Randomly stumbled on Rooster & Rice while driving around cuz our toddler had fallen asleep in the backseat and we were hungry, lol. Arrived just as they opened at 11am and ordered the classic hainan chicken and larb popcorn chicken to go. YUM. The larb popcorn chicken was delicious!! The seasoning reminded me of the seasoning packets you get in mama's instant noodles, which is super flavorful and tangy and yummy! The hainan chicken was tender and flavorful and rice wasn't too oily, and the dipping sauces were good. Would definitely order again if in the area! read more

Rooster & Rice - The Original - Thai Near Me - Irvine, California

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I ordered from this place at least a few times a month! I am Cantonese and grew up there for years. I love this place's scallion and ginger sauce so much!! I even ordered the extra big size everytime I come here. It is just like the taste of my childhood! Their chicken is juicy and tender (I got thigh only unsure how the breast tastes since I never ordered white meat)! Also, it is a good post workout meal to get the protein I need. Portion size is huge for the price! I think it is hard to find this portion size nowadays, especially in OC. Highly recommended! read more

Omg. I no longer work up in the Irvine area so I made the trip to come get some chicken rice which I love. I generally order ahead of time but this time I waited to get inside. It was my first time actually in the location. I got the number one, which is the OG chicken rice and chicken broth. I don't make any modifications. I love it the way it is, although I do order an extra chicken broth because I'm quite honestly, I'm not sure what they do to it but it's outstanding. The food was freshly prepared and well packed. I like that they put the soup in a small plastic bag to prevent any leaking. The chicken is tender and flavorful. The rice also taste very good. I don't recall seeing any seating inside, but there is some outside. There's also parking out front but can be hard to get sometimes during the peak hours. Overall, definitely come and try this place. Reminds me of Singapore I love it so much. I could probably eat this every day. Super helpful service. I watched the customer ahead of me interact with the cashier who was super helpful. It seemed like it was this guy's first time and he kind of walked him through the ordering process and what to expect. read more

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For those who know Thai food, Khao Mun Gai is Thai chicken and rice. It is not Hainan chicken, which is Chinese. This is thus far my fave place for KMG. I get the #2 because I prefer skinless chicken breast. I sub the brown rice for chicken rice. Love that the chicken is tender. Nice to see meaty pieces as opposed to skin/bone/odd looking chicken from other places. The KMG sauce is a must. It is savory and sweet with ginger, garlic, brown bean and hint of tamarind. A meal so simple done right. Really reminiscent of the KMG in Thailand. read more

I love this place. The place is small and located next to a boba shop. I order the original and the no carb plates. The chicken is super tender even the breast which is unusual. The sauces are great, esp the KMG sauce. The rice was flavorful. They have really good portion sizes and the prices were decent. read more

Hai Nan chicken rice joint. If you're a fan of OG Hai Nan chicken rice, you'll love this place. If you're not familiar, then go somewhere else. I honestly prefer home cooking to this. Nothing better than Mom's recipe. But this comes close. Very authentic. read more

Rooster & Rice - The Original - Thai Near Me - Irvine, California

The place is super convenient and the food is really good! Easy parking and there's no wait.

The best hainan chicken in OC! I got the original chicken, the cutlet, and the larb popcorn chicken. In every dish the chicken was cooked perfectly and still super juicy! The rice was cooked well and had lots of flavor. & their sauces....delicious! The food is good on its own, but great when you add the sauces too. I ordered ahead on a weekday and it was only a 10 min wait. The staff were really friendly as well. Although, Irvine is a drive for me, I would come back just for this. 10/10 highly recommend!! read more

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All I gotta say is this place is delicious!! Hands down best hainan chicken in Orange County. The original plate is great! It comes with rice, cucumbers and poached chicken along with a side of chicken broth. You have the option of picking a variety of different dipping sauces. My favorite is the ginger and a side of siriacha. For an additional price you can upgrade your protein to thighs and dark vs light. Service was super quick. The plaza is fairly small, so there is limited outdoor seating during peak hours. I also order them through doordash for convenience. read more

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this is mainly a take out restaurant as there is no indoor seating available. There are a lot of outdoor tables and couches for you to eat at though. service was good, and we were recommended the original with kmo sauce, and the cutlet plate so we went ahead and ordered those. they brought out the food to us where we were sitting outside and set it up on our table for us which was nice. The original plate also comes with a side of soup. The food was amazing, so light, and still flavorful! I highly recommend trying this place out! - the original  - the cutlet read more

