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  1. #1
    Thailand Expat misskit's Avatar
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    Khao Man Gai is a popular meal in Thailand but you need to know where to enjoy it

    The much-loved one-dish meal Khao Man Gai (chicken and rice) varies in taste from stall to stall in Thailand and at popular places it is not easy to get a seat without queuing. The dish is highly accessible, delicious, satisfying and reasonably priced and can be so good that one specialist shop has even earned recognition from the Michelin guide!

    For the vendors, it’s a logical way to make a living. The dish isn’t too complicated to make and doesn’t require much in the way of culinary skills though ensuring it is so delicious that everyone wants some is another story. Roadside stalls don’t require licenses or government permission except if they are operating as a franchise. That’s probably why there are shops selling chicken and rice at every corner.


    The steamed chickens advertise themselves by dangling from hooks, a sight that tends to horrify those from other cultures but for local and expats in Thailand, gets the mouth watering and the stomach rumbling,


    For Thais, good chicken-rice is often associated with the world “Hai Lam” or Hainan island. Foodies believe that only Hainan Island sells chicken-rice but that’s simply not true. Many localities in China produce great chicken-rice dishes too, such as Sichuan which excels with its hot sauce and pepper.


    Commercial wisdom dictates that chicken-rice shops in Bangkok advertise their product as Hainan chicken-rice even if they know nothing about Hainan island, let alone how to make good chicken rice. Like many other stereotypes such as the Hakka Chinese are good at doing laundry while Teochew Chinese are good businessmen, this recipe gets it reputation from the ethnic Chinese who settled in Thailand at the beginning of last century.


    A reasonably priced plate ranges from 40 to 50 baht, but for a more pleasurable treat, order rice with a separate deboned chicken. The price can be as high as 100 baht-plus depending on the shop and the location and like other dishes, hundreds of Khao Man Gai shops are now available on applications and all offer delivery services.


    Cooking rice for Khao Man Gai is not easy. One of methods to cook the rice properly is to pan-fry uncooked rice over a low flame with garlic, gradually adding chicken fat and making sure that the fat is well mixed in. Chicken broth is then added and allowed to simmer until it is well cooked. Nowadays, most rice in road-side shops is no longer cooked the old-fashioned way.


    Apart from properly cooked rice, the chicken must be boiled perfectly so that the meat is juicy and tender. The quality of chicken is all important too, so many shops/restaurants have their own suppliers.


    Here are some of popular Khao Man Gai joints in Bangkok, most of them available on food delivery applications,


    Go-Ang Khao Man Gai Pratunam (a Bib Gourmand in Bangkok Michelin Guide 2018, 2019)


    Midnight chicken at Pratunam (blue shirt) – One of the oldest and most famous chicken rice shops in the Pratunam area – a stone’s throw from Platinum Mall


    Ruean Ton, Montien Hotel – One of legendary chicken rice shops and well worth a visit despite the added VAT and service charge.


    888 Chicken Rice Shop – Pattanakarn Road, Suan Luang District


    Boon Tong Kee – First branch at Soi Thonglor and Siam Paragon, chicken rice from Singapore.

    Khao Man Gai is a popular meal in Thailand but you need to know where to enjoy it | Thai PBS World : The latest Thai news in English, News Headlines, World News and News Broadcasts in both Thai and English. We bring Thailand to the world

  2. #2
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    The dish is highly accessible, delicious, satisfying and reasonably priced and can be so good that one specialist shop has even earned recognition from the Michelin guide!
    They've been doing this for a few years. The first one was in Singapore and the queues went up to three hours after he got his star.

    Now it's a franchise.

  3. #3
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    Slow news day was it???

  4. #4
    Thailand Expat
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    Recommend Boon Tong Kiat (not, Boon Tong Kee, but thats also ok) on Thonglor (opposite J Ave.)
    been going for best part of 25 years and always outstanding

  5. #5
    Hangin' Around cyrille's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Grumpy John View Post
    Slow news day was it???
    In Thailand, different things have earth shattering importance.

