Mandarin Chicken Rice at PappaMia

Recent news stories have pointed out how the PappaMia chain has hired a former Meritus Mandarin chef, which effectively said that Chatterbox-like chicken rice was now available out on River Valley Road (429 River Valley Road, 6887-5055), right next to Boon Tong Kee and Five Star. I haven't been to Chatterbox enough to really remember what it tasted like, but it certainly looked the part with all of its individualized porcelainware. Either way, I liked the fragrantly flavored rice - almost to the point where I wish I had another bowl.

But the rest didn't really stick out too much. The chili sauce was more of a straightforward sambal rather than the usual chili-lime-garlic combo. The chicken was tender, but not very generously portioned. And the soup was my least favorite of them all, as it tasted more of roasted shallots rather than chicken itself. But hey - at least they included a sprig of cilantro, even if there wasn't much sesame oil. Yes, I'll come back here; it's a nice break from the other two guys down the street, and it sure is cheaper than Chatterbox, after all.