Thailand’s Go-Ang Pratunam Chicken Rice Vs Singapore's Hainanese Chicken Rice — Which Is Better?

Street Cred

Go-Ang Kaomunkai Pratunam started in 1960 as a nameless pushcart stall manned by a Hainanese immigrant to Bangkok. The name Go-Ang (meaning “Big Brother Ang”) is taken from the nickname of second-generation owner Sombat Puekpaiboon. Today, it is a casual sit-down eatery in Bangkok’s popular shopping haven, the Pratunam District. Open from 6am to 2am daily, it swarms with throngs of locals and tourists alike all day long. Pictured here: its far hipper Singapore outpost at Nex mall.

Hainanese-Thai chicken rice

“Hainanese chicken rice wasn’t something very widely accepted in Thailand during my father’s time,” says 66-year-old Sombat (aka Go-Ang). “It later became a popular lunch item — but not something people would order for dinner. Now, however, people come at all times of the day. It has become comfort food for the Thai people. Chicken rice is now a part of Thai food culture.”

Family ties

The local kitchen team at the Singapore outlet have been personally trained by Sombat himself (right in pic). Sombat and his 30-year-old son Ekkaphon Puekpaiboon (left), also known as Gear, will be stationed at the Singapore outlet for the first month of operations. Thereafter, they will shuttle between Bangkok and Singapore to ensure that consistency is maintained.

Why Singapore?

This Singapore outpost — a joint venture with The Minor Food Group Singapore (behind chains like ThaiExpress) — opens the overseas expansion chapter for Go-Ang Kaomunkai Pratunam. According to Gear, the family had turned down many other propositions before, “because they only saw it as a business opportunity.” Dellen Soh, the chairman and CEO of Minor Food Group had been a loyal customer of their Bangkok eatery, and won the family over with his passion for food. “"We were surprised when we were approached [to open shop here] because we know Singapore has very good chicken rice and is famous for it. But we have a different chicken rice culture, and we hope to share it with more people," says Sombat diplomatically.

To market to market

Great pains were taken to source for the right ingredients to recreate the taste of their Bangkok-style Hainanese chicken rice in Singapore. Premium grains from Thailand were chosen after trying out seven types of rice over a few months. A breed of chicken is specially imported from Malaysia to make the poached chicken. “Even the salt had to be specially selected!” says Gear.

Posher vibe in SG branch

While Pratunam’s flagship shop in Bangkok is a super basic setup by the street, with food court-esque tables and chairs, here at the Nex mall outlet, there’re marble-topped tables, blonde wood chairs, hipster murals and mercifully, air-conditioning. And that’s why prices at this local outpost are about thrice more than those in Thailand.

The chicken, from $4.50 for breast; $5.50 for thigh (single portion, with rice)

Birds about 2.5kg in size are simmered in a stock for just a little over an hour. Sadly, neither the breast nor thigh cuts are as succulent or silky as one might find at the likes of Wee Nam Kee or even Five Star Kampung Chicken.

Kampong-style

The flavour of the chicken is also closer to that of a kampong chicken, though perhaps a little less gamey and easier to accept for those who don’t have a taste for it.

The rice is very nice, $1.50 a plate

Aromatic premium Thai rice with perfectly shaped, lustrous grains that hold just the right amount of moisture has been chosen specially to make their chicken rice. Cooked over a stove (rather than in a rice cooker) with a modest amount of chicken fat so that it is full in flavour yet not in the least bit greasy, the result is addictive.

Almost like (chicken) sushi rice

Each mouthful presents plump, distinct grains that has a mouthfeel almost akin to well-made sushi.

Superb sauce

The sauce (top in pic) that accompanies every plate of chicken rice here is the Thai jewel on the crown and very different from our local version. The tangy, earthy, umami mixture of dark soy sauce, fermented bean paste (tau cheo), vinegar, chopped ginger and green chilli might overshadow the subtle flavours of the rice and chicken — if you are a mad chicken rice purist. But we loved it and drenched our rice with it. The zing from the crunchy ginger chunks and the fresh, grassy flavours from the Jinda green chillies (they don’t use chilli padi because it’s too overwhelming) add a different dimension to the dish. We also appreciate the textural contrast from the chunky bits. This crazy good sauce is sold by the bottle at their Bangkok eatery, but isn’t available here as such for the time being.

Chicken liver and gizzard

These boiled offal are nothing to shout about, so save your tummy for the yummier stuff.

Hit-or-miss side dishes

Their ancestors might be from Hainan, but the Puekpaiboon family have also incorporated Teochew and Cantonese-style dishes into their repertoire. Double boiled soups are part of their offerings in Bangkok, with a yummy, robustly flavoured bittergourd pork rib soup (see below). The other dishes are so-so. Such as the Signature Braised Pork.

Bittergourd Pork Rib Soup, $6.50 (8 DAYS Pick!)

This comforting, homely side dish made following a treasured family recipe is worth ordering.

Signature Braised Pork, from $8 a small portion

Similar to a Teochew-style lor bak, though with a much lighter braising liquid that has a very pronounced taste of cinnamon. Not bad.

Steamed Whole Seabass, $28

Unique to the Singapore outlet are the passable Chai Poh Omelette ($6.50) served with a spicy fish sauce dip and a Steamed Whole Steamed Whole Seabass, $28.

Bottom Line

To us, Singaporean-style Hainanese chicken rice trumps the Thai version because of the perfectly balanced holy trinity of juicy meat, flavourful rice and chilli. However, give Go-Ang Pratunam’s version a go because its outstanding rice and sauce — oh that sauce — will win you over even if you aren’t crazy about the not-quite-succulent bird.

Address details

#B1-05/06 NEX Shopping Mall, 23 Serangoon Central S556083, Tel: 6509-9980. Open daily 11am–10pm, last orders 9.30pm. www.facebook.com/goangsg.

Photos: Ealbert Ho