Rooster & Rice - The Original & The Cutlet - Thai Near Me - Irvine, California

5/5 stars to this amazing restaurant I had the original meal and I want to say I did not know chicken could taste this good! Seasoned really well and very well cooked. I came here for alittle Thursday client lunch spot. I told them "littlest every restaurant in OC is to die for" In which they replied "ok then I'm gona pick a place at random and we're gona go try it" Which is when they found rooster and rice. Could not have been a better spot to come. 10/10 would come back!! read more

Rooster & Rice is known for Khao Mun Gai which is Thai chicken rice but for others, it's best known as Hainan Chicken. The best Hainan chicken I've had was in Hong Kong. It wasn't until I discovered Rooster & Rice in the Bay Area and can confidently say, they have my only stamp of approval on Hainan chicken that I have discovered and it's all in the dipping sauce. We got The Original ($16.40), The Vegetarian ($13.95), popcorn chicken ($13.95) and fried chicken skins ($4.95). The meals come with soup broth. The vegetarian had carrots, tofu, broccoli, cauliflower and cucumbers. It was a huge portion that I had to split into two meals. Had the same dipping sauce as The Original. We also ordered the ginger scallion sauce on the side which elevated the flavors. read more

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I was craving something healthier while I was at a hair appointment in Lake Forest. I ordered the original plate via doordash and I am so happy I ordered from here. I have heard about rooster and rice but never had it before. So yummy! I'm Chinese and this is reminiscent of something my parents would make at home. Silky smooth chicken with flavor full rice topped with the ginger scallion sauce. I also got the fried chicken skin. I needed some crunch and this hit the spot. It was way more rich than 1 person could/should eat in 1 sitting but I tried. Yummy! My mouth is watering just writing this. Bonus was it was easy to eat while the 2 girls worked on my hair. Everyone mentioned how great it smelled. I was the lucky one that got to enjoy it :). read more

Rooster & Rice - The original - Thai Near Me - Irvine, California

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Decided to try a new chicken restaurant and so glad I did! When you first walk in, you are greeted by this enormous colorful balloon display in the shape of a rooster. The other wall has a fun colorful tropical scene. Ordered the Han Pai chicken which is crispy fried Thai style chicken with rice and shallots. Came with a Thai sweet chilli sauce and a few cucumbers. I really enjoyed the meal. It felt like a comfort meal and the portion was generous which left me with a second meal the next day. Love that it's organic and well priced. read more

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I love coming here for lunch! I'd recommend the Hat Yai chicken. It has really crispy skin and tender meat. There's extra wait for it, but it usually comes out in 10 minutes. It's togo only, but there are outside tables. read more

Tried Rooster & Rice for the first time after seeing so many people recommend it, and it actually lived up to the hype. The chicken was soft without being greasy, the sauces were amazing, and the garlic rice was probably my favorite part. Portions are pretty good for the price too. Feels like one of those easy reliable places you crave again a few days later. read more

I ordered online however they took forever, i only order the popcorn chicken... through online it says 20-22 minutes, i went pick it up after half hour but still not ready. read more

It's been a while since I found an eatery that has blown me away with quality and value. This spot is it! Hubby and I ordered delivery and got 3 items, all of which were outstanding. We loved how comforting the dishes were and the taste was on point. Chicken arrived still perfectly crispy and man, the popcorn chicken was good. There's a lemongrass flavor that just reminds me of my childhood! Overall, super solid and great portions. We will definitely order from here again! read more

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Delectable chicken katsu with delicious sauce. I've ordered here a few times and each time the service is quick and the flavor is great. Very fresh cuts of chicken with good portion sizes. The location is simple and you're in and out in minutes. read more

Rooster & Rice - Chicken cutlet - Thai Near Me - Irvine, California

For about the same price as a sandwich, you get a satisfying meal of Hainan steamed or fried chicken on a bed of seasoned rice, a side of cucumber, a cup of hot broth, and the sauce of your choice--I usually order The Original with the ginger and scallion sauce and Sriracha. Service is prompt and friendly. There's nowhere to sit inside, but there are plenty of tables right outside, and you can get a drink at the convenience store or boba shop in that same plaza. I love Hainan chicken, and while it's hard to find local places that serve it as tasty as you'll find it in Southeast Asia, this place satisfies my cravings for it. One of my go-to lunch places when I'm in the area! read more

