Features
SingaporeanSingaporean food is remarkably diverse. But few dishes encapsulate the country’s culinary identity quite like Hainanese chicken rice, one of Singapore’s unofficial national dishes, driving countless hawker stalls and even an entire restaurant chain dedicated to it: Wee Nam Kee.
More than three decades after opening in 1989, the brand arrived in Melbourne CBD with a soft launch in 2026. It has outlets across Singapore, Indonesia, Japan and the Philippines, but this is its first Australian location. The franchise has been introduced by JC Hospitality Group, which also operates Japanese chain Nana’s Green Tea.
While chicken rice appears on the menus of many Malaysian restaurants and a handful of Singaporean ones, it’s often a supporting act. Here, it’s the main event. Wee Nam Kee’s recipe has been refined over decades, with recipe development going back to 1987, and Melbourne staff travelled to Singapore for training before opening. The dishes follow the same specifications as the overseas stores, with some ingredients imported from Singapore.
The signature plate pairs chicken poached in chicken-bone broth with fragrant rice cooked in chicken stock and infused with pandan, garlic and ginger. It’s served alongside house-made chilli and ginger sauces, and a cup of the chicken-bone broth.
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