Despite its name, Hainanese chicken rice doesn't come from Hainan province in China, but was created in Singapore by immigrants in the 19th century. While this dish may look underwhelming at first glance, compared to the colorful and spicy dishes common to Singapore and China, it’s delectable enough to be Singapore’s national dish.

What really stands out in this dish isn’t just the chicken, but the rice. The raw grains are fried in chicken fat, then cooked in broth also used to cook the chicken, along with aromatics like ginger, garlic, and pandan (screwpine leaves), before being served with three signature dipping sauces: dark soy sauce, chili sauce, and ginger sauce.

Only young chickens are used to make Hainan chicken rice, so the meat comes out tender and delectable. The chicken is poached in boiling water for about 45 minutes and plunged into an ice bath to stop it from cooking, creating super juicy meat to be served with the intensely chicken-y rice and sides like eggs and pickled veggies.