Not busy. Quick service. Simple menu. Chicken was good tasty and crispy. Sauces are flavorful. Rice was cooked well too.Their food certainly lived up to this restaurants name! (Would've been crazy if not).They have more than just simple chicken and rice on their menu actually so I kinda wanna come back more and try out everything. Yay seemed decently fairly priced too I think.
TS
I love the chicken and rice here, and feel awful because…I hate that during Dine In, it’s so wasteful. Everything is served in the same to go containers, and their recycling and compost were mixed with landfill and the staff did not understand that you can’t recycle full containers or sauce :( (also, why give 3 containers of sauce instead of just putting on a plate or a tiny bowl?)
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Chicken Rice, Sauce
Susan Jacob
Had the original gai! Was a splendid simple
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Eric Sloss
Absolutely delicious food! The chicken was tender and flavorful, as was the vegetable soup. Wonderful lunch spot!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Rice
Kev C
This prob one of the best chicken rice I have found away from Singapore! Rice is well done, chicken is good! And if you are a fans of thai ice milk tea, they even hav it here! End up I have 4 meal within a week in this chain!
Chloe C.
Food - ordered the original gai. came on a weekend afternoon and it wasn't too packed. chicken was super tender! cucumbers were slightly pickled, refreshing and delicious. rice was good and the sauce was tasty. Not too salty like other places.While the food was good, the drinks were not! my friend ordered the thai tea and said there was barely any tea flavor. I ordered the thai mango milk and it was disappointing. it tasted like artificial mango syrup and milk. do not recommend the drinks but the food is delishService - really good. easy order and food came quick.Ambiance - cute little hole in the wall shop. not a ton of seating.
Alice S.
This is a great place for a tasty, healthy, and affordable meal. This spot is definitely a takeout friendly spot, although I most recently dined in. I got the original Gai with brown rice and Hainan sauce. It was delicious! The chicken was perfectly tender and flavorful, the cucumbers were refreshing and pickled with vinegar, and the brown rice was the right texture. My only complaint was that the complimentary broth that came with the meal was a bit too salty to finish. I'll be back to try the salad next time!
Danny Lin
Love their chicken breast and thigh. They are both pretty tender. Hainan sauce is also a must!! Will go again when in SF!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ann M.
The crispy gai was delicious. It wasn't dry at all. I came here by accident because I was looking for a restroom. Originally, I was going to get a drink just to use it because I was craving a burrito. I am so glad I didn't listen to my craving. I ordered my food and it came out quickly. I got the sweet and spicy sauce for my chicken. It was more on the sweet side but no complaints. The server gave me a hot sauce that was tasty and good amount of spice:
Ms. Bean Counter
Was looking for a quick bite to eat near my new apartment ..ran into the sign … decided to try them out…. I stood at the counter for a few before being acknowledged (but there wasn’t any other customers in line). The greeting wasn’t the friendliest, I attempted to give smiles & convo asking if they sold Cafè Du Monde Beignets… since the coffee had such a massive display. She was clueless even after I pointed out the coffee. I went on to state it’s my 1st time visiting and I’m new to SF to help her improve to no avail. I informed her that I thought the Basil chicken or The Gai Sansho sandwich looked interesting; which did she recommend? She stated I should try the chicken sandwich. I looked at the picture confirmed what came with it (seasoned waffle fries, a can drink, & a choice of sauce). I didn’t see the sauce choice listed only pictured. I asked the cashier what are the choices as if I didn’t just tell her it’s my FIRST TIME VISITING… she mentioned two as if she didn’t know herself what the choices of sauce are. I went with Spicy Mayo & Sweet Chili! Cashier gave me my receipt & informed me of my order number. I waited on my food and observed the atmosphere & took pictures … location is in the thick of the city (construction near by, neighborhood Fentanyl friendly, and shoppers, but once inside it’s quiet, relaxing, & a little opportunity to shut off the city. Cashier calls my number & I take my food to go ((she’s still dry & not engaging…no thank you come again, welcome to the neighborhood…nothing)I paid cash of $15 . Got back to my apartment, opened my food: Great portions, nice presentation, & fresh ingredients!! I picked up this massive sandwich & applied the spicy Mayo to a bite and it was delicious but the perfect partner for the slaw, pickles, bun, and seasoning on the chicken is the sweet Thai chili …. Ohhhhhh myyyyy word….. do yourself a favor & go try this sandwich combo … the marriage with the seasoned waffle fries leaves nothing but joy in your mouth!! You will not be disappointed… I’m going again today to get another sandwich! ??? the sandwich is 5 star for sure!! The service needs improvement.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Breast, Extra Sauce, Cabbage Salad
I wanted to get lunch with a friend in an easy, quick but fun place. The price for a large meal was perfect for the portion, I even had some leftovers for two lunches after. Great place.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Brittany K.
