This place was so good, I couldn't stop thinking about it. I went back the next day and ordered the same thing. I had the chicken burrito, which was a perfect combination. All the ingredients complemented each other and were perfect together. Unique flavor of the ginger sauce. Only a few tables outside, so you might be taking it to go. Service was great at the counter, but gets busy at lunchtime. I would suggest pre ordering. read more

Placed a phone order on a Saturday night for pick up. When I arrived at the shop 15 mins later, it was ready for pick up. THE ORIGINAL omg SO MUCH CHICKEN!! I swear there were two layers of chicken, but maybe it was getting close to the end of the night and they just gave me what they had left cuz most of the pieces were small. Usually at other Hainan Chicken places, they give you 2-3 sauces that you can blend together but mine only came with one. It seems like the sauce is a mixture of the typical sauces you get at other places. It was really good! THE VEGETARIAN I think they forgot my brown rice because when my husband opened the container, there was only vegetables and tofu. And when I looked back at the menu from a Yelp review, it said that the entree came with brown rice. I guess they're trying to work out some kinks. Something else I noticed, they asked me if I wanted a choice between two sauces and I picked Thai sriracha, and I didn't get that in the bag either. But overall the food was good, and I'll definitely be back. read more

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

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Today is their grand opening day! Accidentally stumbled upon this place. They have a November special going on right now, 20% off. We ordered the Original and the Cutlet. Chicken was tasty! Moist and delicious. It's hard to find a good Hainan chicken place and I think this is it! Will be coming here on the regular. Hours are Monday - Saturday read more

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Food**** -- it's actually 3.5 but since this is their first socal location I'll give it a 4. Usually you can tell if a hainan chicken place is authentic by 3 things: dark meat availability, price and its sauce. This place hit 2 out of the 3 so not bad. It has thigh only with $1 extra and reg price is reasonable at $15 with soup included (taste legit not some plain watered down kind) however the sauce, both the soy and habanero ones are just too sweat for me. Service**** -- you can tell the floor is well organized so when I step forward I was greeted and when I grabbed drink from 7-11 next door the order is already done so thumbs up there. This is how hainan chicken rice should be- fast, cheap and tasty. You can also see the compostable packaging and utensils which is nicer than other places Ambiance*** -- small shop but it has a public dinning area outside which is nice. No indoor seating tho so make sure prepare yourself. read more

Rooster & Rice - Thai Near Me - Irvine, California

This restaurant is a staple in the Bay Area and I am so excited they have come to So Cal! This is primarily a take out place but there are a few seats outside if you are not taking your meal to go. The restaurant is clean as are the tables outside. The decor is fun and inviting! The staff is super friendly and greets you as you walk through the door. They know their menu and are happy to help you order should you need suggestions. The food is soooo fresh and delicious. The cutlet and popcorn chicken are perfectly coated and crispy! Not dry at all!!! The original is also super tender! The side sauces make the dish extra yummy but totally not necessary as the meat has good flavor on its own. The rice.... Yes the rice... I can eat a whole bowl of that yummy rice! All in all a hit and I will be back! read more

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A strong 4.5/5. When I saw a Hainan Chicken place open up here in Irvine, my boyfriend and I had to try it. Coming from SGV, we've been looking for somewhere nearby and this place definitely holds up! The place itself is really tiny. We got there a little past 1PM and it was poppin in there. The line wrapped inside the place, which ended up going outside the door which made it much more organized. There are tables outside to eat, none inside. It was super windy today and the table we were waiting at was super dusty so we opted to eat in the car. The Original: I got this with the skinless chicken bc I don't like skin lol and I'm glad they were able to accommodate that! The rice was so good and gingery and the chicken was super tender! I loved that they included cucumbers on the side as it was refreshing. The sauce paired well with the chicken. The Cutlet: my bf got this and it was so crispy and flavorful!! The chicken was also really tender! The soup was also pretty good! Not as gingery and I would like it, but definitely hearty. The reason I had to dock half a star was that extra sauces was extra :( We're just used to getting a variety of sauces whenever we eat Hainan chicken, so we were slightly disappointed to see that wasn't the case here. Overall, the meals themselves were fantastic. We will definitely be back! read more

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

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Saw an IG post for a grand opening of Rooster and Rice in Irvine so I have to try it. We ordered 2 Original with an extra side of chicken, not knowing if there would be enough meat for the meal. The line was a bit long but considered it it is their grand opening and it was lunch time, it was not bad at all. Our order was ready quickly. The food didn't disappoint. It is very delicious. I wish it had more rice but I was surprised on the amount of chicken in the order. We didn't need that extra order of chicken at all. The soup that comes with our order was also very tasty. It will be my go to place for chicken and rice from now on! read more

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If you don't know the what Rooster & Rice is, it's chicken...and rice =). This is basically Hainanese chicken rice 海南雞飯 but a thai version where the sauce is different. I spent my teens and early twenties in the SGV, specifically Alhambra which is home to Savoy Kitchen that has been my goto for Hainan chicken for like 20 years now. Don't let the white rice and colorless chicken fool you. The rice is extremely flavorful due to being cooked in the juices of poached chicken. The chicken is very tender and has the perfect juicy texture...the skin is always a bit off-putting to me since it's just soft and gooey so I toss them to the side. This place has a skinless plate as well but I wanted the extra flavor from the drippings. Make sure you add the sauces to really get the kick of the spiciness. The ginger and green onion one is a must with this dish. It's priced a little high at $15 for just rice and chicken, but this dish isn't really available in this area. Tasty Garden, Capital Noodle Bar and maybe Delicious Food Corner might have them, but Rooster & Rice pretty much specializes in this dish? Plus you are paying the Irvine lease pricing so $15 once in a while isn't really that bad. I'll be back to try that fried chicken one they have. It looks great in pictures, but was sold out when I was here! read more

Was so excited to see rooster and rice come to SoCal, and I was not disappointed!! Their Thai-style khao mun gai reminds me of the classic hainanese chicken and rice - but better! With tons of options (e.g, riceless, vegetarian, breaded), I can see myself frequenting here for a guilt-free lunch. My favorite part is the chicken broth rice and flavorful sauces. My 'must try' recommendation is their popcorn chicken! It's truly special and will surprise you with how addicting the lime-y seasoning is. I'm also looking forward to trying their fried chicken skins next time. Swing by to discover your new favorite healthy lunch spot! read more

I always order ahead. And 4 out of 5 times, there is an issue at pickup. