As I was casually perusing "The New York Times: 100 Best Restaurants in New York City" 2026 guide, I was intrigued by #85. Yes, I was gobsmacked by the inclusion of a Hainanese chicken rice spot on the list. You could've knocked me over with a rubber chicken because between you and me, I am psychotically persnickety about my poached chicken. There's only one other spot in Manhattan that comes close to right, Lou Yau Kee near Grand Central in Vanderbilt Market (review: https://yelp.to/r9kL8u4U2x). What's more, the best place in the country, in my humble opinion, is on the West Coast, Savoy Kitchen down in Alhambra (review: https://yelp.to/PV_p9p7bSg). Now you know why I bookmarked this place. Jamie W and I made a beeline to Hell's Kitchen before seeing "Ragtime" at Lincoln Center. It's not a big place, and surprisingly it wasn't busy given the recognition they received. The menu was very straightforward, just 14 dishes in all. I looked no further than the $18 Poached Chicken Rice (Photo 10). That's what I was here for. Chef/owner Ray Kiang knows this dish well because his father Sergeant Kiang perfected the recipe at Singapore's legendary Chatterbox restaurant back in 1971. He carried the tradition with poached chicken that was velvety and impossibly succulent and a broth that completely permeated the flavorful jasmine rice. It came with the expected cucumber slices, crispy onion, and a trio of obligatory housemade sauces - chili, minced ginger (my favorite), and dark soya (Photo 4). Jamie went for the $20 Duo Chicken Rice, which split the poultry portion between poached and roasted (Photo 8). Otherwise the dish was the same. Jamie let me have a bite of the roasted chicken, and while it was tasty, I preferred being a poached purist. Had we felt ravenous, we might've considered the $22 Trio Combo which adds slices of char siu. I'm sure everything they make is great because even the shredded chicken porridge sounded tempting. We're definitely coming back on our next NYC visit. FOOD - 5 stars...definitely one of the best Hainanese chicken rice plates I've had AMBIANCE - 4 stars...clean and compact SERVICE - 4.5 stars...very attentive and full of gratitude TOTAL - 5 stars...this one makes MY best-of list, too RELATED - Hungry in NYC? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://yelp.to/J6NfWclLG9 read more

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Overall rating: 4.0 Paid: $48 pp (total 2x) I saw this place on TikTok advertised as Singaporean food. I was excited to give it a try & it's clearly a very popular place, But when my friend and I ordered, I thought everything was just okay. A bit disappointed and don't think the food is for me. Items we ordered: - Char siu: 2/5 - very tough vs tender - Kailan: 5/5 - good - Mala chicken half: 1/5 - the chicken is just doused in chili oil, the chicken itself doesn't have any spice. In order to finish it, I ended up just removing the oil, washing the chicken and repurposing it - Side of white rice: 3/5 kinda wild that none of these dishes come with rice for the price I wanted to support a local biz, but don't think I'll be back. read more

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Needed a place to grab lunch with my foodie friend in town for a conference and noted Uncle Ray's was mentioned in the Times recently so decided to check it out. So glad we did. I got there early enough so we could have a table. Thought it would be wise to share items to give us a taste of this Singaporean Hainense cuisine, their specialty. Ordered a Trio Combo Chicken Rice and a side of Kailan (Chinese Broccoli). Everything was superb!!! From the excellent soup that came with our meal, the flavorful broth cooked jasmine rice, the poached chicken, roasted chicken and Char Sui barbecued pork, along with the soy, ginger and chili dipping sauces to the fantastic Kailan! Uncle Ray's deserves the praise. Look forward to returning to Uncle Ray's and recommend you checking it out! read more

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Went to try the roasted chicken rice and it was pretty good... loved the rice very flavorful and loved the soup.. and the dipping sauce !! The chicken was Soso to me kinda too soft for a roasted chicken read more

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I had a pleasure of trying this place in NYC and the line was so long but that's why it's good! We got trio plate and also a hainan chicken as well and it's perfectly seasoned and comes with reallt good comfort soup! The trio combo is a bit saltier for my liking but the boiled chicken was great. read more

