Chatterbox Chicken Rice Co-Creator, Sergeant Kiang, Passes Away At Age 86

Part of the pioneer team behind Chatterbox chicken rice

The prolific chicken rice hawker started out as a cook in the British army in the ’60s, where he was known as Sergeant Kiang in the Army Food Battalion Regiment. He later worked in hotels like Mandarin Hotel (now known as Hilton Singapore Orchard) in 1971, where he was tasked by the then-executive chef to create a signature local dish for Chatterbox restaurant. He presented his rendition of chicken rice, which many believe was the first deboned Hainanese chicken rice. 

This would eventually become what we now know as Chatterbox’s atas $25 Mandarin Chicken Rice. 

Subsequently, Sgt Kiang helmed his own chicken rice stall called Sergeant Chicken at Rasa Singapura in the ’80s, till the Sentosa food court, which was established by the Singapore Tourist Promotion Board, closed in 1989. 

He later worked with various food chains, including the Kopitiam group (where he trained staff for their Chicky Fun and Sergeant Chicken Rice chains), and eventually co-founded Jiang Ji Traditional Hainanese Chicken Rice together with his children in late 2010. 

The stall initially operated at Havelock Road, before shutting down and reopening years later in Yishun from 2020 till 2022, before it closed again due to “rising rental and food costs”. 

A five-day wake for Sgt Kiang will be held at 787 Yishun Ring Road from 24 April.

Photos: Facebook/Ian Low, Kelvin Chia, Facebook/Jeff Tan

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