Gordon Ramsay: 'Stupid' to create my own version of chicken rice

SINGAPORE — Gordon Ramsay says he would be "stupid" to try and create his own version of chicken rice. In town for a culinary contest against three local chefs, Gordon Ramsay was at Maxwell Food Centre today (July 5) to learn the ropes of making chicken rice from Chef Foo Kui Lian of Tian Tian Chicken Rice. Mdm Foo was selected as one of the three chefs to compete against Ramsay through an eight-day poll on the HungryGoWhere website that saw more than 2.5 million votes cast. "I'd be stupid to try and invent the wheel. I'd cause a riot if I had to start coming up with a new, different chicken rice. Can you imagine the kickback? What I am going to do is focus on all those elements in terms of cooking that rice perfectly, boiling that chicken, and then I'm not going to get it fancified with different textures. I want to learn the chilli sauce, that blend — the garlic and the ginger. And more importantly- listen, if you can't beat them, join them right?" For the competition he will be learning how to make chicken rice, chilli crab and laksa. The Michelin-starred heavyweight will then put his own unique spin on these dishes at the final showdown event, to be held from 6pm on Sunday, July 7, at Newton Food Centre. More than 1,000 servings will be available to members of the public, who will be able to sample the dishes and vote for their favourite version. ADDITIONAL REPORTING FROM HON JING YI