The Story of Roti John

The more I walk around streets in Singapore, the more stories I find out about local food and it's origins. Ever heard of Roti John before ? I bet you haven't ! Neither celebrity chefs like Jamie Olivier or Gordon Ramsey ever heard anything like this sort of famous dish called Roti John. The dish itself is not high tech and if you follow the recipe it's actually easy to make. Roti John is a melting dish between Asian flavor and western looking baguette slices.

Let's put it this way, it resembles more a South East Asian Sandwich or Burger.. Well, according to local legend, sometime in the 1960s an Englishman asked a Malay hawker in Sembawang for a hamburger.

Because hamburgers were not available, as a substitute, the ingenious hawker spread minced mutton and onions between slices of French loaf and fried the concoction in egg. The name for the dish is also attributed to this anonymous hawker, who was overheard saying to the customer, “Silakan makan roti, John”, which literally translates as “Please eat this bread, John”, but can also be understood as “Please eat this dish, John’s bread”.

Although roti john is often classified as Malay cuisine, partly because it is usually offered by Malay stalls, its origins, ingredients and taste meld together the diverse flavours of the English, Malay and Indian communities. The dish is sometimes considered as being of Indian origin possibly because Shukor, the hawker who popularised it, was of Indian ancestry. 

In the 1970s, Shukor set up stall at the Taman Serasi hawker centre near the Botanic Gardens serving Eurasians and Caucasians, many of whom frequented the nearby Tanglin Club. Shukor obtained the recipe for roti john from a fellow hawker in Geylang and began offering the dish at his stall in 1976. Shukor’s recipe for the dish contains up to 30 eggs beaten with onions, minced mutton and sambal (minced chilli). Some of the mixture is slathered onto sliced halves of a local bread loaf similar to the French baguette, then pan-fried on a hot griddle. So popular was the dish that Shukor sold up to 800 loaves on weekends and over 100 plates a day at his Taman Serasi stall.

Shukor’s innovation is considered the original roti john by some and his eatery remains the benchmark for the dish. After his death, his wife, Khadijah bt Mohd Salleh, continued running the stall. The stall, Shukor Makanan Istimewa, originally located at Number 9 Taman Serasi Food Centre, made the hawker centre synonymous with roti john. When the hawker centre underwent changes in 2001, the stall moved to the Serangoon Garden Market where roti john is still sold by Shukor's daughter Noriani Shukor.

Today, roti john is served throughout the Malay Peninsula, with variations in Malacca and Penang that use toppings of sardines or ikan bilis (anchovies) rather than meat.

The Dish itself…

Sometimes called Singapore's version of the burger, roti john is made using a local bread loaf similar to the French baguette, but shorter in length and with rounded ends and a softer texture. Good roti john is considered to be crispy on the outside, while the meat and egg mixture remains soft and the onions crunchy. It is usually served in bite-sized slices with green chilies, tomato sauce and sweet chilli sauce on the side. Variations on this dish use chicken, beef or sardines instead of mutton. More recent innovations include adding melted cheese and mushrooms to the topping. The Malaccan version of this dish uses longer bread with a topping mainly of sardines and ikan bilis with onions, eggs and chili.

Here are some top spots to find delicious Roti John in Singapore:

1. Golden Mile Food CentreStall: Syed Roti John
Known for its generous portions and unique sauces, Syed Roti John is a well-loved stall at Golden Mile Food Centre. Address: 505 Beach Rd, #B1-53 Golden Mile Food Centre, Singapore 199583

2. Hajah Maimunah RestaurantThis popular spot serves Malay and Indonesian dishes, including an excellent Roti John that’s a bit more premium in quality.
Address: 11 Jalan Pisang, Singapore 199078

3. Adam Road Food CentreStall: Victory Roti John
Adam Road Food Centre has long been a go-to place for late-night snacks, and Victory Roti John here is well-known for its flavorful and saucy take on the dish.
Address: 2 Adam Rd, Singapore 289876

4. Bedok Corner Food CentreStall: Ramly Burger Roti John
A bit different in style, Ramly Burger Roti John offers a Malaysian-inspired twist with flavorful spices and unique seasoning.
Address: 1 Bedok Rd, Singapore 469572

5. Old Airport Road Food CentreStall: Roti John King
Known for a variety of Roti John options, Roti John King serves crispy and satisfying Roti Johns in different styles.
Address: 51 Old Airport Rd, Singapore 390051

Each location has its own flavor profile, so trying a few will give you a taste of different variations Singapore has to offer!

