Cover Tatler Hainanese Chicken Rice Photo Pexels Dacapture
Tatler Hainanese Chicken Rice Photo Pexels Dacapture
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From Singaporean institutions and Thai-inflected takes to a soulful home-cook operation, these are the best places to order Hainanese chicken in Metro Manila right now
The story begins in Hainan, an island province in southern China, where Wenchang chicken—poached and served over rice—was a humble working-class staple. Hainanese emigrants carried it across Southeast Asia in the nineteenth century, and Singapore made it its own: local cooks elevated the rice into the dish’s true point of distinction, toasting it in chicken fat with garlic, ginger, and pandan before simmering it in rich broth until fragrant. From the hawker stalls of the 1950s and 60s to the menus of the city-state’s most celebrated restaurants, it has since become one of Singapore’s defining national dishes.
It should come as no surprise that Hainanese chicken rice has found devoted audiences far beyond Singapore. In the Philippines—a country with a shared love for chicken and rice in its many forms—it resonates on an almost instinctive level.
As we settle into the rainy season, there is no better moment to seek out a bowl of fragrant rice and perfectly poached chicken—the kind of meal that was made, almost by design, for grey skies and a slower afternoon. Below, Tatler Dining rounds up the best places to order Hainanese chicken in Metro Manila, drawn from our editors’ picks and the most enthusiastic recommendations from our readers.
This list is in alphabetical order.
See also: Tatler’s ultimate guide: where to order the best empanadas in (and around) Metro Manila 2026
1. Chatterbox Café
Location: SM Aura, BGC, Taguig City
Established in Singapore in 1971, Chatterbox Café has long been regarded as one of the definitive addresses for chicken rice (which they call Mandarin chicken rice, their adaptation of Hainanese chicken rice)—a reputation it has carefully carried across decades and, now, across borders with its Philippine debut. The Manila outpost translates the hawker-rooted original into a polished, unhurried dining setting without sacrificing the integrity of the food. The signature chicken rice comes complete with house condiments, supported by a broader menu of heritage noodle and rice dishes, and refreshments like the lychee pandan quencher.
Tatler Trivia: The original Chatterbox was located at The Mandarin Singapore.
2. Flock Chicken Rice
Location: Aguirre Avenue, BF Homes, Parañaque City
Now an essential addition to the south side’s dining scene since opening in 2024, Flock is the kind of family-run restaurant that earns its regulars through consistency and care. The owners’ family connection to a Hainanese chicken stall back in Singapore is evident in every detail, from the steamed and roasted Hainanese chicken to the fragrant chicken rice, and other specialities like the salted egg pork. Kaya toast, soft-boiled eggs, and kopi round out a menu that is modest in scope and precise in execution—and the Stylo Milo Dino is a well-deserved treat for kids and kids-at-heart.
Read more: Matcha is having a moment: 13 matcha cafés in Metro Manila you should visit
3. Hainan Jones
Location: The Corner Market, The Podium, Mandaluyong City
The newest entry on this list, Hainan Jones brings a distinctly well-travelled pedigree to Manila. The concept was born in New York under KF Seetoh, the Singaporean food personality and founder of Urban Hawker—a dining destination that brought the spirit of Singapore’s hawker centres to Manhattan—and has since made its way to the Philippines in partnership with local chef Sau del Rosario. Roasted and poached Hainanese chicken rice, curry pork cutlet rice, laksa, and chicken porridge anchor the menu—but the headline act is the bagoong fried chicken rice, which marries the flavours of the Philippines and Singapore in daring fashion.
4. Kaokee
Location: Belamy House, Jupiter Street, Makati City; The Podium, Mandaluyong City; The Corner House, San Juan (temporarily closed)
Kaokee is a Singaporean restaurant with a menu broad enough to warrant repeat visits—bak kut teh, claypot dishes, shaved ice cendol, mango sago—but it is the chicken that keeps people coming back. The homegrown brand was founded by Reagan Tan, who started cooking Hainanese chicken at home during the pandemic, shared it with neighbours, and watched it quietly take on a life of its own. Seeing its potential inspired Tan to take his team to Singapore and learn directly from hawkers, before the menu evolved into the form it holds today. Opt between a classic Hainanese, steamed and more delicate, or a Hokkien roast if you prefer a little more colour and depth.
