Cơm gà Hải Nam — Hainanese chicken rice — is the Southeast Asian comfort dish that's everywhere in New York City. Poached chicken with silky skin, served over fragrant rice cooked in chicken fat and pandan broth, with ginger-scallion oil, chili-garlic sauce, and dark soy. Though the dish originated on Hainan Island, it was carried by Hainanese migrants throughout Southeast Asia and into the Chinese-Vietnamese communities of Chợ Lớn. In NYC, you'll find it everywhere from Chinatown food courts to dedicated chicken rice shops in Manhattan and Queens.
Gai Kitchen Top Pick
The chicken is steamed to perfection — the skin is silky, the meat is tender and moist. The ginger rice
Urban Hawker Best Value
The chicken is properly poached, the rice is fragrant, and the sauces are aut
Go-Chin Khao Man Gai Hidden Gem
Go-Chin Khao Man Gai specializes in Thai-style Hainanese chicken rice (khao man gai). The chicken is tender and silky, the rice is flavorful, and the accompanying soup is a nice touch. The Thai-style preparation differs slightly from the Vietnamese v