I have lost count of how many times I have popped into Gai Kitchen, but it has officially become my lunch staple in the neighborhood. It is a cozy spot, but do not let the size scare you off because the turnover is quick and I have never had trouble snagging a seat during the lunch rush. Bring cash if you can because they have cash prices which are cheaper than their credit card prices. I am a creature of habit, so the steamed chicken is my absolute go to, though the fried version is a solid runner up. The roast is fine, but it is not my favorite. You really cannot go wrong with their ginger rice and the garlic ginger sauce. It is the perfect combo. Then there is the soup. This is the real MVP! It is so peppery and warming and I honestly wish it were bottomless. I would probably drink a gallon if they let me LOL I tried the curry sauce for the first time today for $5.50, and to be honest, I would skip it next time. As a Southeast Asian, I have had my fair share of amazing Thai food and this was a bit one note for me. It was mostly just coconut milk, spicy (heat), and salt and I really wanted those aromatics to pop, but they did not quite make the cut. Plus, it is just the sauce with no meat or veggies, so at that price, it feels a bit steep. If you are just eating plain white rice, maybe it works, but I would stick to the classic garlic ginger sauce. Despite the curry sauce experiment, this is hands down one of the better khao mun gai spots in NYC. I highly recommend giving it a shot, just go for the steamed chicken and be prepared to dream about that soup afterward! read more

Gai Kitchen - Steamed Chicken (Hainanese Chicken) Side Red Curry - Thai Near Me - New York, New York

Second time coming here. Got hainan chicken with garlic rice the first time. The garlic rice was a little too moist, and so I got the roasted chicken with white rice this time. Felt like service was better the first time, when we spoke canto w the older lady. Received smaller portions the second time when it was with the part-time workers. Couldn't even get tap water on a 100 degrees F day. Inconsistent portions and service, but good for a quick meal. read more

I went to Gai Kitchen for the first time last week and got their roasted chicken and rice dish along with their scallion pancakes to go. They were both very tasty and affordable. I can see why this place gets the positive reviews that it gets. It's a casual spot with quality food served quick and affordable. It's a no frills spot that let's it's wonderful food do the talking. read more

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I loveee haianese chicken and this place makes a pretty good version. They could season their chicken rice a bit more though but this is a great portion of food for the price read more

Gai Kitchen - Steamed Chicken (Hainanese Chicken) - Thai Near Me - New York, New York

A fast food place with dishes that taste home made. That sums up my experience with Gai Kitchen in the heart of Chinatown on Mott Street. Born in the Mott Street Mall as a food stall, it is now a stand alone eatery for takeout and eat in. Order at the counter and there are tables to sit in. My food was brought out shortly after ordering. The chicken broth was very tasty, and seasoned with a comforting warmth, like sipping a hug. I ordered a "large" serving of Thai Roast Chicken over Ginger Rice. A nice change from plain white rice. The chicken was nicely flavored, and not overly spicey, which was a good thing. Very reasonably priced. A good deal. read more

Gai Kitchen - Thai Roast Chicken - Thai Near Me - New York, New York

Walked by and decided to try this place I got the small roasted chicken over ginger rice and it was so delicious that I had to go back and get a few chicken over ginger rice for the family This time I got the large mix chicken over ginger rice and the fried chicken over ginger rice. And it comes with a cup of soup. All so delicious. The service was pretty fast and the staff are friendly. Definitely coming back and trying the appetizers. read more

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I swung by here for a quick bite one day in Chinatown. This Thai spot specializes in affordable and quick bites--perfect for a casual meal. We ordered at the kiosk (which has a small additional charge in comparison when paying with cash). It came out fairly quick. We got their roasted chicken rice in a small. While the rice was so flavorful with lots of ginger and garlic, I felt that the chicken portion was not that great (especially in comparison to other price-comparable spots in Chinatown). Overall, I thought it was good but just not as advertised. read more

Gai Kitchen - Roasted chicken - Thai Near Me - New York, New York

Wanted something small since it was a warm day. It is a nice space with handful of seating. There is an option to order on a kiosk. I ordered with the staff and was giving a number. Got the small chicken with rice and the Thai fish cake. Prices are decent for size. Chicken with rice was good and not overly oily. Fish cake was tasty as well. Liked that there's a variety of chicken dishes and smaller portions on days when your not overly hungry but still gotta eat. read more

Gai Kitchen - Lunch hainanese chicken (small) - Thai Near Me - New York, New York

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Good value for what you pay for. I recommend getting the garlic ginger rice with your meal. It's different and unique! The chicken is so flavorful. I would come here everyday if I could. read more

Gai Kitchen - Thai Style Roasted Chicken Meal - Thai Near Me - New York, New York