Rooster & Rice - The Original - Thai Near Me - Irvine, California

I'm a little torn about Rooster & Rice. First off, I was super excited for a chicken rice shop to open here. Expectations weren't high, but I was excited when I saw that Rooster & Rice was coming. I visited Rooster & Rice in the afternoon on 12/13/2024, so they've had a couple of weeks since their opening date to work some things out. Granted, things can't be perfect, but I wasn't a fan of the following. 1. The person at the cashier/packing orders was not friendly or welcoming at all. There was not "hello" or "what can I get you?" I had to initiate the conversation with questions about the menu. They also left out the Habanero sauce that I had to ask for after checking my order before I left. So, this person not only isn't friendly, but does not do a great job packing orders... the habanero sauce was literally printed on the receipt, hard to miss unless you just weren't paying attention. 2. There is an upcharge for either the scallion ginger or KMG sauce. The upcharge is $1.45 for a tiny thing. You get to choose one of the two with your chicken meal, but if you want the other flavor, you have to pay more. I don't think they should be charging extra, let alone $1.45. It costs more to get an additional sauce flavor than it is to change your chicken from breast to thigh meat ($1). 3. I wanted to get the Hat Yai chicken plate, but they were sold out of it when I came in. It happens, but it's a bummer still. So I ordered The Original ($14.95) and swapped the meat to dark meat ($1). Plus, the additional charge for sauce and tax, this meal came out to $18.75. I think that's pretty pricey for chicken rice. Without all of the upcharges, it's arguably up there in price, but with the upcharges... I don't think it's worth it at all. The chicken was good, but not better than other places that do the same. The rice was okay, not as flavorful with chicken essence as I would have hoped. The portion was just enough to share between two people. Another thing to note is that there are no seats inside, but there are plenty of outdoor seats. I don't know how I feel about this place given that the food is decently good, but is it worth it? Eh. I was gifted a very generous gift card from a friend to this place, so I will be coming back to try again. However, I'm not impressed with this place so far. I will write an update if my opinion changes. read more

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Went to Rooster & Rice on Saturday morning. We got there a little early, before 11am, and there were already people waiting outside. Menu is pretty straight forward. We got the Original chicken and the Hat Yai. We didn't make any adjustments, such as paying extra to get dark meats or different sauces. Food was fresh and tasted good, but a little on the pricy side for the portion. The place is new and clean. There is no indoor seating, but there are tables outside. Overall, it's a nice place to grab a quick bite. read more

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Appreciate that there is such a decent chicken and rice place now in Irvine. Which brings me to say, just note that these are Irvine prices. Since there was a lot of social media hype around this place, we decided to give it a try! What we got: - The Original: Very standard chicken with flavored rice. We got an additional scallion sauce for an up-charge. Only complaint is how small the portion is for what you pay for, but again.. Irvine prices. - Hat Yai Chicken: Really liked the flavoring and the crunch that came with the chicken. The rice also had some fried shallots or garlic in it that gave it a nice flavor. The sauce was just your usual sweet chili sauce, which didn't really do much for me but hey it's there. - Popcorn Chicken: Was crispy and crunchy. It wasn't that memorable, but still tasty when combined with the other sauces. We also got an additional habanero sauce with this and yes.. it is spicy! Overall, would definitely come back and order this place when craving comfort chicken and rice. Glad there are more options like this around South OC. read more

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Chicken is good here but a little pricey. $13.95-14.95 per item and $1.95 for extra sauce. No seating inside but plenty of seating outside. Easy parking. Long wait for the food. I tried the following: The original $14.95 - Chicken was good if you eat with the sauce. It was plain and dry without sauce. Rice was ok but not consistent. Some parts were mushy. My friend had to spit out because it was not edible. Kmg sauce was good but salty. Hat yai chicken $13.95 - Fried chicken was really good. Very moist and crispy. Same with the rice. Some parts were mushy and not edible. Sweet chili sauce was ok and not needed since the chicken had enough flavors. Popcorn chicken $13.95 - Way overpriced so I had higher expectation but it was just popcorn chicken. Good and crispy, but some pieces were so salty. It came with kaffir lime aioli sauce but I didn't need it since the chicken was already flavorful. My favorite was the hat yai chicken. This place was just ok for me. I'll come back if I'm in the area. Even though chicken was good, there was nothing special. read more