  6. #6
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    This is my local Kau Man Gai shop. It opened about 4 years ago and has been full since. Sadly its a two lane road that goes by it on a back way to Prathum Thani, sad because from 8am till they sell out its a traffic jam. What makes it the best is the Nam Cheen or dipping sauce. Garlic and ginger are very well represented. By far the best I have had in all Thailand.

    You can order white or dark meat at the same price.



  7. #7
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    When I was in Boston a couple of years back I noticed that near my hotel was what was rated "the best sandwich shop in Boston". Since I was jetlagged I was there at opening time for the first few days and had no trouble getting served (and it really did cut the mustard, the food was outstanding). When I started waking up later I found the queues were fucking enormous. Even on a Saturday it went around the block. You'd think they would have had the money to build a bigger place but perhaps they thought it would lose its charm.

    I've still never managed to reproduce their breakfast burrito despite many attempts.

    If you're ever in Boston it is entirely worth going out of your way.

    Breakfast & Lunch Sandwiches in Bay Village, Boston | Mike & Patty’s

  8. #8
    Thailand Expat
    reinvented's Avatar
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    Theres a small curry rice shop in my office building which does the same dishes everday. they do a 9-5, Mon to Friday and thats it. always rammed (personally dont see the fuss).
    i know of 1 big corporation that has tried to invest in them and take them nationwide at their locations.
    not the least bit interested.

    them and their burmese staff, cook the pork, rock up, go home at a decent hour.
    we won it at wemberlee
    we on it in gay paree...

  9. #9
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by reinvented View Post
    Theres a small curry rice shop in my office building which does the same dishes everday. they do a 9-5, Mon to Friday and thats it. always rammed (personally dont see the fuss).
    i know of 1 big corporation that has tried to invest in them and take them nationwide at their locations.
    not the least bit interested.

    them and their burmese staff, cook the pork, rock up, go home at a decent hour.
    I think it's great that places that do quality food are not tempted to dilute their quality for the sake of a few extra customers.

    In Seoul I took a couple of Hilton staff to lunch and let them pick the place.

    They chose this 15-20 seat restaurant that had one dish on the menu - baby chicken soup. Of course it had about 30 little bowls of accompaniments like chicken kidneys, kim chi, etc. But that's all they did. They had to book because apparently it is rammed every single day, as it was when we were there (and again a massive queue outside).

  10. #10
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    As ever, it has little to do with the quality of ingredients and is simply a means of delivering the same old same old concoction of chilli, garlic, ginger, fat, grease and a jus derived from a few boiled bones. The chicken is battery farmed, and the rice is the same old Thai rice only fit for steaming.

    How they ever got away with calling this a cuisine of any worth is just another myth, just like a sincere Thai smile " because we like you soooo mutt".

  11. #11
    Thailand Expat
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    Quote Originally Posted by misskit View Post
    The dish isn’t too complicated to make and doesn’t require much in the way of culinary skills
    Hardly the choice recipe, more something to fill a gap.

  12. #12
    Thailand Expat
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    Khao moo daeng and kueh tiao are my Thai comfort foods. Not haute cuisine, but they rarely disappoint.

  13. #13
    Thailand Expat harrybarracuda's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Seekingasylum View Post
    As ever, it has little to do with the quality of ingredients and is simply a means of delivering the same old same old concoction of chilli, garlic, ginger, fat, grease and a jus derived from a few boiled bones. The chicken is battery farmed, and the rice is the same old Thai rice only fit for steaming.

    How they ever got away with calling this a cuisine of any worth is just another myth, just like a sincere Thai smile " because we like you soooo mutt".
    Michelin do it to street food to get a bit of free publicity. For the bigger outlets, you can "sponsor" them.

    Four Worlds Sentosa "sponsored" the first awards and purely by coincidence managed to get stars for four of their restaurants.

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