Limited seating and popular spot since it's so cheap! I got the small chicken rice which was only $6.5! It was tasty, would come back for the larger portion, which is still very reasonable! Green Thai tea was good as well. read more

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5 stars for taste and prices. You can't beat their prices. 10-12 dollars for a decent size of meat with rice and salad. Tries their chicken combo option which was very filing. Place has tables but its nothing too fancy. Taste and experience are legit! read more

Gai Kitchen - Thai Near Me - New York, New York

Looking for an affordable yet so good tasting chicken meals in Manhattan, consider Gai Kitchen in Chinatown, Lower Manhattan. Here you can try their Fried Chicken, Thai style roasted chicken and their Thai style Hainanese chicken with a hot soup on the side. Good for casual lunch or quick dinner. The ambiance is nice with friendly and welcoming staff. read more

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Gai Kitchen is one of those cheap eats you can depend on always hitting the spot without hitting your wallet hard. For under $10, you can hook yourself up with a Hainanese Chicken or Thai Style Roasted Chicken with rice (get the garlic rice). They also got some good appetizers, which I enjoyed the Chicken Curry Puffs and Chive and Scallion Pancakes. Their Garlic Fried Wings was fantastic as well. read more

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My sister saw this on Instagram and suggested checking it out. When you first walk in, it's very well lit and clean. There was plenty of seating. I went in the evening and picked up 2 small orders of Thai style roasted chicken and Thai style Hainanese chicken. For $6.50, that portion size, I thought.. I probably could've gotten more of a meal especially for the Chinatown area. After eating it, it was a pretty good reasonably sized snack meal. The ginger rice was warm, soft, and packed with flavor. There could have been slightly more protein. I had the Hainanese chicken and used the dipping sauce that was included. I appreciate their transparency with the pricing differences for cash/credit. I could see myself coming back here and trying more foods and drinks from their menu. read more

Gai Kitchen - Thai Style Roasted Chicken small meal and Thai style Hainanese Chicken small meal - Thai Near Me - New York, New York

A little clean shop serving Thai-style Haianese steamed and roasted chicken, fried chicken, spring rolls and more. Very healthy as it was steamed or roasted, but wasn't as flavorful as I expected (not enough salt/sweetness, I like the SIngaporean version of the sauce better I guess!). The ginger rice was very strong ginger... would have preferred something a little more soy sauce. I really liked their soup, though it was very heavy on the white pepper (which I like, others may not). Spring rolls were good without needing the sauce - veggies and spring roll skins were super crispy. Another pro - very affordable. A lunch or small portion was only $6-7 (cash a little cheaper than credit). read more

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I almost don't wanna tell anybody about this place because it's SO delicious! Definitely order the classic Hainanese chicken. Their ginger garlic rice... I don't even know what they put it in but so addicting! If you have extra space, definitely recommend scallion cake. Their recipe is very different from other places. Also pink drink is recommended. And the price? You can't beat that price! Their preparation is fast and I always take it to go but they also have dining area you can eat in. read more

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This is my go to place. The food and price is good! A full meal with soup for $9.50; which a deal. If you don't have a big appetite, they have a small for $6.50. It's a fast casual place where you order at the counter and then sit. The chicken is so tender and you have to get the Ginger rice. I prefer the steamed chicken over the roasted chicken because the taste is more mild so it goes great with the sauces provided. read more

Gai Kitchen - Mixed Steamed and Roasted Chicken Meal - Thai Near Me - New York, New York

Food: The food is very average here, and I will not be returning. I tried the roast chicken and Hainan chicken combo over garlic ginger rice. The chicken and rice were both tasty, but a place such as Eim Khao Mun Gai (another Thai-style Hainanese chicken place) is much better in comparison. The food just didn't seem like anything special that I would go back for. Service: You order your food on a kiosk and find your own table. Everything is self-serve after you get your food from the counter. Ambiance: There are a good amount of tables in this place, but they are small and not ideal for large groups. The place is spacious and kept clean. Overall, I would not recommend this restaurant. read more

Gai Kitchen - Thai Near Me - New York, New York

What's for lunch? Thai Style Hainanese Chicken Easy fast food in Chinatown, efficiently in ordering online or at the counter, food was tasty, no frills for setting, find a table enjoy your meal and move on. Very affordable, meals for under $15 with a drink. Had Thai Ice Tea. For on the cheap meals in Chinatown, check this place out as an option. read more

Dropped in for just a snack and got the Crab Rangoons which for some reason I feel are so hard to come by in nyc. These were great! The filling was smooth and had nice flavor, and the dough was very very crispy which is what makes or breaks a rangoon for me so I was happy about that. My only gripe was that the amount of sauce was sooo small and definitely not enough! Also had a Thai Tea which was not too dense and rich, it was more of a refreshing and lighter, yet still creamy thai tea which was exactly what I needed in the moment so it hit so well. read more

