The Quest for the Best Hainanese Chicken

Hainanese Chicken is a fairly popular dish in Vancouver, and there are definitely many opinions when it comes to which one's the best. To be honest, I already have a favorite when it comes to Hainanese chicken, so I came into Cafe D'Lite with high expectations after hearing over and over that theirs is the best.

Half Hainanese Chicken ($12.99 + tax)

This is half a chicken, with a bowl of chicken rice. The chicken was deboned, and had a drizzle of soy sauce, which was nice. It was also very gelatinous, and not too meaty. Overall, the chicken was not bad, but not as good as I expected. While most places give their sauces separately, Cafe D'Lite's came mixed. I thought the chili sauce was nothing spectacular (a bit bland even), but it seems to be popular since I saw packaged bottles  for sale! The chicken rice was moist and flavorful, but not as fluffy as I expected. For $12.99 (not including the rice)  the portion is quite small.

Curry Beef Brisket ($10.85 + tax)

We also ordered a Curry Beef Brisket. I thought this was much better than the Hainanese chicken. The beef was tender, and the curry sauce was very enjoyable. It also had pieces of potato, which were very delicious.

I think I will be sticking with my regular Hainanese chicken joint since I wasn't too impressed with Cafe D'Lite, but I might just return for their curry. If you're looking for great Hainanese chicken, stay tuned for future blog posts!

Cafe D'Lite
3144 W Broadway
Vancouver, BC

Taste: ★★★☆☆
Environment: ★★☆☆☆
Service: ★☆☆☆☆
Price: $$