Viral food establishments don’t always live up to the hype – but happy to say that in this instance, PJ Khao Man Gai in Ara Damansara delivers, with a simple but tantalising menu that spotlights the eponymous khao man gai, a Thai rendition of the Hainanese Chicken Rice.

I’ve been wanting to try this place for a long time, ever since I saw it on an online food channel, but it’s far from my place, so it was only recently that I kicked my butt into gear and braved the hour-long traffic to Ara Damansara. The area the restaurant is located in is quiet, but it’s pretty easy to spot the establishment – just look for the crowds queueing up outside.

While I applaud restaurants that have extensive menus, I always think that it’s best to have a simple one with just a few signature items, because it shows that they’re experts at whatever they’re serving.

Here, as mentioned, the main item is chicken rice – either poached or deep fried like a cutlet (which is notably different from the Malaysian / Singaporean Hainanese version which is usually poached / roasted). Another difference is that they serve the dish alongside a trio of Thai-style sauces.

If you somehow went to a shop specialising in chicken rice but don’t want chicken rice (lol), they also have Lava Creamy Egg Rice with Basil Chicken, Squid, or Seafood, plus a couple of other items like salads and desserts.

We were here relatively early (about 12pm) so there were still available seats. By the time we left there was a long queue, so if you don’t want to wait, I recommend coming early. The restaurant is only open from 10AM to 3PM. Orders are made at the counter where you pay immediately before they give you a table number.

The inside isn’t fancy, but it’s a comfy place for a meal. Not a place to hang around though for obvious reasons (unless you want a waiting family to stare holes into the back of your head).

The Moomins, N, and I all ordered the same thing – the Mixed Chicken Rice (RM11.90), which comes with half a portion of poached and half a portion of fried chicken. Both were cooked beautifully – I especially liked the fried chicken because the meat was so tender on the inside while the crispy breaded crust was similar to Japanese katsu. The rice was infused with the lip smacking, oily richness of chicken fat.

What I think really elevates the meal are the sauces. The one in the middle is the classic Nam Jim jiew, which uses fish sauce as its base, while the one on the left has lime and ginger in it for a sour-spicy kick. Of course, fried items paired with Thai sweet chilli sauce (right) can never go wrong.

To wash everything down (and because I needed an afternoon boost), a glass of Thai coffee.

Our meal for three came up to just slightly over RM50, which I thought was value for money. Service can be a bit slow during peak hours, but the food was worth the wait!

PJ KHAO MAN GAI (BANGKOK STREET CHICKEN RICE)

B-G, 23, Jalan PJU 1a/3j, Ara Damansara, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor

Phone: 011-1191 8013

Opening hours: 10AM – 3PM (daily)

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