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Rooster & Rice is a NorCal transplant that recently opened, and I was excited to try it out now that it's here in OC. We tried the original and marina chicken. The chicken was moist and the rice was good. The white rice matches the chicken more than the brown rice as an accompaniment and we did prefer the chicken with skin versus the skinless version. Parking was quite easy as there is a big lot. Inside, there's no indoor seating, but there is ample outside seating directly outside the store and there's a large outdoor outside patio area as well. The customer service was good and the food orders were processed quickly as well, with a minimal wait. read more

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This place is all about thai chicken dishes which was nice to see since I don't know of many places that are specifically thai chicken items. Opted for the popcorn chicken, hat yai and classic hainan chicken. All were pretty good but the star for me was definitely the SAUCES. I'm a sauce person and these did not disappoint. It's a little pricey for extra sauce (Like $1.45) but I think it can be worth it if you enjoy sauce. Their housemade special sauce was nice and sweet - tastes really good with hainan chicken and rice. The habenero sauce had just the right amount of kick where you can still taste your food. Hat yai was my favorite of the 3 chicken dishes - nicely fried and flavored well. It definitely pairs well with the chicken rice too. Food was good and service was great. It's definitely in a somewhat weird location (behind Spectrum mall) so I don't know if I'll see myself coming often unless I'm already at the mall. But if you're in the area I think it's worth the try. read more

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I was excited to try this hainan place out after seeing it on TikTok. I love Savoy's hainan chicken and I've been looking for something close to it out here in the OC. My brother and I DoorDash rooster & rice last week. So bummed about it. We both got the original and chicken was dry, flavor of rice was delicious but some parts were hard. It comes with chicken broth and broth was good! We both added the scallion ginger sauce (usually comes with the meal!), it was an additional $1.95 each. Sauce was so salty! My brother also got the Cutlet. I tried a piece and it was good, chicken was not dry. Overall, we won't be ordering from here again. So sad because I thought I finally have a place to get Hainan chicken. read more

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Finally got to try out this place after bookmarking it. Found it randomly as I was looking for popcorn chicken places due to a craving. Saw this place pop up and was intrigued because I initially was thinking of Taiwanese popcorn chicken but this place is more Thai style items. The location is very random - it's not in a busy complex I feel and definitely more businessy area. It's behind the Spectrum and located near the Costco. Came on a weekday night and there were a few people waiting on their to-go orders. There's no indoor seating but they do have some tables outside. Ordered the classic hainan chicken plate with added ginger scallion sauce, popcorn chicken and Hat Yai chicken. All 3 items were yummy but my favorite was probably the Hat Yai chicken plate - crispy and well seasoned. Works really well with the sauces too! The hainan chicken was a nice classic - rice was flavorful with the chicken stock and portion was good even for sharing. Although I got all white meat, it was still pretty good and not dry at all. Hainan chicken comes with their house sauce and spicy sauce for free (habanero or sriracha). Popcorn chicken was interesting! There's a bit of citrus seasoned in the chicken already with a very mild kick. It doesn't taste like your traditional popcorn chicken but I like the flavor of this one. I'm a sauce person so I appreciate the amount of sauce they gave (pretty fair) and they were all pretty good - even the habanero one! But I will say I feel the price for additional sauce is kinda wild (like $1.45? for one). I'm so used to seeing additional sauces for like 50 cents to $1 but the amount they give is a good amount. Overall place is solid, food is yummy and I don't have much to complain about. Location isn't somewhere I see myself going to normally which is a downside for me. I can't see myself driving out specifically for this, but might order via delivery. Worth a try if you like hainan chicken! read more

Rooster & Rice - Popcorn chicken - Thai Near Me - Irvine, California

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New spot in town serving up some Thai inspired chicken dishes. I had the popcorn chicken and a side of jasmine chicken rice. The chicken was seasoned very well and had a light citrus flavor with a little spice on the back. Chicken was hot and fresh and I loved that they used thighs. The rice was amazing, great consistency and flavor. The included sauce is a kaffir lime aioli and I also tried the Thai sriracha and the ginger scallion sauce. My favorite was the Thai sriracha, great flavor and spice without over doing the spice. There is no interior seating, but there's a huge patio with open seating. Plan accordingly. Overall I felt it was a bit pricey given the lack of a side with the chicken and the cost of the sauce, but I'd return to try another dish or two. read more

