Months after Khao Man Gai went viral, thanks to a TikTok video, I had the chance to try this Bangkok Street Chicken Rice in Ara Damansara.
I've had chicken rice in Bangkok before - like much Thai food, I find it generally more flavourful than the Malaysian equivalent. In Bangkok, (and Hanoi as well), it seems to be a common practice to use 'kampung chicken' for chicken rice. In Malaysia, these tend to be exceptions and carry a price premium.
Back to Khao Man Gai: a short queue forms quickly after the shop opens at 11am - you peruse the menu, order and pay at the cashier. If dining in, you get a display number, find an empty table and the food is served afterwards.
The two main items on the menu are Thai Chicken Rice with variations - steamed chicken or fried chicken, or Creamy Egg Rice, with variations - with Squid, Prawn, Seafood or Basil Chicken. There's a selection of Sides, drinks and a couple of simple desserts - Mango sticky rice and Tako.
Pricing is in the Rm10-12 range for the chicken rice, and varies from Rm12-20 for the Creamy Egg Rice depending on the main ingredient.
The shop is quite plain vanilla, set up for quick and efficient processing.
The Lava Creamy Egg Rice has an evocative name. I ordered it with Basil Chicken, (RM11.90) and first appearances were very positive - large plate of rice smothered with minced basil chicken, and creamy egg in a thick sauce with bits of long beans.
The plain vanilla Steam Chicken Rice (Rm10.90) was neatly presented with an oval of pressed chicken rice under a layer of boneless chicken with golden skin. A side of chcken soup with a slice of gourd and a tangy sauce were standard with both dishes.
Between the two, the Creamy Egg Rice looked more appealing - colourful, larger portion, exotic looking and more promising, as Basil Chicken can be flavourful and spicy. It didn't disappoint and those who like their rice banjir-style will espcially like this. The egg is indeed creamy and rich, the basil chicken tasty but not overly salty or spicy or anything like that, but to be honest, its charm faded after the first few mouthfuls - nothing wrong with it, but no enduring appeal to me.
The plain, pale-looking Steam Chicken Rice was actually better. Compared to local chicken rice, the rice is denser in texture and more flavourful. If you like big, chunky chicken pieces, you might be disappointed in the chicken. If you value quality over quantity though, you'll like the delectable, thin chicken slices - smooth texture, smooth yellow skin, dense with flavour, and tellingly more so than the typical chicken rice at a local coffee shop.
Khao Man Gai is certainly worth a visit for chicken rice fans - I found it widened my horizon of what chicken rice can be, this beguilingly simple dish of rice and chicken, a staple througout the South East Asian countries. The Creamy Egg Rice series is a welcome addition, being a variation of the standard rice with condiments - basil chicken or curry squid, prawn or mixed seafood - that you find in Thai street food stalls, and it ups the ante in this department.
Khao Man Gai.
B-G, 23, Jalan PJU 1a/3j, Ara Damansara, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Business Hours: 11am-3.30pm except Sundays (closed)
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