Moh Swee Kee at High Street Centre: The chicken rice stall with a legacy behind its name

What comes to mind when someone asks you for a dish that represents Singapore?

Hainanese Chicken Rice was one that definitely popped up in your mind, didn’t it? This simple yet iconic dish has undoubtedly cemented itself as a true Singapore staple, and let’s be honest, it’s the go-to lunch (or sometimes even breakfast) for many of us locals. You could say its grains have ingrained themselves in us...

So what’s so special about the star of this Unique Find? Here’s the lowdown: unbeknownst to us, there’s a long, tension-laced backstory behind this OG Hainanese chicken rice name. But we'd be spotlighting the food. Stay with us... we’ll peel back the full story as we go.

All we wanted that gloomy afternoon was a quick, satisfying lunch near the office.

The unanimous answer was something hearty enough to recharge us with the power of carbohydrates. That led us to our neighbouring building, High Street Centre, where the entrance buzzed with office workers queuing for Indian food. Tempting, sure, but we were after somewhere quieter, a spot where we could dig in without delay, because our stomachs were starting to sound like a girl band.

It was our first time there, and we were pleasantly surprised by the building’s unexpected charm behind its unassuming exterior. While roaming the corridors in search of salvation for our collective hunger, we passed eye-catching tinted glass ceilings and marble stairwells, all encompassing the echoes of the lunch crowd dispersing back to their offices.

And then, it hit us: that familiar, unmistakable aroma of chicken rice wafting from a corner of the basement. A whiff, a glance, a eureka moment: we’d found our lunch spot.

We scanned the humble, old-school space of Moh Swee Kee for a seat and settled on a prime location. The place had a homely vibe too, with its wooden table and comfortably cushioned seats that made us feel like we were hosted in someone's living room.

My colleagues each went for the classic one-person Chicken Rice set with breast meat ($6), while I went for the Egg Fried Rice combo with ABC soup ($9)—thanks to the cold weather. To be clear, the shop I ordered from shares the same space as Moh Swee Kee's shop, but is actually a separate business entity.

When my colleagues returned with their trays, I was genuinely taken aback by the generous serving. The set was practically a platter that included steamed chicken breast drenched in sauce and topped with coriander, golden-tinted rice, a handful of bean sprouts with dried shallots, a fragrant bowl of broth, and a duo of deeply coloured condiments. Can't say I wasn't a little jealous of that affordable feast.

This spread costs only $6!

From their harmonious hums of approval, the FOMO kicked in, and I had to give it a try. I’ll admit I was sceptical about the steamed chicken breast at first but it completely surprised us. Served cold, like traditional Hainanese chicken, it was tender and juicy, with an umami punch from the salty sauce.

Cold Hainanese Chicken Breast

Then, I sipped the broth, which had a thin layer of chicken oil, yet tasted light and pretty neutral. It leans towards the blander side, but in a way that nicely balances the savoury richness of the chicken rice.

What truly impressed me from this platter (that wasn’t even mine) was the rice and the condiments. The ginger chilli in particular swept me off my feet! It was slightly sweet, aromatic, punchy, and the right amount of tangy. If they sold it by the bottle, I’d definitely buy it.

As for the bean sprouts with dried shallots, I’ll be honest, I’m not a bean sprout fan, so I skipped them. But based on my colleagues’ muffled praise-filled commentary mid-bites, they were crunchy, fresh, and generously topped with shallots and oyster sauce.

Now finally, onto my long-awaited meal. My dish was exactly how a good egg fried rice would taste: a hint of wok hey, silky eggy bites, crunchy spring onions, and gloriously oily grains. It even came with a dollop of sambal that added more dimension to the simple dish.

I wanted to palate-cleanse and wash down the greasiness (which I was enjoying, don't get me wrong) with the ABC soup that was served in a unique steel mug. But the lid? Shockingly hot so please be careful if you're opting for the combo with soups. The soup was delicately savoury without veering into the overly sweet territory that some ABC soups fall into.

There were chunky pieces of potato, carrot, corn, onion and even pork ribs. Pairing it with the egg fried rice made it such a heartwarming dish duo. If it wasn't obvious enough, this was a wildly successful blind buy for me!

In between each spoonful, our eyes were glued to the TV screen, which led us down a rabbit hole of Moh Swee Kee, and their part in the Swee Kee "saga", so to speak.

We quickly learnt that this wasn’t just any Hainanese chicken rice stall. It’s reportedly one of several “branch-descendants” of Swee Kee, the pioneering hawker who helped popularise this iconic dish and earned a reputation as one of Singapore’s top Hainanese chicken rice masters.

Initially, we were intrigued by the logo at the front of the shop of a lady in a wheelchair, wondering about her story.

We later discovered that the logo depicts Jass Lee, believed to be the grandniece of Swee Kee’s founder, Moh Lee Twee. In 2010, she lost her leg in a car accident that also took her husband’s life. Even so, she resolved to continue the chicken rice legacy in her own way.

Jass’ own relationship with her half-sibling, Joseph Tan, has been complicated; Joseph had earlier registered the business name “Swee Kee.”

After contemplating the matter for two nights, Jass chose to incorporate “Moh” into her version of the Swee Kee name, drawing directly from her family heritage.

Suddenly, everything clicked. No wonder this random spot we chanced upon tasted so overwhelmingly good. Our combined food luck was truly at play that day, bringing us to a spot that still carries the very same flavours ur parents might have savoured in their youth.

One thing's for sure: this won't be the team's last visit. And if you are curious about how Hainanese Chicken Rice would've tasted back in 1949, do head down to Moh Swee Kee for an affordable trip back in time!

📍1 North Bridge Rd, B1-11, Singapore 179094