The lean salad gai is delicious and healthy!The base is finally shredded cabbage and carrots, and it's topped with crushed peanuts, green onion, and cilantro with chicken and pickled cucumber sticks on the side. The ginger and green onion sauce and the vinaigrette are both flavorful and fresh!
Justin Wang
Tasty Chicken rice for $12! Minty-mango purée jasmine iced tea is also worth trying. Server also really helpful and I appreciated how we weren’t prompted to tip for counter ordering.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Arthur T
Came by Gai Chicken Rice for a quick small bite before the Emotional Oranges concert at the Warfield.I ended up ordering the original gai. This included chicken rice, hainan ginger/onion, and chicken soup. In Mar'23, cost $12.95, which was pretty reasonable.Good, quick meal. Friendly staff.Street parking only. A bit of seating inside.
Marie R.
I've been on hunt for the best Haianese Chicken dish everywhere I go. This place was one of the top choices in the area so I decided to give it a try. I got the original chicken and got all the sauces they have available. The chicken was moist and had some flavor. The Thai and the citrusy sauces were good, but the ginger one was lacking flavor. I was hoping for more flavor from the chicken, the rice, and even the broth. All in all, it was a good dish, but def not the best.
Not busy. Quick service. Simple menu. Chicken was good tasty and crispy. Sauces are flavorful. Rice was cooked well too.Their food certainly lived up to this restaurants name! (Would've been crazy if not).They have more than just simple chicken and rice on their menu actually so I kinda wanna come back more and try out everything. Yay seemed decently fairly priced too I think.
I love the chicken and rice here, and feel awful because…I hate that during Dine In, it’s so wasteful. Everything is served in the same to go containers, and their recycling and compost were mixed with landfill and the staff did not understand that you can’t recycle full containers or sauce :( (also, why give 3 containers of sauce instead of just putting on a plate or a tiny bowl?)
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Chicken Rice, Sauce
Had the original gai! Was a splendid simple
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Absolutely delicious food! The chicken was tender and flavorful, as was the vegetable soup. Wonderful lunch spot!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Rice
This prob one of the best chicken rice I have found away from Singapore! Rice is well done, chicken is good! And if you are a fans of thai ice milk tea, they even hav it here! End up I have 4 meal within a week in this chain!
Food - ordered the original gai. came on a weekend afternoon and it wasn't too packed. chicken was super tender! cucumbers were slightly pickled, refreshing and delicious. rice was good and the sauce was tasty. Not too salty like other places.While the food was good, the drinks were not! my friend ordered the thai tea and said there was barely any tea flavor. I ordered the thai mango milk and it was disappointing. it tasted like artificial mango syrup and milk. do not recommend the drinks but the food is delishService - really good. easy order and food came quick.Ambiance - cute little hole in the wall shop. not a ton of seating.
This is a great place for a tasty, healthy, and affordable meal. This spot is definitely a takeout friendly spot, although I most recently dined in. I got the original Gai with brown rice and Hainan sauce. It was delicious! The chicken was perfectly tender and flavorful, the cucumbers were refreshing and pickled with vinegar, and the brown rice was the right texture. My only complaint was that the complimentary broth that came with the meal was a bit too salty to finish. I'll be back to try the salad next time!
