken rice at Nam Heong ticks all the right boxes: lean, perfectly-sliced village chicken, drizzled with a hint of sesame and soy sauce; a plate of flavoured oily rice; and finally, a thick chilli garlic dip, holding it all together. The Hainanese-style chicken rice may be the star of the show, but spring also for the supporting side dishes, such as the assam fish in chilli and tamarind juice, the siu yuk and the yam pork.

If there’s one thing Hoe Fong has nailed, it’s the chicken. Instead of roasted or steamed, it’s deep fried in a wok, hot and heavy with cooking oil, so that it emerges with crisp, glistening skin and is served with a few slices of cucumber, rice, soup, chilli paste and ginger. Also try: the Penang lor bak is a must-order, and trust us, it’s not too peculiar a partner to fried chicken and rice.