Gai Kitchen - Crab Rangoons and Thai Tea - Thai Near Me - New York, New York

I came here to eat a quick lunch (after seeing on tiktok for the affordable food). The inside has a couple tables and it's a self service type of place. You order and then get a table and then clear your tray afterwards. I really like type of dining style for a quick lunch. There was also one lady working in the front so service was noticeably a little slower. Even though the food was prepared quickly, it took some time to wait for the lady to order the food. There's also kiosk available! But the kiosk is only card + I think I didn't see some menu options on the kiosk. There's a slight discount for using cash. Onto the food: I ordered a pink drink (I forgot the full name) but it was refreshing and light. Not too sweet and not too heavy. I also ordered the $6.50 chicken meal (that's the small). I wish they showed pictures of the meal because it was absolutely tiny. I didn't realize how small the $6.50 portion was. I don't have a big appetite and found that the meal was a little small. I would suggest paying a little more and getting the $10 large meal. That portion size seemed a lot more reasonable. All the pictures they show are of the big size but then they advertise the lower prices. Overall: still an affordable eatery for a quick bite. read more

Gai Kitchen - Thai Near Me - New York, New York

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Gai Kitchen serves up the most flavorful Hainanese steamed chicken and Thai-style roasted chicken over ginger garlic rice for such an affordable price! This fast-casual spot is cozy, budget-friendly, and will teleport you to the streets of Bangkok with their simple yet authentic menu. Highly recommend stopping by if you're in NYC's Chinatown neighborhood. BRING CASH! read more

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For about $10 you can come to this shop and get very well cooked roasted & steamed hainanese chicken on a bed of ginger rice with the most comforting broth. read more

Gai Kitchen - Thai Near Me - New York, New York

Thai Hainanese Chicken Hits Different Tried their signature Thai Hainanese Chicken and wow -- juicy, tender, and so flavorful. Paired it with the crispy Roast Chicken for the ultimate combo (you can pick any 2!). Started off with some Thai classic appetizers -- every bite hits that perfect balance of bold and comforting. Honestly, this spot is a must for chicken lovers and anyone who loves authentic Thai flavors. Follow me @foodie.elite on IG and Tiktok for more! read more

Gai Kitchen - Steamed Chicken (Hainanese Chicken), Thai Style Roasted Chicken, Crab Rangoon Thai Fish Cake, curry puff chicken, Pink Milk, Wings - Thai Near Me - New York, New York

Literally stumbled across this place as i was with my family exploring Chinatown. I love love places like these. Small, family owned, speciality shops. I love chicken rice and this place is no exception. Service was fast and friendly. Place was affordable, I only wanted a snack so I got a small size steamed Hainanese chicken rice. The chicken was moist and the rice was flagrant. Will love to stop by again. They do offer a small discount if paying with cash. read more

Gai Kitchen - Small Steamed (Hainanese Chicken) - Thai Near Me - New York, New York

Super fast, no line, cheap price for the area, medium size portion not enough to fill a grown man, but for a girl it's sufficient. This is the small size for seven dollars. Definitely like Thai fast food. read more

Gai Kitchen - Grilled check and rice $7 3/5 - Thai Near Me - New York, New York

I ordered the hainanese chicken rice large which comes with a chicken soup, the small portion does not come with the soup. This comes with a ginger scallion sauce. I really loved that there were no bones in the chicken because it's so much easier to eat. I would definitely keep buying this dish just because of this fact. The ginger sauce was SO SPICY I couldn't use it so my chicken was on the bland side. BUT I chose ginger rice which made up for the bland chicken. The chicken soup came in a cup and boy was it flavorful. This is my new favorite Chinatown dish! I also tried the Thai ice tea but this was a miss for me. I would pass. read more

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Absolutely one of my favorite affordable spots in Chinatown! Their steamed chicken/haianese chicken rice is a must try and if you love ginger - definitely opt for the ginger rice which is my favorite! The Thai roasted chicken is also really good as well so if you can't decide between the two you can go for the mix steamed and roasted which has both. The large entree comes with a side of soup as well. If you're looking for a smaller snack you can also order a small instead. The workers here are super nice and the interior has a few table seating as well. There's a kiosk where you can order yourself or you can go up to order at the cashier! Note that there is a slight price difference between paying in cash and paying in card. This is a spot that I just keep revisiting because it's just that good!! read more

