The best khao mun gai in Bangkok

Khao mun gai at Montien Hotel's Ruenton Restaurant.

Khao mun gai reigns as one of the best loved Thai dishes, and is as ubiquitous inside the capital city as pad thai is outside of Thailand. The deceptively simple dish is composed of very few elements, and at first glance, the nude chicken, plain rice and mild sauce seems rather boring in comparison with the explosive flavors elsewhere in the Thai palate.

But looks can be deceiving. The dish is in fact an orchestra of subtle flavors, the interplay of which make it a quiet delight as lunch, dinner or a late night snack.

But who does the best khao mun gai in town? The topic could be debated for hours, and in fact it probably is being debated right now somewhere in Bangkok. Here are our top three picks, and from the crowds showing up there regularly, we aren’t the only ones who think this way.

Pratunam has been around for 40 years.

Gai Tawn Pratunam

Our first stop is obvious -- Gai Tawn Pratunam (on the corner of Petchburi Soi 30, Petchburi Road, tel. +66 (0)2 252 6325, 5:30am-3:30pm, 5pm-3am. Price: 30-40 baht). A landmark in the city for khao mun gai, this street style restaurant is frequented by folks from every section of society, and draws huge crowds late at night.

Run by the kind, hardworking Khun Sombat (Go-Ang) Preukpaiboon, Gai Tawn Pratunam was founded over 40 years ago by his parents, who were Chinese immigrants. The restaurant started when Pratunam was still a wooded area of town, and its clientele was primarily men.

According to K. Sombat, khao mun gai was not considered proper for girls to eat at that time. Although the reason behind this is unclear, K. Sombat tweaked the Hainanese recipe his parents handed down to him, and eventually females got over their shyness around khao mun gai, and came in droves. Today, Gai Tawn Pratunam is one of the most popular places in Bangkok to get the dish, and though the street-style corner restaurant is only the size of two small shop houses, it draws enough business daily to employ over 20 staff members.

“I grew up eating khao mun gai and I’ve eaten it all my life,” K. Sombat says, “but when I go out to eat, I still always find myself ordering it.”

It is this level of obsession with the dish that drove him to break down the process of khao mun gai creation to a science. K. Sombat insists on having dedicated ‘rice watchers’ who are responsible for maintaining the delicate balance of rice, chicken stock and spices that yield an incomparable texture. He personally selects the chicken every day, usually purchasing the finest female gai tawn (chicken that doesn’t lay eggs), as their meat is oilier than their male counterparts, and more flavorful.

The yellow bean sauce served at Gai Tawn Pratunam is also noteworthy. It has more of a sour, bitter flavor than many khao mun gai establishments, owing to the fact that he uses chilis preserved with vinegar and salt. The sauce is something he’s very serious about and gets his direct supervision.

His advice to fellow khao mun gai lovers: “I know a lot of people worry about their weight, but you should really try eating the chicken skin. The trick is … before you eat anything … taste the skin. You will get this subtle, sweet flavor in your mouth -- different from when you eat it with the meat and the other ingredients.”

Preparing khao mun gai at Mongkolchai: Can you tell it's going to be spicy?

Mongkolchai

Like Gai Tawn Pratunam, Mongkolchai, Thewet (314 Krungkasem Rd [written in Thai numbers, look for electricity meter no. J-003308, 314], near Thewet Narumitr Bridge, tel. +66 (0)2 282 1991, 6am-1:30pm. Price: 40 baht) is a family establishment with Chinese origins serving exceptional khao mun gai.

“Our grandparents came here from China and opened this place 60 years ago,” says Khun Fon, the owner’s daughter-in-law. “Since then we have been cooking khao mun gai the way they taught us.”

Situated in a charming community not far from the voluptuous flora that is the Thewet Plant Market, Mongkolchai is frequented by students, grandparents, horticulturists and even a few lost foreigners from Kao San Road. Whether they come by intention or happy accident, all agree that their signature dish is outstanding.

“Attention to every detail is what makes our khao mun gai special,” Khun Fon says. “We only select the best raw ingredients. The rice we buy, for example, costs almost twice as much as the rice used at most khao mun gai places.”

The chicken at Mongkolchai has a soft, buttery texture that resists being too mushy -- the result of subjecting young chicken meat to a lengthy boiling process over extremely low heat.

The real draw for Mongkolchai, though, is their soup. Eschewing the traditional winter melon and chicken stock recipe, the chefs at Mongkolchai make a variety of accompanying soups, offering the diner a choice of flavors. One of the most popular is the double boiled duck with mushrooms and pickled lime, which gives their khao mun gai a tangy edge not offered elsewhere.

Ruenton Restaurant

Though khao mun gai is mainly known as a street dish, Ruenton Restaurant (Montien Hotel, lobby level, 54 Surawongse Road, tel +66 (0)2 234 8060. BTS: Sala Daeng. Open 11am-11pm. 230 baht-plus) has succeeded in translating it into a hi-so setting. Though the surroundings and price may be a little different from the previous two examples, Ruenton really brings it.

“There are three elements in great khao mun gai,” says executive chef Amnuay Aneksuwan. “In order of importance -- rice, chicken and sauce. None of these elements can be compromised, and they need to work together as a team to make the dish unforgettable.”

The chicken served here is a bit thicker than the other establishments, but it has a soft, fluffy texture without being too oily. Though the executive chef won’t reveal the secret of producing such a heavenly texture, he does say that the specifications for chicken they buy for the dish are extremely exacting, only ordering particular weights and ages from the farm.

The Montien Hotel has been serving this dish for 40 years, and it has become a signature of their restaurants. The original recipe came from Singapore, and it has been adapted over time, older chefs passing on their secrets to newer chefs. Even today, when new cooking staff joins any of the Montien Hotels, they come to the Bangkok branch to be trained on the correct procedure in preparing the khao mun gai rice, chicken and sauce in the Montien style. The training period for cooking the rice alone can take months.

“We have a unique way of cooking our rice, frying the garlic, and putting everything together,” says Amnuay. The details of that process though, he is very tight lipped over. The results: a dish that nears perfection.

“We have the recipe alright, but it’s just a piece of paper. It doesn’t guarantee a perfect dish,” says Amnuay. “Making khao mun gai is an art.”