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Ordered for takeout. Expensive for the portion. Rice was a little too moist for my liking. Chicken was a little dry. Wouldn't come back read more

Uncle Ray's - Singaporean Near Me - New York, New York

In my opinion, the marker of good Hainanese Chicken is the rice-- and Uncle Ray's succeeds here. The rice is flavorful without being heavy or greasy, and it's the perfect accompaniment to the tender poached chicken. As others have remarked, the poached chicken is better than the roasted chicken, but I'd hardly call the roast chicken dry. It's simply not as succulent as the poached chicken. Sauces are great, although not strictly necessary. We also tried the coffee ribs, which I'd pass on next time. The meat was tender enough, but definitely not fall-off-the-bone level, and the ribs were too heavy on sauce. Although this is a humble, no-frills, spot, the service was still efficient and friendly. I did not notice a bathroom, so bear that in mind. read more

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I have heard many positive reviews about this place, and my friend and I love Singaporean food. We waited for 20 minutes before getting seated, as it operates on a first-come, first-served basis. I ordered the Hainanese Chicken Rice, which was excellent--the chicken was very tender and melted in my mouth. However, the rice was a bit dry. The soup that came with the rice was delicious. We also tried the char siu, but it was quite tough and on the saltier side. read more

There are limited seating here so come early or order take out! We were lucky to grab a spot when we came around 5:30pm for dinner. We got the trio combo and the coffee ribs. The rice combo was delicious but the two of us weren't big fan of the coffee ribs. It was a nice simple meal! If you like Hainanese chicken, definitely don't sleep on this spot! read more

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The hainanese chicken here just tastes like a big warm hug. So juicy and just melts in your mouth. We also ordered the coffee pork ribs and the Gai Lan. We weren't huge fans of the ribs and would rather order another combo or chicken dish next time. I personally loved the soup they serve with the meal. It oddly tastes like Korean radish soup and I was a huge fan. Food came out quickly and the auntie was so friendly. Limited seating but it's super cozy and it feels like going to your grandparents' for food. read more

Uncle Ray's - Singaporean Near Me - New York, New York

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Walked in on a Saturday @ 7pm. No wait. Food: Soup was good. Coffee ribs were alright. At times a bit tough and the weakest thing from what we ordered. Trio: all were really good. I was a bit skeptical oft he cha siu at first but if I could do it again, I'd just order the trio 2x and the Gai Lan. Gai lan: decent. Good veggies. Ambiance: literally a hole in the wall with limited seating. Service: no frills. read more

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Visiting NY to see some friends! Ordered takeout because we came at a busy time... but still delicious! FLAVOR (4.8/5): 1. DUO CHICKEN RICE: I got the duo chicken rice, but in hindsight, I wish I had gotten the trio combo so I could try the char siu. The combination of poached and roasted chicken was perfect - you get a nice range of texture and flavor all in one dish. The soup was delicious as well, and it served as a nice palate cleanser. TAKEAWAYS: If you can, come during odd hours (or perhaps an early dinner) so you can sit inside. I think it's worth the experience of eating in, but Uncle Ray's is also good for takeout if you don't let it sit for too long! I would definitely come back again if I could. Trying to find an equivalent in LA. read more

Great mom and pop shop in Hell's Kitchen! The service was good and the place felt home-like with only seats for 10-15 people. The meal started with a complementary cabbage soup that felt good for the soul especially on a cold day. Then we ordered the pork chops, duo combo, and trio combo. - Pork chops: crispy and flavorful. Came with a sweet and sour sauce that was curry-like which was very delicious - Duo: two styles of chicken that came with three sauces: ginger, soy sauce, and spicy sauce. This was my favorite because both types of chicken were so juicy and went perfectly with the ginger and soy sauces. They tasted fresh, healthy, juicy, and warm. - Trio: this was essentially the same as the duo with the addition of the chashu. I think the chashu actually took away from the deliciousness of the duo because the sauce was very strong and the chashu was very lean. I would come back for the duo again! read more

