I had never heard about chicken rice before visiting Boon Tong Kiat, but my friend AC insisted that we went to this place. AC used to live in Singapore, so she knows a good chicken rice when she sees it, and apparently, at Boon Tong Kiat, they have the real thing.
Singapore Hainanese chicken rice is not to be confused with the Thai style chicken rice. The chicken is cooked several times in a stock made from ginger, garlic and chicken, which makes it incredibly tender and juicy. The rice is prepared in the same fashion, leaving the rice oily, but not dripping from fat, if prepared correctly. AC explained that in Singapore, sometimes you’ll be served the stock on the side as a soup, though this wasn’t the case at Boon Tong Kiat. The meal at Boon Tong Kiat comes with 3 kinds of different sauces: chili, vinegar and ginger, just as it’s supposed to, according to AC. She even asked for cilantro on the side, which she used to have in Singapore, and it was delivered to our table immediately.
You eat the rice with the different sauces mixed on top, and it is absolutely amazing. I would never have thought that such a simple dish could be so full of flavor, but it is, and I’m warning you; it’s highly addictive.
The settings at Boon Tong Kiat are very basic (some might say primitive) with tiled floors and walls and pictures of the menu as the main decoration of the room. Boon Tong Kiat is actually more like a street food stall, which has moved indoors, but if you are used to eating at hole-in-the-wall places in Bangkok, I’m sure you’ll find Boon Tong Kiat rather pleasant. And remember, you go there for the food, or, more specifically: The Singapore Hainanese Chicken Rice (which btw, I think is just called “Hainanese chicken” in the menu).
I don’t remember exactly what we paid for the food, but it was very cheap, and I think AC’s chicken rice was only around 60-80THB. Thonglor is one of the most vibrant streets in the city, and Boon Tong Kiat is right in the center of all the action. Even though Boon Tong Kiat is a very modest restaurant, I therefore recommend that you dress up a little as chances are big you may want to go to one of the bars nearby afterwards.
The nearest BTS station is Thong Lo, but there’s quite a walk from the station down Thonglor Road (which is also named Sukhumvit Soi 55), so I suggest that you take a taxi from the BTS station, especially if you’re wearing heels.
There are lots of other dishes at the restaurant, but it is the Singapore Hainanese chicken rice that the restaurant is famous for and makes to perfection.
Boon Tong Kiat, 440/5 Soi Sukhumvit 55, Bangkok