Love their chicken breast and thigh. They are both pretty tender. Hainan sauce is also a must!! Will go again when in SF!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The crispy gai was delicious. It wasn't dry at all. I came here by accident because I was looking for a restroom. Originally, I was going to get a drink just to use it because I was craving a burrito. I am so glad I didn't listen to my craving. I ordered my food and it came out quickly. I got the sweet and spicy sauce for my chicken. It was more on the sweet side but no complaints. The server gave me a hot sauce that was tasty and good amount of spice:
Was looking for a quick bite to eat near my new apartment ..ran into the sign … decided to try them out…. I stood at the counter for a few before being acknowledged (but there wasn’t any other customers in line). The greeting wasn’t the friendliest, I attempted to give smiles & convo asking if they sold Cafè Du Monde Beignets… since the coffee had such a massive display. She was clueless even after I pointed out the coffee. I went on to state it’s my 1st time visiting and I’m new to SF to help her improve to no avail. I informed her that I thought the Basil chicken or The Gai Sansho sandwich looked interesting; which did she recommend? She stated I should try the chicken sandwich. I looked at the picture confirmed what came with it (seasoned waffle fries, a can drink, & a choice of sauce). I didn’t see the sauce choice listed only pictured. I asked the cashier what are the choices as if I didn’t just tell her it’s my FIRST TIME VISITING… she mentioned two as if she didn’t know herself what the choices of sauce are. I went with Spicy Mayo & Sweet Chili! Cashier gave me my receipt & informed me of my order number. I waited on my food and observed the atmosphere & took pictures … location is in the thick of the city (construction near by, neighborhood Fentanyl friendly, and shoppers, but once inside it’s quiet, relaxing, & a little opportunity to shut off the city. Cashier calls my number & I take my food to go ((she’s still dry & not engaging…no thank you come again, welcome to the neighborhood…nothing)I paid cash of $15 . Got back to my apartment, opened my food: Great portions, nice presentation, & fresh ingredients!! I picked up this massive sandwich & applied the spicy Mayo to a bite and it was delicious but the perfect partner for the slaw, pickles, bun, and seasoning on the chicken is the sweet Thai chili …. Ohhhhhh myyyyy word….. do yourself a favor & go try this sandwich combo … the marriage with the seasoned waffle fries leaves nothing but joy in your mouth!! You will not be disappointed… I’m going again today to get another sandwich! ??? the sandwich is 5 star for sure!! The service needs improvement.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Breast, Extra Sauce, Cabbage Salad
Restaurantji Recommends
I wanted to get lunch with a friend in an easy, quick but fun place. The price for a large meal was perfect for the portion, I even had some leftovers for two lunches after. Great place.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
The lean salad gai is delicious and healthy!The base is finally shredded cabbage and carrots, and it's topped with crushed peanuts, green onion, and cilantro with chicken and pickled cucumber sticks on the side. The ginger and green onion sauce and the vinaigrette are both flavorful and fresh!
Tasty Chicken rice for $12! Minty-mango purée jasmine iced tea is also worth trying. Server also really helpful and I appreciated how we weren’t prompted to tip for counter ordering.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Came by Gai Chicken Rice for a quick small bite before the Emotional Oranges concert at the Warfield.I ended up ordering the original gai. This included chicken rice, hainan ginger/onion, and chicken soup. In Mar'23, cost $12.95, which was pretty reasonable.Good, quick meal. Friendly staff.Street parking only. A bit of seating inside.
I've been on hunt for the best Haianese Chicken dish everywhere I go. This place was one of the top choices in the area so I decided to give it a try. I got the original chicken and got all the sauces they have available. The chicken was moist and had some flavor. The Thai and the citrusy sauces were good, but the ginger one was lacking flavor. I was hoping for more flavor from the chicken, the rice, and even the broth. All in all, it was a good dish, but def not the best.