There is something special about Commonwealth Crescent Market and Food Centre even though it is not commonly talked about.
Built to serve the early Queenstown and Tanglin Halt estates since the 1960s, I feel there is a rustic kampong spirit here that is fast diminishing in Singapore.
Though some may call this the sleepy neighbourhood, but that slower pace is part of its charm.
The hawker centre upstairs has long-standing favorites like Hong Kee Porridge, Liang Liang Fried Carrot Cake, and Henry’s Chicken Rice which has been established for decades.
Henry’s Chicken Rice has been around since 1985, and the hawker Mr Teo learnt his craft under the master chef of the famed Chatterbox Chicken Rice at Meritus Mandarin Hotel back then.
At first I thought the hawker is called Henry, and he joked, “My son lah! But he is not here.”
Instead of the usual poached chicken, the focus here is roasted chicken.
It is priced very affordably from $3.50 a plate ($5 for drumstick), and $17 for half and $34 for the whole chicken.
The roast chicken arrived chopped into generous pieces, with skin that carried a beautiful golden-brown colour and a light sheen.
It wasn’t as paper-thin crisp as I would have liked, but the meat underneath was tender and still juicy. That mattered more once eating began.
What pulled the plate together was the seasoning after the chop.
The chicken was glazed with a soy and sesame sauce that added this fragrance and flavour which seeped into the meat.
The rice to me was more ordinary, but I suppose it was to avoid it being too oily.
The other star (other than the chicken) had to be that housemade chilli sauce blended with ginger, vinegar and garlic.
Bright and spicy, there was this mild citrus tone that lifted the meat. So shiok.
A small bowl of clear soup came alongside, lightly perfumed with fried shallots and tofu cubes.
The queue can get pretty long nearing lunch time, so make your way here earlier if possible.
Henry’s Chicken Rice
Commonwealth Crescent Food Centre #02-91, 31 Commonwealth Crescent, Singapore 149644
Opening Hours: 8am – 2pm (Mon – Tues, Fri – Sun), Closed Wed, Thurs
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