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Came here on a Thursday night and was seated right away! We ordered the roasted chicken rice and poached chicken rice. Both dishes came with a cabbage soup and three different sauces. Both dishes were very delicious and the sauces, especially the garlic sauce made it taste so delicious. The meat was flavorful and juicy, and the rice paired so well with the chicken. The service was also very fast and the waiter was super friendly. I would highly recommend this place if you are in the area. read more

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This is a delivery/pick up review. Having lived in Singapore several years I had high expectations for Uncle Ray's. Chicken rice is a staple and one can tell if it's done well. Uncle Ray's delivers on quality and taste but shedding $24+ for chicken rice is a high price tag for what it is. Taste: 4.5/5 Value for money: 3/5 read more

Uncle Ray's - Chicken Rice - Singaporean Near Me - New York, New York

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I saw a tik tok online from Singaporeans raving about how good this place was and that it was the one place that reminded them of home. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to expectations -- keep in mind that km reviewing from a take out experience. Service was quick for our three meat combo meal (the Cha siew, hainanese chicken and roasted chicken). It came with the chili sauce and scallion ginger sauce, as usual. The rice was well flavoured and moist. The chickens were fine, but still chewy, so it didn't feel like the "silky" smooth texture that Singaporeans idolise so much. Moreover, the cha siew was dry and small, nothing to write home about at all. All in all, an okay dining experience, but I wouldn't go out of my way for it. read more

Super delicious, authentic chicken rice! I got the poached chicken set and it was super delicious and the portion size is pretty big (had leftovers for another meal). We also ordered the char siu and kailan on the side. Both were pretty good but the char siu was a little sweeter than I'm used to. The restaurant is pretty small, but there were still open seats when we came in on a Sunday night! Definitely would come back if I was in the area! read more

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Really enjoyed the duo plate and porridge! It was so flavorful, and they let us sub the char siu pork for the roasted chicken. The porridge is basically congee. Really warming and comforting. read more

Came here to try chicken rice since it ain't everyday you get Singapore chicken rice. Chef is from Singapore so I do have high hope for this place. Ordered their trio and roast chicken plate. Rice smells real nice, would like it if the hint of garlic-ginger in tha rice is stronger. But rice is soft! Kudos to that! Roasted chicken is more on the dry side. Was alittle disappointed in that. Would be nicer if they can make their roasted chicken a little more tender since roasted chicken skin taste best! Shout out the the sauces, makes me feel like im back home at a hawker. read more

Uncle Ray's - Singaporean Near Me - New York, New York

Normally I'd say I'm too old to have a crush but I do have one, not on a person but a place, Singapore. I've scoured the world wide web to find some Singaporean restaurants outside of the lovely Urban Hawker in Midtown. Uncle Ray's happened to be one of the few avaulable that caught my eye. Going to this spot in Manhattan, you gotta have your eyes peeled for it kinda blends in with the block and might walk past it if you're not focused on where you're going. It's a small place but it's a cozy one with adequate seating and didn't feel all too crowded even though the place itself looks like it can barely seat 16 people. When I went in I was automatically greeted by the waitress there so making an order was a breeze. S Tier service already on display. I always have respect for a business that shows courtesy for its customers. What I had for lunch is the Trio Combo Chicken rice which consists of Poached & Roasted Chicken and Char Siu Pork w/ Rice, soup and a selection of 3 sauces, Chili sauce, Soy sauce and minced ginger sauce. The meal was absolutely delicious and will fill you proper. My small complaint is that the meat was a bit on the lukewarm side but that would be because of the meat marinating in the juices it was resting on, keeping the meat most and I can settle for that because I'd rather my meat to be tender than dry. The chili or soy sauce put on the rice always delivers and is such a delight taking my time eating it. Normally the meal itself including tax is $23 but I liked it so much I tipped the waitress $7 rolling up the total to $30. The menu itself is limited but there's a good chance you'll enjoy all of it, you can never go wrong when it comes to Chicken w/ Rice. A very relaxing meal I had here. read more

