Sergeant Kiang - One Of The Original Chatterbox Chicken Rice Creators

Sergeant Kiang started as a Hainanese cook in the British army before leaving to work in various hotels, including the American Club and Goodwood Park. 

Eventually, he would end up at Mandarin Orchard under the then German executive chef. Legend has it that the head chef ask Sergeant to come to with a local dish to serve in their Chatterbox cafe, and Sergeant being Hainanese suggested chicken rice.

The rest is history. The Chatterbox team would eventually concoct the now famous Chatterbox chicken rice dish. It was also likely the first chicken rice rendition that had deboned poached chicken parts, and served in a more refined plating.

After leaving Mandarin, Sergeant went on to operate a stall at Rasa Singapura as part of the STB initiative to feature the best hawkers in one location.

He would subsequently work with various food chains before going back on his own as Jiang Ji. This would be a joint effort with his children, and despite being dormant for almost a decade, Jiang Ji is back again at Yishun. 

Today, Sergeant has passed down his chicken rice legacy to Alvin, Susan and Raymond Kiang at Jiang Ji. They continue to make his chicken rice the way he pioneered with his colleagues at Chatterbox, albeit in a modest coffeeshop setting.

Watch for a later blog post and YouTube video as the Kiang family shows us a rare glimpse into how they make their signature Hainanese chicken rice from start to finish.

Sergeant Kiang 83 years old today and is still regularly seen at his children’s chicken rice stall. It is reassuring to know that his legacy still lives on, and hopefully, for a very long time to come.