Gai chicken and rice — Restaurant in Oakland Park

When you step foot inside the restaurant you are immediately transported out of Fort Lauderdale. The people who work there are so welcoming and kind. There are colors EVERYWHERE. Even the tables have a nice pattern. They also have the Ovaltine tins, Thai tea tins and cups with a rooster on it for display in the kitchen.

Their menu is on the smaller side which usually means they really focus on their dishes. We started off with the crab x krab truffle rangoon had a nice twist and was much better than other places.

The entrees blew our minds. I got the Khanom Jeen Nam Ngeaw which was a pork curry that had a nice amount of spice that wasn’t overwhelming. It kind of reminded me of a stew because it had ground meat and spare ribs with the meat around the bone which basically fell off. There are also tiny side dishes with bean sprouts, lettuce, cucumbers and pickled vegetable to add into it. It comes with 3 small rounds of vermicelli noodles to eat it with. The bowl was empty at the end of the meal.

My boyfriend got the Panang Kai Todd which is a curry with a rich nutty flavor and it came with the juiciest fried chicken on top. The consistency of the curry was perfect and smooth. Chicken, curry, and rice was a bite made in heaven.

Their dessert menu was full of toast options!! From taro to pandan to ovaltine to Thai tea to a cookie one. It’s one of those custard flavors over crispy pan fried rich butter brioche bread. I had that as a dessert growing up and can’t wait to try theirs the next time I return! I was just too full from dinner this time around.

10/10 gem of a place and will...

GAI Chicken n' Rice is a new and unique Thai street food restaurant.

The menu is highly optimized with street food dishes, featuring Hainan Chicken Rice (Khao Man Gai) and Khao Moo Dang (BBQ pork and Chinese sausage with chicken rice) as the signature plates. We tried both as a combo plate, and it was excellent.

Other exceptional dishes include a dry noodle dish with pork, crab, and wontons (with a side dipping soup). You can also order fried chicken, fried pork, and fried beef with rice or salad. We had the pork as a salad, which was excellent—like a fried pork chop sliced and served with a lime and chili/fish sauce dressing, similar to what’s used on Larb or Tiger Tear Salad (Yum Nuea).

The only appetizer we tried was the “cigar” spring rolls, which were excellent. For dessert, we had the Sung Kaiya Baitoey, a brioche French toast with pandan and coconut milk sauce, accompanied by coconut ice cream—wonderful. There are four other specialty desserts on the menu, as shown in the photos.

I expect this place to be utterly packed in no time. They have the equipment for boba teas, though I didn’t see a menu for them yet, and the place will have its beer license in...

If you’re a fan of authentic Thai flavors, this spot is a solid choice—especially for their signature chicken rice. The ambiance is fantastic, with a cool, street-food-inspired vibe that makes you feel like you’re in Thailand.

The flavors of each dish are well-balanced, not overly Westernized, and stay true to traditional Thai cuisine. That said, I personally think they could go even bolder with the seasoning. The appetizer dumplings were a standout—juicy, meaty, and packed with flavor. The pork entrees were rich and flavorful, but I’d love if they amped up the spice even more. They do offer a good variety of chili options, including fresh Thai chili, which is a great touch.

The Pad Thai was excellent—authentic, well-balanced, and not overly sweet or salty. The poached chicken was tender and well-seasoned but could use a bit more umami depth.

Overall, a solid Thai spot with great authenticity and a strong menu. Bonus points for being under the same ownership as Larb Thai Isan, which explains the attention to detail in their flavors. Definitely worth a visit if you’re craving real...