Chicken Rice Set for 1 Pax Was going around the basement level of Hong Leong Building and found a relatively new store serving up chicken rice there that was quite an unfamiliar sight to us. Located right beside the outlet of Saigon Legend there, MyBuddies Chicken Rice Shop occupies a stall unit that seems to be double the size of some of the other F&B establishments located within the same area. As with most dining establishment within the basement of Hong Leong Building, MyBuddies Chicken Rice Shop is actually pretty simply decked; the decision to use of furniture and fittings with a wooden accent is likely to blend in with its surroundings — this is especially considering how there is a pillar within the store unit itself that sees the use of wooden fittings that is a look that the developers of Hong Leong Building had went for. The dining tables at MyBuddies Chicken Rice Shop comprises of wooden stools and tables configured for patrons coming in pairs as well as for larger groups beyond four (4) pax — pretty much catering to the needs of the office workers in the Central Business District. As the namesake of the dining establishment suggests, MyBuddies Chicken Rice Shop serves up chicken rice as its primary offering — patrons do get to choose between the Roasted Chicken and Poached Chicken; all that either coming in the format of Roasted / Poached Chicken Rice or as a set. There is also a small list of Side Dishes available, while MyBuddies Chicken Rice Shop also serves up Curry Chicken as well.
Since it was the very first time that we are giving MyBuddies Chicken Rice Shop a go, we had decided to go for the Chicken Rice Set for 1 Pax — this would be priced at $8 with patrons being able to opt for either the Roasted Chicken or the Poached Chicken which we went for the latter. MyBuddies Chicken Rice Shop does not describe the elements that would come together with the Chicken Rice Set for 1 Pax, but it does seem that these folks are pretty generous in the portion size of their Chicken Rice Set for 1 Pax. Apart from the poached chicken that we had went for and the rice, the Chicken Rice Set for 1 Pax also comes with other elements such as braised egg, braised beancurd and fresh vegetables with oyster sauce — the vegetables being an item that is also being listed as a Side Dish on the menu as well. The accompanying bowl of soup also comes with quite a bit of ingredients, with the soup coming with carrot and even chicken feet.
Digging into the poached chicken, the chicken here does come plump with quite a fair bit of flesh; we would consider the consistency of the meat to be pretty tender, whilst it also carries sufficient flavour from being doused with a light soy sauce that gives an aromatic hint of savouriness to the dish. The rice is actually sufficiently moist and fragrant; the rice coming with a slightly yellowish hue as one would expect of the typical chicken rice that has absorbed the flavours of the chicken stock to carry that fragrance that one would associate with the flavoured rice in the usual Hainanese-style chicken rice dish. The chili was probably the weakest link for the Chicken Rice Set for 1 Pax here; the accompanying chili does carry the slight tang but we will prefer it to be zippier and giving a spicier kick of fresh chili padi that would help to further enhance the flavours of the dish further. The braised egg is nothing much to shout about, being an element that was good-to-have — came with a fully-cooked egg yolk, while the braised tofu does come smooth and soft and carrying a soft hint of savouriness from having absorbed the flavours of the braising liquid. Interestingly, the fresh vegetables with oyster sauce sees the use of leafier parts of the Choy Sum without the stalks; something that most would prefer considering how it also meant that the vegetables doesn’t carry an inherently bitter back note, while the greens also carry a light and crisp consistency instead of a crunch.
Whilst there is a plethora of dining establishments located around the Central Business District, it does lack individually-operated establishments situated outside the setting of a food court / coffeeshop stall / hawker centre which also comprises of an air conditioned dine-in environment that serves up localised fare; MyBuddies Chicken Rice Shop does seem to be somewhat of a rare breed in that sense. MyBuddies Chicken Rice Shop does seem to be that sort of establishment that aims to serve local favourites whilst ensuring that their patrons are being fed well; the chicken rice that they serve up do seem to be of a pretty respectable quality as well. With prices of their Poached / Roasted Chicken Rice (i.e. non-set) starting from $5, it does also work as a reasonable dining option to consider for the usual weekday lunch on days that one just wants something simpler and comforting for a meal.