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I'd say this is the best place in NYC for an authentic Singaporean chicken rice hawker experience. The dishes are spot on. The restaurant was packed on a Sunday evening--hats off to the staff for still accommodating us even though we arrived a bit late. Heartfelt thanks from a former Singaporean who was craving a proper chicken rice fix! Don't forget to try the other dishes! read more

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I would say this is more of a 3.5 star review. I came here for lunch on a Thursday soon after it opened and it was pretty empty. We ordered the trio combo chicken rice and hainanese pork chop. Everything came with their cabbage soup, which was very salty and tasted just pure MSG so I had a taste and just skipped the rest. The trio combo was tasty, the chicken was moist and tender. I particularly like the pouched chicken more, not that the roast chicken didn't taste good but I couldn't tell the difference other than the color of the chicken skin as it didn't have that roast flavor at all. I especially liked pairing it with their ginger sauce. The rice was very aromatic, delectable and cooked just right in the chicken broth. The char Siu was ok but too lean imo so it was a little on the dry side. The pork chop rice came with a nice sweet and sour sauce which was flavorful and tasty. However, the pork chop was very thin and very dry imo. The lady was very friendly and nice and service was very quick. This is, however, a very small restaurant so it's not a place for you to hang out for a long time. It's almost like an Asian fast food restaurant where you're in and out within 30mins. Note that they do have a restroom but it's very small with just a toilet and nothing else that's a tucked at that back of the kitchen. So you'll have to walk through the kitchen to access it and the you come out to wash your hands in the kitchen afterwards. Overall, I do think this place is a little overrated. I do go to Singapore a lot and I've had many hainanese chicken rice. The chicken is good and I will return just for that. But only when there is no wait time as I don't think it's good enough for me to wait in line for it. read more

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This is clearly the place to be! Long line out the door and patrons rotating in and out. The cabbage soup was so flavorful, the dipping sauces great. I ordered poached chicken and Chinese broccoli. My biggest issue was the temperature. The chicken was cold. I expect more from a popular place such as this. And the one small thing really had a big impact on my meal experience. Good to see it was on the nea app though! read more

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Dare I say, this might just be the best Hainanese chicken rice in NYC, and I say that with good reason. I had the chance to chat with the owner Raymond Kiang when he was still working at Lou Yau Kee. He's been a consultant for the popular Hainan Jones and was formerly the chef at Lou Yau Kee--two of the highly rated hainanese chicken spots in the city. He shared how he helped bring authentic Hainanese chicken to the world (incl Hong Kong!). ＊Trio Combo Chicken Rice $22 It sounds like one dish, but it is a complete meal as the set includes a mix of poached, roasted chicken and char siu, seasoned rice, soup and three dipping sauces. Every single component was well-executed, even the soup was so flavorful. The chicken was incredibly tender, and the char siu was savory with a touch of sweetness. I especially loved the chili sauce and the minced ginger sauce. ＊Coffee Pork Ribs $12 I didn't expect the pork rib to be that tender! It easily fell off the bone, making it effortless to enjoy. The coffee marinade added a subtle bitterness in the aftertaste, coated in a sticky glace of sweet and savory five-spice seasoning. ＊Shredded Chicken Porridge $12 I usually don't like congee, but I genuinely enjoyed the chicken porridge here! That's saying a lot. The shredded chicken was tender, and I loved the subtle aroma of sesame oil. Surprisingly, I'd happily order this again. ＊Kailan (Chinese Broccoli) $10 read more

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Giving them a 5 stars relative to other hainan chicken rice I've had in NYC. I think the rice was the best part! There were some hints of anchovy which was different and I enjoyed it! I got the duo and my partner got the poached only. I recommend if you get the poached or just the roasted chicken, to ASK FOR THE RICE ON THE SIDE! My partner said his rice was too oily. While I had mine on the side and I thought it wasn't oily at all. The soup was also great! The chicken didn't steal the show, but the sauces helped! In terms of quality and nailing all 3 components of the dish, this place had it all! read more

Uncle Ray's - Singaporean Near Me - New York, New York

Absolutely fantastic lunch spot in my neighborhood. Walked in and was immediately sat. Ordered the roasted chicken set and it was at my table in less than 10 minutes, hot fresh and ready for me to demolish it! Will undoubtedly be coming back here again in the near future. Check it out ASAP! read more

