Business up 30% after JJ Lin dines at Purvis Street Chin Chin Hainanese chicken rice eatery

How badly does Singaporean Mandopop superstar JJ Lin need Hainanese chicken rice to survive?

Apparently, bad enough that his stage self depends on it.

The 43-year-old homegrown singer-songwriter was seen on video telling employees at Chin Chin Restaurant at Purvis Street in Bugis: "If I don't eat the chicken, I can't sing!" 

This was after Lin learned that he had arrived at the restaurant too late and the chicken was sold out for the day.

The moment when Lin's chicken rice dreams were dashed can be viewed on Instagram, which was uploaded on Jan. 8.

It was part of a clip that showed Lin in preparation for the Singapore leg of his "Final Lap" show.

Lin performed at the National Stadium in Singapore on Dec. 28 and 29, 2024, for the first stop of his "JJ20 Final Lap" world tour.

What happened

Taking a break from concert practice, Lin could be seen walking down Purvis Street to visit "Chin Chin Restaurant".

He asked an employee if there was still chicken rice available, to which the employee replied, "No more!"

Wide-eyed in astonishment, Lin asked again, "No chicken? I came too late?"

"Wow, it's JJ Lin!" another employee exclaimed.

Lin then jokingly told the employees, "If I don't eat the chicken, I can't sing!"

Resigned to his fate, Lin ordered other dishes instead.

When asked what other local Singaporean dishes he'd recommend, Lin said pork ribs and cereal prawns.

Tourists ask for the same as "JJ Lin's"

When a Shin Min Daily News reporter visited the restaurant on Jan. 14, they observed that the place was nearly full, with office workers and tourists patronising the eatery.

A Chin Chin employee, who worked at the restaurant for 22 years, told the reporter that Lin is a regular customer who would pop by from time to time.

Though it's common for them to have a lot of customers, the restaurant has experienced longer queues since the video was uploaded, she said.

The visitors, mostly foreign tourists, would ask for the food that JJ Lin ordered.

They would also request for pork ribs and cereal prawns, as recommended by Lin.

The employee added that business increased by almost 30 per cent as a result.

Top image via @jjlin/Instagram