Gave the roasted chicken and the soup another chance and it was much better this time. The ginger rice was more flavored throughout and less clumpy. Chicken was a bit more tender this time, but still not super juicy. The soup was drinkable this time vs last time when I took a sip and it burned my throat. I do appreciate that the business reached out to me and they seemed to have taken my initial review into consideration and revised their recipe/improved their food quality. I will continue to order lunch here in the future and I hope they consistently keep up their quality of food! Also their staff seems very sweet. Whenever I come in to pick up my food, they are very prompt to attend to me and they have a good attitude and very friendly! read more

Gai Kitchen - Lunch takeout-- Roasted chicken over ginger rice. Comes w/ side of soup. - Thai Near Me - New York, New York

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I love chicken and rice and this place does deliver that craving! It's not only good but for the price was amazing as well! The classic chicken and rice with the rice tastes like home. I can tell they didn't go cheap on the chicken broth when they cooked the rice due to how flavorful the rice tasted with the chicken! I also like their chicken curry puff but the chicken and rice is much butter! I would recommend checking them out! They are new, local and in the neighborhood! read more

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It was good for a decent price. Both chicken (steam + roast) was tender, and rice was fragrant, but I prefer traditional Hainanese more so would prob check out another spot before returning! read more

Gai Kitchen - Mixed Steamed and Roasted Chicken Meal - Thai Near Me - New York, New York

I went to Gai Kitchen on a Friday around 6 pm. When I walked in, the place was very clean and empty, so there were plenty of seats available. I ordered the Mixed Steamed and Roasted Chicken to-go. The chicken itself was good. Both the steamed and roasted chicken had nice flavor. The rice wasn't really my favorite since I could see pieces of garlic (and I'm not a big garlic fan), but for those who like it, I can see it being enjoyable. The meal also came with a light soup, which was refreshing and balanced everything out nicely. read more

Gai Kitchen - Mixed Steamed and Roasted Chicken - Thai Near Me - New York, New York

We stopped in and got a small Thai style roasted chicken and a Thai ice tea. The small chicken dish was probably about two cups of rice, two cucumber slices and four small pieces of chicken. If you want rice, come here. The chicken tastes good, but if you want more chicken, go someplace else because you'll just get a taste of it compared to other places that pile it on for the same price. The cash price is $6.50 for a small chicken dish and $4.25 for the Thai tea. read more

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Very yummy! We got the combination and shared so we can eat the other food nearby. Very good portions for sharing and single serving. The meat is cooked perfectly and pairs well with the garlic rice. read more

Gai Kitchen - Thai Near Me - New York, New York

Love this spot! Very convenient in the heart of Chinatown with great deals of comfort Thai food. Service is quick and efficient and the ambiance can get a little busy especially during lunch hour periods. But highly recommend for some tasty food :) read more

Came here for takeout for the hainiese chicken rice meal but they were sold out by the time I came /: got the Thai roasted chicken rice meal instead and it was just as good. Chicken is juicy and fresh, rice had flavorful ginger & garlic notes to it. It also comes with a small soup on the side! Very reasonably priced, one of the few places left in nyc where you can get a meal for under $10! They have some seating inside but also acts as a quick grab & go spot read more

Gai Kitchen - Thai Style Roasted Chicken Meal - Thai Near Me - New York, New York

Very affordable and tasty spot within the heart of Chinatown. I've always walked past the place and I finally got to try it and no doubt was this place good! Everything is pretty much under $10 and service is quick and easy. I got the Hainanese chicken (comes with either ginger rice or white rice), crab rangoon, and a hot thai iced tea. I loved everything and our meal also included a free soup when we dined in. read more

Gai Kitchen - Steamed (Hainanese Chicken) and Crab rangoon - Thai Near Me - New York, New York

The Mixed Steamed and Roasted Chicken was delicious. The cashier was polite and friendly. The restaurant was spacious with lots of seats and tables. For $10.5, this is a great deal. Recommended! read more

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3.5 Very casual eatery, located on busy Mott Street. Menu is on a couple of screens or posted around the counter. Order with cash, or cc with a 3.5% charge, and wait for your number to be called. There are tables - seating for 1-2 people or move tables for a larger group. I liked that Gai Kitchen had an option for a small serving of Thai hainanese chicken (4 dark meat slices), and ginger sauce (good but strong flavor for me so I added a little at a time). It came with ginger rice (or white rice), which reminded me of filipino adobo fried rice but with ginger). read more

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First time trying -- take out. The sauces could improve a lot The sauces does not have any tamarind or tart flavor, it's just muted spicy but not even a heat Roasted and steamed chicken --half /half The chicken does not have the Hainese flavor but the rice does. Pricier than most Chinatown establishments read more

Gai Kitchen - Thai Near Me - New York, New York