Uncle Ray's - Singaporean Near Me - New York, New York

Superb! Prob the best Hainanese chicken rice outside of Singapore/Malaysia that I've tried. New small shop in Midtown West on the east side of 9th Ave btwn 52nd and 53rd St. seating is pretty limited to about 20 people, in tables set up for 2-4, so not for large groups. Get there early for your best shot at grabbing a seat. Inside the glass front facade are white walls, black trim with warm beech-toned wooden chairs and straw lantern style lighting. Got takeout from here last week and had to try their signature Hainanese chicken as part of the Trio Combo $22 that comes with three proteins: aforementioned chicken, a roasted chicken and their chasiu pork, it comes with a full bowl of chicken rice, and a side of clear broth, ginger sauce, chili garlic sauce and dark sweet soy sauce (the last three are the trifecta of sauces that come traditionally with Hainanese chicken rice). Their chicken. THEIR CHICKEN. Wowsers Uncle Ray done right by Hainanese chicken. Tender, juicy, flavorful, all the things that a good Hainanese chicken should be. Their roast chicken version is also terrific. Their chasiu was kinda middling in flavor though texture-wise good. Also got the Hainanese Pork over rice $16. Good deep fry with what tasted like panko on the exterior, didn't taste overly oily, a decently moist, marinated pork pounded thin, kinda like schnitzel. It came with a tangy kinda-sweet tomato-ish sauce to pour over/dip into. A tad on the salty side overall combined, I dunno if you needed the sauce though it helped add some moisture to the rice. Would recommend! read more

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Really fun to try such a great Singaporean meal. The rice was amazingly delicious. There's a lot of it too. The cabbage soup was particularly fun to start off with and warm our bellies. I got the Hainanese pork, and my girlfriend got the roasted chicken. The roasted chicken wasn't as good. A little slimy and slick for chicken. But the pork was really tasty and fried and crispy. read more

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While I was sad that Tradisyon moved out of the store location, I was very excited to try this new Hainanese chicken place. And I was definitely not disappointed. The server was super kind and accommodating to us and other customers in the restaurant. The roast chicken was so flavorful even though I couldn't use their soy sauce, and their hot sauce provided a strong but tasty kick to the dish. The rice was especially aromatic and well seasoned. My boyfriend was really impressed with the pork chop rice, and said the sauce that came with it was absolutely delicious. This will definitely become one of my go to places; I loved it! read more

Uncle Ray's - Roasted Chicken Rice and Hainanese Pork Chop Rice - Singaporean Near Me - New York, New York

Wow...I'm back in Singapore without the long flight, DVT or the crowds, but, alas, a Singapore hawker center is an experience to be had, at least once. In any case, the food at Uncle Ray's is great and authentic. I got a delivery order of the Trio Combo Chicken Rice and Kailan. The Trio is poached and roasted chicken and char siu. All are juicy, fresh and delicious. It comes with 3 different sauces that I just poured all over it, but it's not even needed. It comes with some very refreshing cabbage soup and excellent rice made with chicken broth. I could certainly make a breakfast out of those two alone, and be quite happy. The Chinese broccoli is fresh, and a little bitter, just as you want it to be. It was packed well and delivered quickly. It also travels very well as a delivery meal. This meal was a real delight. Highly recommended. read more

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Great casual spot to grab a meal. My friend and I walked in on a Monday night and there were plenty of seats available though the restaurant itself wasn't the largest. We both got the Trio Combo Chicken Rice. Their char siu was solid but the poached chicken definitely stood out the most as it was very tender and flavorful - it paired perfectly with their house made chili sauce. When a menu is on the limited side, you definitely hope that they can execute well. And with Uncle Ray's it's clear that they know what they're doing with Hainanese chicken rice. Portion size was fair for the price given that it is in Manhattan and I will definitely return if I am in the area. read more

