'I'm afraid of the gamey taste': Chicken rice hawkers see falling sales as customers snub frozen chicken

Fresh, frozen or chilled? It seems as if Singaporeans have quite the discerning taste buds when it comes to their chicken.

With recent chicken supply issues pushing hawkers to switch from fresh chicken to chilled or frozen chicken, business has dropped markedly for some stalls, Shin Min Daily News reported yesterday (June 6).

The pivot away from fresh chicken was necessitated by Malaysia's chicken export ban, which kicked in on June 1.

According to the Singapore Food Agency, Malaysia accounted for about 34 per cent of Singapore's chicken imports in 2021. It also said on May 23 that it would be increasing exports of chilled and frozen chicken from alternative sources.

At Tai Weng Hainanese Chicken Rice in Chinatown Complex Food Centre, business has halved, owner Lee Leong Chee told Shin Min Daily News.

The 63-year-old has been using chilled chicken since the export ban and maintains that there is "still a bit of a difference" in the quality as compared to fresh meat.

To make matters worse, his costs have increased as he is now paying $6 for a kilogram of chicken, up from $4.

With the increase in his costs, he had to stop selling the smaller $2.50 portion on his menu, he said. Now, the stall only sells $3.00 portions.

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Meanwhile, Poh Kee Chicken Rice at Block 206 Toa Payoh North says its business has dropped by 20 per cent. As poached chicken typically requires fresh chicken, the stall has had to stop selling it for the moment. It has also switched to using chilled chicken for its roast chicken rice dish.

"Many members of the public know that chicken rice stalls are out of fresh chickens, so they will choose to eat something else. That's why we started temporarily selling wanton mee to help add to our sales," the owner said.

Fortunately, its wanton noodle sales have been brisk.

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Over at the famous Tian Tian Chicken Rice, sales of its signature poached chicken dish will cease temporarily once its fresh chicken stocks run out, it confirmed on June 2.

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It will focus on selling roasted chicken rice, as well as other side dishes, as there is "no way" it can use frozen chicken for poaching. The stall's founder Foo Kui Lian, 73, explained to 8days.sg that the texture will be less than desirable.

Is there really a difference in taste, though? Well, some customers Shin Min Daily News spoke to say that they can't seem to get behind chilled or frozen chicken. 

One said of chilled chicken: "I personally am afraid of this type of gamey taste, so I will choose to eat it roasted or add more chilli sauce to cover up the taste."

However, others are just happy to have chicken on the table, fresh or not. 

One woman said: "Many chicken rice stalls still make it tasty, no matter if they're using fresh or frozen chicken."

kimberlylim@asiaone.com