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I am loving this place!!! Great quality ingredients + large portions = happiness. This walk-up, casual eatery's take on Hainan chicken + more is phenomenal. The menu is simple and they do it well. I got the Original Chicken, and I'm so excited to explore the menu. The chicken was a blend of breast and thighs with the thighs being a better experience. Great mouthfeel and poached to perfection. The garlic sauce was plentiful and flavorful leaving little to be desired. They get a little chaotic at lunch, but they're still figuring things out. Just wanted to drop a positive review to highlight a new business in the community! Will definitely be back. read more

I AM A HAINAN CHICKEN GIRL!!! Doesn't matter if it is from Vietnam, Thailand, South China, Singapore or Malaysia, I've tried them all. This is one of my FAVE Asian dishes. So HAPPY Rooster & Rice opened up close to my office. I first tried them in SF when I was on business trips and it was the ONE dish away from home that made me feel close to home. It's comfort food at its finest. Since they opened, I've been in 2+ times a week. They had a great November special for their promos which was 20% off your order. You know I had to take advantage of that. Introduced everyone in the office to them and NO I do not get sponsored by R&R. Don't take my word for it, just go and try it for yourself. You can order via telephone, on Yelp or via Doordash. I love how easy it is to customize your order. You can get all White (Breast), all Dark (Thigh) or Half & Half (White & Dark) meat which is #1 on the menu...my fave way to order it. I always get extra extra Ginger Scallion Sauce. My Lunch Order: #1 - The Original $14.95 - 5 Stars - Half White & Dark Meat, Chicken Rice, Cucumbers, KMG Sauce (Soy Sauce-ish) and their simple but so flavorful Chicken Broth Soup. The portions are great and you'll inhale it like I do each time. LOCATION - In a small strip mall across from the Johnson & Johnson office on Alton. The mall is on the corner so if you don't turn into the plaza, you'll miss it. There isn't any space to dine in but they do share outside seating with the plaza but table/seats are limited and always taken so it's best to take it "To-Go". PARKING - Small parking lot that is SO DARN tight. I recommend going a bit early or later to avoid the lunch herd. Be careful of impatient and angry drivers that race through and don't really see you. CUSTOMER SERVICE - Every location I've been to have friendly staff. This one was no different. You can tell they were still figuring our their operation but everyone has been super nice. Be nice and patient (as a customer) too. It just opened so everyone is ramping up. VERDICT - You know I'll be a regular customer. I now need to budget to eat here weekly. Happy to return every week for my Hainan Chicken & Rice fix. Cannot wait to pick up my order this week. read more

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Food: 4/5 it's close to a lot of the universities in Irvine, so I would say it's supper convenient for college students looking for a quick meal. Service: 5/5 you can call in to order pick up within 15 minutes. Pick up at cashier and pay. Ambiance: the store is very small, there's a couple tables outside if you would like to dine there. There's no tables inside, most people just stand around to wait for their orders and it is mostly takeout. read more

Rooster & Rice - Thai Near Me - Irvine, California

I am a big fan of Rooster & Rice, having been to multiple locations up north. So naturally, I was excited to see them open a location in Irvine, which was much needed. This was clearly evident when I stopped by tonight for takeout, seeing how packed the small location was. Between mobile orders and people coming in, it was non-stop busy the entire time I was there. Good for them. Unfortunately, my experience here was disappointing and left a lot to be desired. I ordered the Original for my wife and the Cutlet for myself. As soon as she unpacked her meal, she noticed that they forgot to give us any soy sauce or chili sauce. Even worse, once she grabbed her first piece, she noticed that they had packed a bunch of small chicken chunks hidden under the chicken skin instead of actual slices of chicken. Take a look at my picture and you can see it looks more like Halal Guys than Hainan Chicken. Also, the rice was super mushy. I hate to be overly picky, especially about a place that just opened, but this is not right. You can't charge $14.99 for a plate of Hainan Chicken and serve scraps of chicken hidden under a few pieces of skin. Also, I paid $2 extra for an extra garlic scallion oil, and I ended up getting less sauce than I was supposed to get originally. Needless to say, it was annoying. I know that they were super busy so I can understand some issues with quality, but this is really not a good look. I have had Hainan Chicken maybe a hundred times in my life, including in Singapore, and this one was the sloppiest one I've ever had. The flavor was good but that was about it. I'm willing to give this location another try, but if I go out of my way again to visit, I seriously hope I don't get served left over scraps of chicken again. read more