Hainanese Chicken Rice

Authentic Hainanese Chicken Rice

Chicken rice is a dish of Chinese origin and most commonly associated with Hainanese, Malaysian and Singaporean cuisines. Foreigners love to have chicken rice when they travel to South East Asia. Well, instead of writing how good it is, why don’t you try to buy the ingredients and test it yourself in your home? An interesting fact is that every region in South East Asia has it's own regional variety. This post would not be long enough to mention all types of chicken rice. Roasted or non roasted, all chicken rice have it's own distinct flavor and are yummi! The differences in regional varieties are highlighted further down at the bottom. The video shows in practice step by step on how to prepare authentic Hainanese Chicken Rice.

I had the opportunity to eat chicken rice back in Europe, I can tell you that its by far not the same nor authentic as it is in Singapore or Malaysia. So, if you ever decide to pass by again, I’d recommend purchasing the ingredients in Asia locally. Hainanese Chicken Rice is considered as one of the national dish of Singapore and is often served everywhere from school canteens, hawker stalls or other outlets island wide.

Ingredients:

One whole kampung chicken
70 ml sesame oil
60 ml light soy sauce
Pandan leaves
60 ml of concentrated chicken stock
Sliced ginger
Finely chopped GarlicRice
Cooking Oil
Chicken fat
Salt
Shallot oilChili
1/3 chili padi
fresh lime
one red chili
chicken broth
minced ginger

All time favorite

Prepare chicken stock by boiling chicken bones in water for at least 1 hour (the longer you boil the better). Bring another pot of water to boil, making sure that there is enough water so that the entire chicken can be submerged. Once the water is boiling, put all the ingredients listed above into the boiling water. Next, dip the chicken into the boiling water and dip it a few times until the skin is cooked. Once the skin is cooked, leave the chicken under the water to cook. This is to ensure that the skin does not break. The cooking time is about 30 minutes for a 1.5kg chicken. Ensure that the water be kept just below the boiling point during the entire cooking process. Once chicken is cooked, put the chicken immediately into cool water for a few minutes. This will stop the cooking process and ensure that the meat will remain tender and the skin crunchy.

To cook the rice, combine the concentrated chicken stock and the other ingredients listed above with enough water from the chicken broth to cover the rice. The water level should be as per the normal levels for cooking white rice. Cook the rice as per the normal method. 

To prepare chili sauce, first squeeze the lime to obtain fresh lime juice. Next, blend the ingredients in a blender until it is fluid and smooth. Finally, add some salt and sugar to taste and mix thoroughly. 

Enjoy your chicken rice! 

Hainanese Chicken Rice in Singapore

The Regional Variations of Chicken Rice

CHICKEN RICE SINGAPORE

The prevalence of stalls selling Hainanese chicken rice as their primary specialty in Singapore underscores the dish's popularity amongst Singaporeans and overseas visitors. Hainanese chicken rice is considered one of the national dishes of Singapore and is often served at international expositions and global events abroad, and in Singaporean-run restaurants overseas. Hainanese chicken rice is also one of the few local dishes served on Singapore Airlines flights.

In Singapore, Hainanese chicken rice is served everywhere from school canteens, hawker stalls to major restaurants. There are Hainanese chicken rice stalls that have established franchise or branch outlets, and these include Five Star Hainanese Chicken Rice, Boon Tong Kee, Loy Kee, Wee Nam Kee and others which have many outlets island wide. It is very common to find Rice Balls in such chain eateries. The price range is around S$ 2.50–4.50 (the latter if the dish includes a drumstick). Most stalls serve extras such as braised dark soy hard boiled egg, chicken liver, braised dark soy firm tofu (Tau-kwa) and kai-lan with oyster sauce as side dishes and a bowl of plain chicken stock soup. The choice of white (steamed) or roasted chicken is commonly available at almost all eateries.