Uncle Ray's - Trio Combo Chicken Rice - Singaporean Near Me - New York, New York

Dining at Uncle Ray's was kind of trippy, since I'm so used to Tradisyon being in this space. It's like the food decided to start identifying as Singaporean instead of Pinoy. But I'm here for it. Uncle Ray's, in case you aren't aware, is the glow-up version of the old Lou Yau Kee stall at the now-defunct Urban Space food hall in Union Square (which closed due to rent issues, IIRC). Chef-owner Raymond Kiang moved to this space when his friend, the owner of Tradisyon, moved to a new space as well. It's like a game of restaurant musical chairs, and everyone gets a chair of Southeast Asian deliciousness. Since we know Chef Ray, we got some additional surprises off-menu. But I'll stick to the on-menu loveliness. It's worth noting that while the prices are a bit higher now, the portions are still pretty decent. Certainly better than the typical Manhattan $20 for 2 bites dishes that seem to be everywhere. If you just want the classics, get the Roasted Chicken Rice or Trio Combo Chicken Rice (which comes with a mix of poached, roasted chicken and char siu). If you want something new, the Hainanese Pork Chop Rice is beautifully battered and perfectly crispy. The Coffee Short Ribs are fall-off-the-bone tender, though the sauce is a bit sweet. Add in some crispy Kailan for a healthy veggie side, and wash it all down with the bottomless, complimentary Cabbage Soup, which comes piping hot and hits just right. I'm not always a fan of glow-ups, but I'll happily accept this one. Short of a $2K flight to Singapore, this is the next best thing when I need my HCR fix. read more

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Really solid Hainan chicken. Super flavorful and tender. We got our food within 5 minutes of ordering which was great. Service was friendly and efficient. It's a small shop but they run it well. The rice was just a tiny bit mushy, probably cooked a little too long in broth, but overall the taste felt really authentic. Loved the combo setup with veggies, rice, and soup. It's reasonably priced too. I'd be ordering this all the time if I lived nearby. read more

Uncle Ray's - Singaporean Near Me - New York, New York

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So delicious. Glad they offer a "trio" plate, so I could try some of the poached chicken, roast chicken, and char siu. Each one was so good, with the chicken very juicy and the chicken skin delicious.. The rice was also specially cooked in a chicken broth that made it extra flavorful. If I had to note one thing, it's that our meat was a little cold when it was served (but it still tasted so good). Food was served quickly and staff was very friendly. Will definitely be coming back again! read more

Uncle Ray's - Trio Combo Chicken Rice - Singaporean Near Me - New York, New York

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You have to come here. It's soooo good! I absolutely loved the food here and I've never had proper Singaporean Chicken and Rice-everything was so well seasoned!! It's so warm and soothing-loved the soup too!! It's so cute inside and the service and staff are super nice. Def give them a try!! read more

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Thoroughly enjoyed our meal here. I had the poached chicken and rice; husband got the trio, which comes with the poached chicken, roast chicken, and char siu. Everything -- the soup to start, the dipping sauces, the rice, the meats -- was so good. This might be one of our favorite new places in the neighborhood, and I'd like to try more things on the menu although it'd be hard not to order the poached chicken, which was just so perfectly cooked: so tender and juicy. read more

SO good! I was so excited to get home and eat that I didn't take pics. Everything here is good- but I'm a loyal poached fan

Uncle Ray's offers traditional Hainanese chicken rice, Singaporean style. They're currently in their soft opening stage, right in Hell's Kitchen. The chicken was juicy and flavorful, with the rice being prepared well. Staff and service were friendly! +Hainanese chicken, Singaporean style +friendly service read more

My wife and visit New York often and came across this place. Hands down the best hainanese chicken. Fairly priced, service was great, and we loved the small space. This will become our go when we visit. read more

Uncle Ray's - Singaporean Near Me - New York, New York

I tend to order the poached chicken at least once a week. It's always quite good and the rice is flavored beautifully. Sometimes I get the roasted chicken and that's nice too. I use different sauces depending on what I get. The Hainanese cutlet is nice though the sauce is a bit sweet. Maybe I'll ask for it on the side next time. The shredded chicken porridge is nice and is big enough to serve three people. The cabbage soup is great! Prices are quite reasonable. read more