Jia Yuen Eating House’s Salted Egg Yolk Buttermilk Chicken Rice Review

Last Updated on 2020-02-17 , 5:24 pm

Reader: Did someone say Jia Yuen Eating House? IS THIS WHAT I THINK IT IS?

Oh, yes.

If you clicked on this article with a semblance of recognition and amazement in your eyes, you’ve reached the right place.

This here is Jia Yuen Eating House’s legendary Salted Egg Yolk Buttermilk chicken rice that most, if not all, NSFs and regulars would have enjoyed at one point or another.

And it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that it’s the food that connects every Force together either. The Commandos have it; the Air Force have it; the Infantry have it.

Truly, it’s a national treasure (in my opinion anyway).

Having enjoyed it myself on multiple occasions throughout my NSF career, I’ve always wanted to pen an article on it.

But the opportunity never quite materialised, until today, when my boss finally gave the go ahead.

Right there, at that instant, I knew; it’s finally time to give this salted egg grail the publicity Jia Yuen Eating House deserves.

But don’t worry; this review will be pretty unbiased, so you, the consumer, can get the full picture.

So without further ado, let us review the myth. The legend.

The sacred salted egg yolk buttermilk chicken rice.

First impression

I pre-ordered it in advance, seeing how the delivery service’s limited to one man (the boss himself) and how popular the salted egg buttermilk chicken rice (SEBCR) is.

And it came promptly on the dot.

Packaged in the routine tze char kind of boxes, the fragrance seeps through the container and invades my nose buds.

Here’s how it looks like, packaged:

And how it looks like, unpackaged:

Now, I’m aware that it doesn’t look the most appetizing, but really, the lighting and photographer’s skills just don’t do justice to the visuals.

Apart from that, the fragrance is astonishing. I’d live in Jia Yuen Eating House if I could. The salted egg’s aroma just hits you right in the face, tempting you, seducing you.

And you can just smell a bit of that familiar creamy smell you might have noticed in butter or milk, and I must say it gels up pretty well.

Taste test

My SEBMCR-loving buddy in army always said this: “There are a lot of good things in life. Topping that list has got to be the first few bites of this delicacy.”

And he wasn’t kidding.

Coated in generous dollops of salted egg and buttermilk, the fried chicken pieces practically melt in your mouth.

What else could you expect eating at Jia Yuen Eating House? The egg’s well-cooked and complements the dish; the rice, mixed with the sauce, tastes like heaven.

It’s so sinful, and yet at the same time so darn delicious. It’s like it’s perfect, you know.

Except that, well… it’s not. And I’m not just talking about the calorie and fat content in one single serving.

So if you recall, my buddy mentioned that the first few bites pretty much amounted to heaven. If you wondered why it was only applicable to the first few bites, well… here’s the thing:

It gets pretty jelak (sick of something due to overindulgence).

And it makes sense: salted egg yolk on its own is already pretty heavy on the stomach; add in buttermilk and you got double the whammy.

And the fact that the packet comes in a pretty big serving doesn’t really help either.

There’s a lot of sauce; there’s a lot of chicken; there’s a lot of rice. Everything comes in generous portions. Although we ain’t complaining coz it’s value for money.

Anyway, before long, you’ll probably feel something like this:

It’s like being lost at sea and trying to swim across the shore, but not quite having the energy or motivation to do so. So you’re just stranded there, treading water, not quite wanting to swim but still have to do so. – Salted Egg Man

Yet, despite swearing not to eat it ever again after (somehow) finishing the whole packet, we still order it next time. There’s just something about it that keeps you coming back, despite how ‘heavy’ the process might get. Like a marathon, I guess?

So our advice? If you have a big appetite, go for one whole packet. If you have a relatively small appetite, share one packet with another individual. Trust me; even by sharing, you’re probably going to feel damn full.

You can watch a Facebook video we’ve done for this dish, too (yes, seriously, we’ve got NSmen from the Army, Navy and Air Force, though of course more are from the Army):

Final Verdict?

Go for it. Head down to Jia Yuen Eating House now. This is one of those special things you have to try at least once in your life. 

Who knows; you might just be stuck with an all-new addiction too. Though healthier than the other market addictions, I must add.

Incidentally, there are two methods of procuring it if you wish to:

1. Head to their physical outlet and enjoy it. Incidentally, this one’s highly advised because everything’s 100% piping hot, and the sauce’s practically still oozing everywhere. However, the place’s slightly inaccessible 
2. Delivery. You can reach out to them, and the boss will personally deliver it to you. 

Price: $8 per packet at their physical outlet. $8.50++ for delivery (depends on order pax)

Address: 15 Crane Rd, Singapore 429359 (nearest MRT: Paya Lebar/ Eunos MRT)

Delivery hotline: 9712 0259

Facebook page: Jia Yuen Eating House

Enjoy 🙂