Hainanese-owned coffee shops tend to serve a variety of Hainanese cuisine, with chicken rice being the main highlight. Other Hainanese dishes include pork chop, vegetables, fish, eggs and char siew. Most of these shops are air-conditioned, and are mainly concentrated at Purvis Street and Seah Street.The dish was popularized in Singapore in the 1950s by Moh Lee Twee, whose Swee Kee Chicken Rice Restaurant operated from 1947 to 1997.

CHICKEN RICE IN MALAYSIA

In Malaysia, Hainanese chicken rice is also called nasi ayam (not to be confused with nasi lemak); nasi means rice and ayam means chicken in Bahasa Malaysia. Most chicken rice vendors in the country also offer an alternative of roasted chicken instead of the regular poached or steamed chicken. Other variations include a BBQ version or also a honey-roasted choice.

Some restaurants offer Guangxi-style white cut chicken as part of the chicken rice experience. An important heritage dish for Malaysian Chinese descended from immigrants from Guangxi province, it is always served during festive or special occasions. The chicken is drenched prior to serving with nam, a sauce prepared with chopped garlic chives, ginger, sesame oil, and soy sauce.

In Malacca, the chicken rice is served as rice balls rather than a bowl of rice, commonly known as Chicken rice balls. Steamed rice is shaped into golf ball-sized orbs and served alongside the chopped chicken. This dish is eaten the same way as the regular version, making sure to get a portion of chicken, some rice and the soy and chili condiment into each mouthful. Older chefs argue that the rice was originally shaped into balls because it needed to be kept warm from the time it was cooked (often earlier in the day) until mealtime. The rice balls, when stored in wooden containers, apparently stayed warm for a longer time. The other theory is that the rice balls were more portable and were easier for laborers working on plantations to transport from home. Today, rice balls are appreciated more as a novelty than anything else.

Bean sprouts chicken (ngah choi kai) of Ipoh, Malaysia, is a related dish. The chicken is served with blanched bean sprouts and white rice instead of seasoned rice. This is a very popular version of the rice and many other chicken rice stalls have slowly followed it by adding bean sprouts along with the chicken. The chicken rice dish can also be further accompanied by a simple pork meatball soup. In addition to that, various hawkers also sell a variety of chicken innards – gizzard, liver, intestines – which are also equally popular for chicken rice lovers.

Chicken rice, or nasi ayam, is also very popular with the Malay community, with the dish adapted to suit the Malay liking for spicier and more robustly flavored food. The chicken is steamed and then fried or roasted, although this usually results in a drier texture for the chicken meat. The chili condiment has also been modified: less garlic and ginger are used, and tamarind juice is added to the condiment for a tangier taste. Chicken rice has become extremely popular among Muslims in Malaysia such that certain food stalls can survive very well by serving only Chicken rice.

CHICKEN RICE IN THAILAND

Hainanese chicken rice is a common dish in Thailand where it is called khao man kai, literally meaning "chicken-oil rice". The chickens used in Thailand for this dish can be free-range chickens of local breeds, resulting in a leaner and tastier dish, but increasingly meat chickens from large-scale poultry farms are being used. Khao man kai is served with a garnish of cucumbers and occasionally chicken blood tofu and fresh coriander, along with a bowl of nam sup, a clear chicken broth that often contains sliced daikon. The accompanying sauce is most often made with tauchu (also known as yellow soybean paste), thick soy sauce, chili, ginger, garlic, and vinegar.

One famous Bangkok neighborhood for Khao man kai is Pratunam in Ratchathewi district, located near to Platinum Fashion Mall, CentralWorld, and Ratchaprasong Intersection. Several restaurants in Pratunam received Bib Gourmand awards from the 2018 Michelin Guide. It has been reported that these restaurants are especially popular amongst Hong Kong, Japanese, and Taiwanese tourists. Khao man kai is also well known in other areas, including Bang Sue, Talat Phlu, Yaowarat, and Phasi Charoen near Bang Wa BTS station and Phyathai 3 Hospital including various places viz Thanon Tok near Rama III Bridge, Thong Lor on Sukhumvit Road, Wat Suthiwararam School, Yan Nawa, Bang Kapi, Wat Saket and Saphan Kwai neighborhoods etc.

