In reference to the letter "Hainan food for thought" (November 6), I must disagree that Hainan Island has everything to do with Hainan chicken. I feel I am qualified to comment as, besides being a huge fan, I was born in Malaysia, grew up in Singapore and have roamed Hainan looking for this dish.
I believe Singapore has the best version, and am consistently disappointed with the various versions I have tried in Hong Kong and the mainland.
When I first started going to Hainan for business, I started looking for the stuff, thinking this must be the best place to get the most authentic version. I would ask the locals where the best "Hainanese chicken rice" could be found, only to get blank stares. The only place I was able to find this dish was at the Meritus Mandarin Hotel in Haikou, which, guess what, is Singaporean owned.
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The closest thing I can gather is that this dish was invented in Southeast Asia by Hainanese restaurant and coffee shopowners who immigrated from Hainan Island and then, over time, became a local phenomenon.
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