How Hainan Chicken House Perfected Chicken Rice in NYC

Naming the best chicken and rice in New York City is no easy task. But if you ask those in the know, they’ll point you straight to Hainan Chicken House in Sunset Park, where Chef Chris Low has turned this simple, humble dish into a full-blown culinary experience.

In a city where every meal has to compete for attention, Chris Low’s take on this Southeast Asian staple stands out not because of any flashy presentation, but because of its meticulous technique and attention to tradition.

At Hainan Chicken House, Hainanese chicken rice is far from just a plate of chicken and rice. For Chef Low, the magic lies in the components working together.

“The chicken itself is delicate, almost bland on its own,” Low says. But that’s precisely the point. You’re meant to experience the dish as a whole — every bite balancing the tender, poached chicken with aromatic rice, and of course, the three signature sauces that accompany it. “People get distracted by the chicken,” he says, “but the chicken doesn’t exist as an individual. You need every other component to make it complete and to make it good.”

Hainanese chicken rice starts with a ritual. The chicken is rubbed down with salt, rinsed, and gently poached in a broth full of aromatics — ginger, scallions, sometimes garlic. After poaching, the chicken is given an ice bath to stop the cooking process and lock in that gelatinous, tender texture that might be unfamiliar to American diners but is cherished in Southeast Asian cuisine. “It’s a texture that isn’t that common here,” Low says. “But when you taste it, you realize how nuanced and delicate it really is.”

But the chicken is only half of the equation. The rice, often an afterthought in lesser versions of the dish, is a star in its own right at Hainan Chicken House. Sauteed in ginger, garlic, scallions, and lemongrass, the rice is then cooked in the same poaching liquid as the chicken, giving it a depth of flavor that’s anything but ordinary. “Every grain is infused with those same aromatics,” Low explains, “and it ties everything together.”

Then come the sauces — three essential condiments that allow diners to build each bite as they like: a dark soy sauce with sesame, a ginger lime garlic chili sauce, and a ginger scallion sauce. Whether you drizzle the soy over your rice or dip your chicken in the fiery chili sauce, every bite is a new experience. “Each bite is fresh,” Low says. “You’re constantly building new flavors.”

Julian Mu, a food enthusiast known as @Mubereats on Instagram who’s tried Hainanese chicken rice across the city, describes the dish at Hainan Chicken House as a game-changer. “I’ve had Hainanese chicken rice at a lot of places in New York,” Julian says. “But this? This is it. Once I took a bite, I knew everything I ate from here on would be compared to this.”

New York Times food writer Pete Wells similarly praised Low's rendition — naming Hainan Chicken House to his top 12 restaurants of 2023:

“The city’s most impressive source of Hainanese chicken at the moment is not the one that was singled out from among hundreds of vendors in Singapore and given its own stall in the multimillion-dollar Urban Hawker market in Midtown.”

What sets Hainan Chicken House apart isn’t just the quality of the food but also the labor and care that go into it. Chef Low sources free-range chickens, painstakingly prepares each element, and makes sure every dish reflects the traditional roots of Hainanese chicken rice. “There’s a lot of labor that goes into this dish,” Low says. “The margins are slim, but if the quality comes across to you, that’s what matters.”

While the dish may be priced higher than at other spots in the neighborhood, Low stands by the value. “People will spend $21 on a plate of spaghetti marinara at an Italian restaurant without a second thought,” he points out. “But for some reason, Asian cuisine is often expected to be cheaper, even though the labor and ingredients are just as — if not more —complex.”

For Low, Hainanese chicken rice is more than just a dish. It’s a connection to his family, his heritage, and the community. It’s the product of generations of culinary tradition, passed down and refined, and a reminder that even the simplest foods can be the most profound.

So, next time you’re in Sunset Park and craving something comforting yet complex, don’t overlook Hainan Chicken House. Because here, Hainanese chicken rice is more than just food — it’s an experience. And, as Julian put it after finishing his meal, “This is by far the best Hainanese chicken rice I’ve ever had.”

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