Chickens, Start Your Own Chicken Coop Today!

Mankind has enjoyed a unique relationship with the chicken from time immemorial. No other animal has provided such intelligent, loyal service in producing egg's, chicken manure and meat. It's estimated that an astonishing number of chickens of approximately 40Bn. end up in yearly food production. e.g. chicken wings, feets and chicken breast etc.

Another interesting aspect that most of us don't know is the fact that domesticated chickens have been bred by humans from Asian jungle fowl. The chicken is the closest known relative to the great Tyrannosaurus-Rex.

Differences in terrain, climate and man's requirements have shaped and developed the wide variety of types and breeds of chicken existing today. There are hundreds of chicken breeds in existence, some are exclusively meant for meat production whereas some others are better egg producers. 

An interesting list of chicken breeds can be tracked in Wikipedia under: Summary of Chicken Breeds around the World

Many breeds were selected and are used primarily for producing eggs, these are mostly light-weight birds whose hens do not go broody often. The most interesting breeds that are used for egg production are the following breeds of chicken: The Ameraucana, Ancona, Andalusian, Araucana, Asturian Painted Hen, Barnevelder, Campine, Catalana, Easter Egger, Egyptian Fayoumi, Norwegian Jærhøne, Kraienköppe (Twentse), Lakenvelder, Leghorn, Marans, Minorca, Orloff, Penedesenca, Sicilian Buttercup, White-Faced, Black Spanish and Welsummer.

Most farms and homesteads use dual-purpose breeds for meat production. Some breeds are raised mainly for meat: Bresse, Inxworth, Cornish and Jersey Giant


How much does it cost to raise backyard chickens?

The good news is chickens are really not that expensive to keep and there are lots of ways to cut costs and save money. This article will give you an idea of how much you can expect to fork out for the chickens and their basic needs, as well as some ongoing costs. Let's say your starting small, with only 3 hens. The estimated and approximate costs would be:

Chickens: $3.00 to $30.00 per chicken depending on breed and age.

Coop: $50.00 (secondhand/recycled) to $600.00 (new)

Feed approximately $15.00 per month.

Miscellaneous $10.00 per month.

More than just financially the challenging part will be the amount of time that you will be investing in the upkeep. Don't forget once school holidays start, you will need someone to take care after your chickens and upkeep the coop and surroundings. But all other than that dedication and affection to your daily job is key to success. The chickens will compensate the keeper in return with fresh and healthy eggs!

What else is important to have ?

Hanging feeder:

Chickens will eat out of anything you put in front of them, but using plastic ware or metal bowls means you’ll be refilling them all too often. Plastic or galvanized steel hanging feeders are inexpensive and can be found in a variety of sizes to accommodate any size brood. I have a 15-pound capacity hopper and only need to refill it about once a week. The other advantage of the hanging feeder is that it positions the feed high enough off the ground to protect it from moisture and rodents and also cuts down on the mess made by sloppy chickens.

Natural Chicken Poop Smell Removal

Waterer: 

Keeping fresh water available to the flock is essential. Chickens can only survive a couple of days without hydration, so forgetting to refill an undersized bowl every day can spell catastrophe. Large capacity waterers are inexpensive and easy to use, but I can do you one better. An automatic dog waterer connected to a garden hose will provide consistently fresh water and completely eliminates the need to refill. Mount the dish six inches or so from the ground to keep grit or bedding from being kicked into the bowl. Make sure it’s sturdy. Chickens love to perch and the edge of the waterer is as good a place as any for an indiscriminate chicken.

Utility lamp: 

Chickens do just fine in cold weather, but they aren’t going to complain if you throw a little more heat their way with an overhead lamp. In the the winter months, when daylight is at a premium, a light left on in the coop will also encourage egg production.

A wonderful hobby

Raising your own chicken is a fun thing to do and you will get fresh eggs every day. It also teaches your children to become responsible. Instead of just letting the kids spend most of their time watching television or Play-station you could get them involved in maintaining your mini farm. This way, as young as they are, they are already giving their own chores which teach them how to handle a bit of responsibility. I know it's easier said than done but this could be a good alternative to pass most of your time more productively.