The Chinese chicken that spread its wings

He says the most important thing for cooking Hainanese chicken rice is to choose good quality chicken, use Thai fragrant rice, and make the dipping sauce thick. "Hainanese chicken rice looks simple, but it is not easy to make it well," says Wong.

Wong has been constantly improving the recipe. "If the guests are not satisfied, I will find a way to make it better," he says, adding that he has never replaced the ingredients with cheaper ones. "You can't cheat your customers by using inferior ingredients just because prices keep rising," he says.

Over the years, Wong has always tried local Hainanese chicken rice whenever he visits a new place, such as Shanghai, Hong Kong and cities in Thailand. He wants to make his restaurant better by studying the dish at other restaurants.

In his eyes, Hainanese chicken rice is a delicacy and heritage from his home. "As a Hainanese, I'm proud to cook Hainanese chicken rice, so I will continue to do it," he says, noting that he has been cooking it for 19 years, and it's his dream career.

Welcomed by the diners, Wong's restaurant sells about 180 servings of Hainanese chicken rice per day. Scott Chong, from China's Guangdong province, is a regular customer. "The taste is good, especially the chicken, which is tender, and the rice is fragrant," he says.

Wenchang, a city in Hainan, is the birthplace of Hainanese chicken rice. On the island, Wenchang chicken is the basic ingredient for chicken rice.