Arts
Singaporean chicken rice brings a taste of East to C.O.W.
Premil De Silva
East meets West in Cajun on Wheels’ (C.O.W.) new joint venture with Happi Food Singapore to introduce the internationally popular authentic Singaporean chicken rice to Colombo’s own vibrant food culture.
Singapore-based seafood chain C.O. W. came to Sri Lanka over a year ago, and has since become well known as a casual dining spot with Louisiana-style seafood cuisine.
However, Director Premil De Silva explains that their ultimate goal is to become a “marketplace for food, and give variety to the local tastebuds.”
After tasting their chicken rice in Singapore last year, Premil was instantly a fan and contacted owner of Happi Foods Mel Goh about the possibility of bringing it to Sri Lanka. He tells us that this is the right time to bring it here, as he believes that the authentic Singaporean flavours would be interesting to local palates.
“Since Cajun is more Western, we wanted to introduce something Asian, and chicken rice is a staple in Singapore.”
The dish originated from China, specifically the Hainan region. When the Chinese migrated to Singapore, they brought their traditional family recipes with them and so the humble steamed chicken became the beloved chicken rice it is today. Mel tells us that variations have emerged over the years, like the roasted chicken with crispy skin which is more popular with the younger generations.
Chicken rice is a staple meal that can be had at any time. Though the flavours and ingredients at C.O.W. will be strictly authentic, they believe that making the flavours a bit more intense will suit Sri Lankan tastebuds better, as we prefer more full-bodied flavour.
The soup is the key element of the dish, and gives it that distinct flavour. Traditionally, a large stock pot contains a fragrant soup with ingredients like lemongrass, ginger and of course the chicken, and is accumulated to let the flavours get stronger.
The other secret to chicken rice, as Mel reveals, is that once the chicken comes out of the stock it is immediately immersed in cold water to stop the cooking process to ensure that it remains perfectly cooked.
A soy and sesame oil-based sauce is added on top of the chicken and it is served with soup, sliced cucumber and tomato, a special chilli sauce that packs a punch, and mostly importantly the rice that is flavoured with the same stock.
Though you can’t tell just by looking at it, the chicken rice is packed with warm umami flavours. It has a deliciously addictive quality, and before you know it you will have gone through two whole plates by yourself.
New additions: Some of the chicken dishes. Pix by M.A. Pushpa Kumara
The menu includes variations of the chicken rice including original Steamed, Roasted Chicken and Char Siew Chicken as well as other Singaporean delicacies like La Mien Chicken Noodle Soup, Char Siew Chicken Noodle and Char Siew Chicken Noodle Soup with wontons.
The new chicken rice menu is now available at Cajun on Wheels at 4 Bullers Lane in Colombo 7, and will also be launching on Uber Eats shortly.