Lou Yau Kee

The Hainanese chicken rice is nice. And the chicken is tender. Also, got the roasted chicken. Just as tender. Of course, the Hainanese chicken rice stall in Singapore, on average, are better than Lau Yau Kee. But we are in the US. Guess this is as good as it gets stateside.

Because Lou Yau Kee is located in the UrbanSpace food hall, it may hard to find a seat during the peak lunch hours. I tried the combination chicken rice and I prefer the original poached chicken to the roast chicken. But both were very tender and succulent. The rice, cooked in the broth, was flavorful. However, at $20.80 (plus tax), it seemed pricey even for “large” order.

Got the inside track on Lou Yau Kee thanks to people I love being friends with the owner, and, well, let's just say they deserve every bit of hype they've gotten. It's sad so many people had to discover them through Eater, but better late than never, I guess. Yes, the Poached Chicken is divine for all you Hainan chicken lovers, but the real star of the show is the silky, delectable Roasted Chicken, bursting with soy glory. The Lemon Chicken was crisp and tasty (though not my general cup of tea), while the piping hot Laksa was one of the best I've had (including from two trips to Malaysia). I might be slightly biased on these last two items though, as we got them for free, haha. Oh and the red chili sauce is what I imagine God's chili sauce tastes like. Perfection.

One of the best Hainan Chicken. The chicken is tender, the ginger and spicy sauce are good as well.

Best roasted chicken I've ever had in NYC. The roasted chicken (5/5) is intensely moist, and soft. The poached chicken is equally delicious (5/5). The sauces they also give you are absolutely scrumptious as well. The greens are also very well cooked and tasty. Highly recommend!