Sarawak Hawker Cuisine, Willetton, Western Australia (Alissa and Don Eat Australia)

As much as we love trying new restaurants and visiting unexplored areas in unassuming suburbs, Alissa and I also keep a selection of local restaurants on rotation as regulars for the nights we can't be bothered to cook or drive any great distance away from home. Kai has always been our most visited go-to, however our restaurant of choice for the Singapore/Malaysian Hawker niche has been in a state of flux over the two years. Initially, we used to go to Bull Creek Hawker until we discovered Kitchen Inn, however we felt that the standard of food and service dropped significantly after Kitchen Inn moved to a bigger premises. Thankfully, a tip off lead us to Ah Mei Cafe, which became a fortnightly favourite for their handmade Bakmie Special noodles. Unfortunately, we found that Ah Mei was recently sold and the new owners no longer offer the handmade noodles we used to know and love. Having recently picked up the Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Guide, I read about a recently opened Hawker restaurant in Willetton that specialised in Kolo Mee and Chicken Rice. Both amongst our personal favourite dishes, Alissa and I decided we had to given this new restaurant a try. What started as a single visit has ended up being more than a few occasions, even bringing my parents along to get their opinion last weekend.

Sgt Chicken Rice Tung Chung, Hong Kong (Alissa and Don Eat Asia Day 2, Part 2)

Shopping on Hong Kong can be expensive. In our first few days in Hong Kong Alissa looked around dejectedly at the big brand shops that dominate the main shopping precincts of Nathan Road and Central, and felt she just couldn't afford anything. For this reason, a visit to the Citygate Outlet Store in Tun Chung is well worth it, given that many of these same name brands are well represented here but at a much lower price. And while you're there, it helps to know that you can have a decent meal, too.

During my last visit to Hong Kong the taxi driver taking us to our hotel had struck up a conversation with my parents, and upon hearing that they were originally from Singapore informed them that very good chicken rice could be had in the Food Republic food court in Citygate.

The shop is called Sgt. Chicken Rice, and is located to the centre-left of the food hall. From what I can tell Sgt. Chicken Rice is a Singaporean chicken rice chain that can be found in Food Republic food courts in Singapore, too.

We ordered the traditional chicken rice. There must have been some breakdown in communication, as instead of the white steamed chicken of traditional chicken rice, we were given the brown barbecued variety. Not wanting to make a fuss, we accepted the order and took it to our table.

As with my previous experience, the chicken rice did no disappoint. The chicken rice was flavoursome, with the ginger and chilli sauces spot on for what I expect for the dish. The really hero of chicken rice is the chicken however, and this always the real test. While not the chicken I had actually wanted, the texture of the meat had the same silky, melt in your mouth quality I expect from good quality chicken rice.

The Verdict: Very Good
It may seem strange to recommend a chain store in Hong Kong for chicken rice, but Sgt. Chicken Rice is to my mind better than many chicken rice stores I've eaten at in Singapore – I've queued for supposedly amazing chicken rice in Singapore that was a let down in comparison! I wouldn't make it a mission to eat here, but if heading to Lantau Island, shopping at the Citygate Outlet or simply in the area, Sgt. Chicken Rice is a cheap and satisfying eat.