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This is one of those restaurants I really wanted to like more. It's hard to find good Hainan chicken in Orange County compared to the 626, and even more so to find something that isn't just a takeaway place. I didn't expect this to be a sit down restaurant, but I also didn't expect it to have no indoor seating at all. That's not necessarily where I want to knock on the place though. Overall I'd say it's just okay in terms of quality. Nothing really wowed me in terms of flavor, portion size, or what's included, and it's sort of just left me having wanted to go to The Chicken Rice in DTSA instead. I'll definitely give this place more than a fair shake since it's close by and convenient, but it's not a place that particularly left me wanting to come back. TIP: Hainan chicken is solid, but uninspired. read more

I'm very excited that Rooster & Rice is finally in OC! I'm originally from The Bay and this restaurant was introduced to me by my dad since he worked close to a location and would always get it for lunch. This location in Irvine is small and mostly for take out but there are tables and seats outside. I got the original which is Khao Mun Gai. It has chicken breast and thigh on top of jasmine rice that has been cooked in chicken broth, a garlic, chili, and ginger soybean sauce, cucumbers, and a side of chicken broth. Personally for me I felt that the flavor lacked from what I've had back home. I first tasted the chicken broth and it felt that it was bland and I wish the rice was more fragrant and tasted more like chicken. The sauce was also lacking that kick of ginger that I'm used to. I'm happy that there's a location down here and I'm open to trying this place again since I know they just had their grand opening last week. It's good that there's a chicken and rice place here in Irvine! read more

Rooster & Rice - The Original - Thai Near Me - Irvine, California

Poached chicken and rice? So boring and flavorless, right?! WRONG! When done right, it satisfies that craving of a comfort meal. I wanted to check this place out after seeing a tiktok about it. I've left disappointed several times after doing so... but I love chicken and rice and it's hard to find a consistent place. I will definitely have to return just to see how consistent they are, but as a first impression, I enjoyed my meal. Twas a rainy day and chicken rice sounded perfect with a side of the chicken broth. I ordered ahead online and picked up my order of their popcorn chicken and The Original with all dark meat. The popcorn chicken was so interesting and I haven't had any like this. I'm used to the Taiwanese style but this was unmistakably Thai inspired. The seasoning on the popcorn chicken was flavorful and was reminiscent of a lemon pepper (without the pepper) it was savory and zingy. The aioli tasted strongly of lime leaf and the combination of flavors was unique but enjoyable. The cook on the chicken was a bit inconsistent as some pieces were moist while others very dry. The Thai chicken rice dish was the standout. Generous portion of chicken and rice. All thigh meat was the way to go since it was tender and cooked just right. The sauce that comes to it is savory, sweet, and tangy. I did prefer the ginger scallion sauce that is typical with the Hainan style. The rice was well seasoned and the side of cucumbers was a perfect palate cleanser. I definitely want to try their hot sauce in addition as I think it would bring everything together. I was hoping to try the fried chicken skin that's on the menu, but they did not have it the time I came in. Gives me a reason to come back though, and I hope the food is just as good the next time. I'd recommend trying this spot out if you want a quick and tasty lunch. read more

Rooster & Rice - Popcorn Chicken - Thai Near Me - Irvine, California

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Came here to support their official grand opening last night and was not disappointed! This spot is located in a plaza with a good amount of parking spots. Once you walk in, you'll see the counter to order with the menus behind it. There's no seating inside, but there are some tables outside for those who want to dine in. Wifey and I knew we wanted to try the original and the hat yai to share and try different meals. Both of them were delicious and very filling! Make sure to ask for some ginger scallion sauce on the side to complete the meal! Overall, we enjoyed trying this new spot in the community. They're serving up some delicious Thai style Hainan chicken and we will definitely be back for more. read more

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Tried the Original which is the Thai style chicken rice and I was pleasantly surprised that the chicken was really moist, juicy and flavorful. The rice was aromatic and it comes with a side of soup which was warm and comforting, overall nothing was lacking in flavor. Love the different sauce options because they made the dish even more yummy! Tried the KMG sauce, thai sriracha, and habanero sauce. My favorite was the habanero: it was SOO SPICY, but surprisingly paired really well with the dish. The staff was really nice as well and can't wait to come back to try the other dishes! read more