Tatler Tip: The Podium branch is their newest location and boasts exclusive offerings, including breakfast service (congee and kaya toast, anyone?) as well as Singaporean chilli crab.
See also: Love food and travel? Here are 16 of the world’s most famous food markets
5. Nanyang
Location: Various branches across Metro Manila
Nanyang’s primary identity is that of the kopitiam: a warm, nostalgic evocation of the coffee shop culture that took root across Southeast Asia from the 1960s onward, where a cup of kopi and a round of kaya toast constitute something close to a ritual. The Hainanese chicken rice and its fried counterpart earn their place on the menu as a natural extension of that philosophy, a hawker staple among hawker staples. Come for the kopi and the toast; stay for the chicken.
6. Nok
Location: Ayala Triangle Gardens, Makati City
From the team behind Krapow! comes Nok, a Thai chicken rice concept that draws from the street food of Bangkok’s Chinatown. When it comes to Hainanese chicken, owners Felix Asad and chef Reggie Prospero have carved out a distinct identity: true to the Thai style, their chicken rice is available with poached chicken or crispy chicken (and even half-and-half), served with punchier sauces characteristic of Thai cuisine. Beyond the khao mun gai tod and khao mun gai tom, the menu ranges confidently across chicken wings, chicken bao, khao soi, and laab. It is unambiguously Thai in spirit, which makes it a worthy curveball on any Hainanese chicken itinerary—and the cooling lychee and cha yen slushies are a sensible contingency plan for those who underestimate the heat.
See also: Tatler’s ultimate guide to the best cookies in Metro Manila 2026
7. Stevie’s Hainanese Chicken
The most popular recommendation from our readers!
Location: Bel-Air II, Makati City
Few home-based operations have inspired the kind of loyalty that Stevie’s has built and maintained since 2009. A graduate from the International School for Culinary Arts and Hotel Management, Steve Villacin has spent years perfecting his Hainanese chicken—tender, fragrant, and precisely the kind of dish that reminds you why the simplest things are often the hardest to get right. Other signatures like baked barramundi with EVOO and dill, garlic prawns, bacon and shrimp lumpia, BBQ ribs, suggest that the chicken is merely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Villacin’s talents.
8. Tao Yuan
Location: Newport Mall, Pasay City
Approaching its 20-year mark in 2028, Tao Yuan earned its reputation on the busy streets of Malate before settling into its current home at Newport Mall. The draw remains the same: dependable cooking anchored by a selection of Singaporean hawker classics and Cantonese roasts that few restaurants in the city can match. The Hainanese chicken is a perennial highlight, sharing the spotlight with other signatures like cereal prawns, mango lapu-lapu, laksa, and Singaporean chilli grab.
Read more: The rare artisanal salts of the Philippines and why they matter today
9. Tiong Bahru Singapore Flavours
Location: Various branches across Metro Manila
Originally born from the storied hawker market of Singapore’s Tiong Bahru neighbourhood, this beloved institution made its Philippine debut in 2019 and has since embedded itself firmly in Metro Manila’s Singaporean food landscape, now operating as Tiong Bahru Singapore Flavours. The Hainanese chicken is available both steamed and roasted, and sits alongside an impressively faithful spread of hawker classics: chicken congee, lemon chicken, curry noodles, bak kut teh, and laksa, among others. For those chasing an honest taste of Singapore without the airfare, this is a reliable port of call.
About
Lauren’s love for food came much later in life than one would expect— an obsession awakened in the streets of Melbourne’s multicultural dining scene. Armed with this newfound passion, she returned to the Philippines determined to discover the best eats in her home country, with a personal advocacy to champion local cuisines and homegrown talent. Nothing is off-limits; if it’s delicious, it’s worth celebrating.
Work
As Tatler Dining associate editor, Lauren covers all things food and drink, from listing the latest openings in our monthly Dining Radar to interviewing chefs and bartenders about the biggest obstacles crippling the industry today. Beyond the digital space, she also organises Tatler Dining’s tentpole events, including Off Menu and Tatler Dining Kitchen, as well as the annual Tatler Best Philippines awards night and guide launch, detailing the best restaurants in the country.
For leads and event invites, contact her via lauren@tatlerphilippines.com or follow her on Instagram at @laurengolangco.
Photo: Ralph Mendo
