Qi Lin Xuan Kitchen first started out in 2014 as a tze char business. When they began offering chicken rice balls in 2018, it was picked up by social media where it made a flurry of appearances in various media outlets.
Knowing me, I would always wait for the hype to wear off before I make my move but I think I may have waited a little too long (three years!) as there was nary a soul when I arrived just before noon.
Has the chicken rice balls lost its magic already? There were no other customers in the premise and the coffee shop was dim inside. Only the lights from the chicken rice stall at the front of the coffee shop is on but there is no one manning it.
Just as I was about to walk away, someone called out to me from the depths within.
"Shuai ge, chi ji fan ma?" (handsome, chicken rice for you?)
On account of him calling me shuai ge, I ordered a chicken rice ball set ($3.50). For some reason, after making my order, customers began streaming in one after another and they were all addressed as shuai ge by the very same staff. 🙄