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I frequent the bagel spot next door and noticed this restaurant was coming soon. With so little compelling food in this area of Irvine, I had high hopes that Rooster & Rice would breathe some life into the blah, stuffy food scene here in South Irvine. Now they're open... Did they succeed...? Uh... der..ya!!! THEY ARE GOING TO PUT EVERYONE AROUND THEM OUT OF BUSINESS!!!!! It's so d*** good I had to stop eating to start this review. Maybe I'm slightly bias because I love Thai food, but all the things that make the Thai food experience great are present here! Delicious chicken rice, heavy on the garlic (no kissing please), and succulent, well-seasoned protein with a pop of freshness to cleanse the palette in the cucumber slices! I am about to make these people very busy! This is comfort food amped up to 150% and I'm here for all of it! With stressful work at my office, sometimes you look forward to lunch as a reprieve, a moment of mental salvation where you can feed your body, recharge your mind before returning to the daily grind. I ordered the Hat Thai Chicken. It's 3 beautifully prepared legs, atop a bed of savory chicken rice, with a side of cucumbers and garnished with crispy fried garlic. Outside of a bowl of soup on a cold, rainy day, I can't think of much that could be better than this for lunch or dinner. The menu is minimal, however everything looks great and I will sample everything over the coming months! As for the location, they are in an okay spot. I think it would be a better fit at the spectrum center but as people figure out that it's here, they will come. The inside is all new and very clean, I love the balloon display and mural on the opposite wall. The staff was all friendly and welcoming. I did wait for fresh rice to be made so I could enjoy the full experience. It was well worth it! I typically bring my lunch to work, but 1-2 days a week I get lunch elsewhere. It's always a struggle because there isn't much close but now I have a spot that ticks all my boxes for a great lunch experience. I may also pick up for dinner sometime to let the rest of the family enjoy. Great job! Can't wait to come back for the fried chicken skin!!!!! read more

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Love this place! The first time I went here they were apparently so busy that they stopped taking in-person orders and were only fulfilling online orders. They had a timer thing behind the counter that looked like it said what time to stop taking orders. That was in the early afternoon, and they handed customers a coupon for a free entree on their next visit for the inconvenience. I did end up returning with my family, and today was my 2nd time eating here. I decided to play it safe and order ahead to be sure I wouldn't face a long wait and it went perfectly! My order was ready when I arrived and everything was hot and fresh. I ordered The Original, plus a side of the ginger scallion sauce. It already comes with their own house sauce, but I highly recommend adding the ginger one! The meal: The Original comes with a scoop of chicken rice (it's seasoned and flavorful, not plain steamed rice!), a generous portion of plain chicken, some sliced cucumber, a side of chicken broth, and a side of the house sauce (It is called "KMG" sauce). The rice is delicious here! The chicken is what many people might consider bland, but it is juicy and this is a great gentle meal for sensitive stomachs, maybe a good "sick food" and certainly a great comfort food on a cold day. I have a problem with a sensitive stomach so this meal makes me feel really good. The sauce it comes with has a mostly scallion/green onion flavor with a sort of oily base. I'm not 100% sure what is in it but it is tasty. The ginger scallion sauce though is where it's at! Flavors are mostly garlic/sort of soy sauce, and ginger. It has a very mild heat to it but not enough that I would consider it spicy. I have seen people eat this a few different ways; 1) pour the broth onto the food and eat, 2) scoop up some chicken and rice and dip into the broth, and 3) eat chicken and rice and separately sip the broth. Personally, I like to add a bit of sauce for each bite, and I dip into the broth occasionally. I always have leftovers since I cannot handle eating large portions, and this makes an equally delicious reheated breakfast. At that point, you can basically smother the ginger scallion sauce over the rice and chicken, stir it together, and add a scrambled egg if you're feeling fancy. I definitely recommend checking this out if you are in the area, and I can only hope to see this expand into more parts of Orange County! Irvine is a drive from me, but maybe it's for the best otherwise I'd be here all the time. read more

Rooster & Rice - The Original with an extra side of garlic sauce. - Thai Near Me - Irvine, California