Da Po Hainanese Chicken Rice & Curry Chicken Noodles 大坡海南鸡饭咖喱鸡面, established in 1987, has gained immense popularity over the years. You can easily tell from a single glance at its storefront how renowned and adored it is by everyone. Don’t miss the chance to see its numerous accolades and pictures with celebrities!
The stall is located at the basement of Golden Mile Food Centre. I found the stall easily and spotted its gleaming signboard instantly as I drove into the open-air carpark.
It’s right at the corner of the basement, facing the main road. If you’re walking in from where the ATMs are, take the stairs down, take a right, and you’ll find the stall.
To be completely honest, seeing the extensive coverage of the stall in various local print and online newspapers, TV channels, and websites had me really excited and raised my expectations for the place. I couldn’t wait to taste the food myself.
I mean, if it’s been raved about so much, it has to be good, right?
What I tried at Da Po Hainanese Chicken Rice & Curry Chicken Noodles
I got the Roasted Hainanese Chicken Rice (S$6) and was quite pleased to see that Da Po separated the chicken meat from the rice. That meant that I’d get to try the rice as it originally is, rather than being drenched with gravy or sauce.
The rice exuded a delightful fragrance, and its texture was silky and savory. Each mouthful carried distinct notes of ginger and garlic, providing a zesty and refreshing kick to every bite.
However, the rice was a little too moist and oily for my liking, as if it had been drizzled with a tad too much sesame oil. For those who favour a saltier and more flavourful chicken rice, Da Po’s version would be an ideal choice. Regrettably, I prefer my chicken rice to be light and fluffy, so it didn’t quite meet my preferences.
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I wasn’t too sure if it was because I dropped by on a bad day, but Da Po’s chicken appeared excessively oily for my taste. Just take a look at the picture— the glistening oil on the chicken skin’s surface is quite evident.
However, I must give Da Po a thumbs up for their chicken meat. It was incredibly soft, silky, and tender, with plump and juicy meat that impressed me.
It was quite unfortunate that the entire dish, as a whole, was too oily for my liking. On the positive side, it’s certainly not lacking in flavour and would be a fantastic choice for Singaporeans with a preference for richer and more robust flavours.
Moving on to Da Po’s star dish: Curry Chicken Noodle (S$6 for small). I chose thin bee hoon for my noodles because I personally love how thin bee hoon soaks up curry gravy, but you can also choose thick bee hoon and yellow noodles.
Da Po’s Curry Chicken Noodle also comes in Medium (S$7) and Large (S$8).
I was thoroughly enamored with the curry gravy. Its fragrance, creaminess, and lightness made it incredibly drinkable. In fact, I couldn’t resist savouring the smooth and delightful gravy on its own, choosing to drink it rather than eat it with my bee hoon.
There was also that earthy and nutty touch from the coconut milk, as well as a slight grittiness from the rempah and other added spices. The spiciness only made its presence felt towards the end, leaning more towards a peppery flavour rather than intense heat. It didn’t cause me to sweat or tingle in the mouth from the spiciness.
Da Po’s curry chicken noodles also came with large chunks of potatoes, in quarters and halves.
While it’s typical to find potato chunks in curry chicken noodle dishes, my gripe was that the potatoes were too firm. I personally prefer them a bit softer, almost on the verge of breaking into smaller pieces.
I’ve got to say, Da Po truly excels in cooking a delicious chicken. The curry chicken noodles feature blanched white chicken meat that is delightfully springy and naturally sweet.
I loved it that it came without the chicken skin, but would have loved it even more if it came deboned. Imagine biting into a chicken bone in the midst of eating your bee hoon—that’d be a nightmare!
Final Thoughts
There’s a reason why Da Po Hainanese Chicken Rice & Curry Chicken Noodles has been able to thrive in such a popular location for the past 37 years and counting. The chicken was springy, juicy and sweet, and the curry gravy was intensely fragrant yet light, making it super yummy and drinkable.
However, the chicken rice was too oily for my liking; but, it might be well-suited for those who enjoy saltier dishes or have heavier palates.
Expected damage: S$5 – S$8 per pax
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