Perhaps the most famous dish associated with the island is Hainanese chicken rice, which has become a staple across Southeast Asia. It is believed to have been introduced by Chinese immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, who blended their own culinary traditions with local flavors of Southeast Asia.

In Haikou, this flagship dish is known as Wenchang chicken. It features fragrant chicken-oil rice served with poached chicken in a bowl. The dish relies on high-quality chicken sourced from the city of Wenchang, located in the northeastern part of the island.

To achieve a superb texture, the chicken is poached in hot water at a carefully controlled temperature. This preparation follows a traditional method known as "three dips and three lifts", where the meat is repeatedly immersed in and removed from the water.