Young Master Chicken Rice — Restaurant in Adelaide

To say I grew up eating Hainanese Chicken Rice is putting it mildly. As one of the earliest Asian dishes i can remember eating with family, Hainanese Chicken Rice has always been an anchoring point for my love of Asian food growing up. Whether it be from Kopi Tim, Ricky’s or any of the other dozens of Chicken Rice purveyors in Adelaide, my experiences with Chicken Rice have been many and varied, and yet, each one of them comforting and delicious - a true taste of my childhood and formative years. So to see Young Master Chicken Rice open up in the Central Markets food court, I relished the prospect of a new Chicken Rice establishment to try. Little did I know, Young Master Chicken Rice would not only be a serviceable replacement for Ricky’s (the previous Chicken Rice restaurant in the food court), but also be so good as to blow all other Haianese Chicken Rice on offer in Adelaide out of the water.

The eponymous Chicken Rice here is frankly second to none; tender, juicy chicken which practically melts in your mouth is complimented by a number of different dipping sauces, each with their own distinct tastes complementing the dish perfectly. Served with the expected (but nonetheless delicious) broth and rice, naturally. The sides are not to be missed either - the crackling pork (available as both main and side) is rich and fatty while still providing a teeth shattering crunch, and the fried chicken wings are a standout, with a crispy fried outside giving way to massively flavourful meat within. Alongside these, weekly specials are on offer (this weeks grilled pork jowl was frankly too good to be true), and other mainstays on the menu such as slow braised pork leg and crispy skin chicken and noodles - all of which stand on their own as fantastic additions to an already stellar offering on the menu.

On top of that, the staff are fantastic. Having visited twice, the staff member taking orders remembered me upon visiting, noticing that I was working my way through each of the menu items over my multiple visits and made helpful suggestions. Order time is quick, with turnovers being even less than estimated. There’s a great active social media presence for the Young Master Chicken Rice Facebook page, too; with polls being held voting for different weekly specials, videos showing how specific menu items are made, and even helpful updates to let people know if an item sells out (which is no surprise, given the quality of it all!).

In summary, Young Master Chicken Rice truely lives up to its name. The food on offer is sheer perfection, and masterfully made. It’s no exaggeration to say I’ve literally been dreaming of my next visit.

10/10, 5 Stars, Could not recommend...

Tucked away in Chinatown's Market Plaza Food Court is Young Master Chicken Rice serving up some pretty good chicken and pork dishes. We just HAD to choose the Hainanese Chicken Rice and this one was pretty good. It's the Young Masters signature dish and there's been a lot of love and care taken into making this dish. The chicken was tender and the soup was full of flavour. I poured that soup on everything! The Crispy Skin Chicken was good too as well as the Crackling Pork Dry Noodles. The crackling was so crispy! It's a great place for a quick lunch.

Crackling Pork Dry Noodles Young Master Chicken Rice (Hainanese) Crispy Skin Chicken with Dry Noodles Chicken Wings Vegetarian Spring Rolls Pork Dumplings Fresh Mango, Pomelo...

We love Hainanese chicken and have been searching for our go-to in Adelaide. I have to say that this place is currently our top one. It is located inside the food court of Adelaide central market. We have opted for the OG Hainanese chicken (cold) in order to savour that gelatinous goodness. It was described as silky and they didn't lie. The home made sauces are great addition. Our favourite was the chilli sauce. We also had their fish ball soup - yummy! The fried chicken wings were crispy outside and moist inside. Dipping it on that sauce that comes with it was great. The lemon tea and milk tea drinks are not very sweet and perfect drinks. Highly recommend this place. Owner and staff are...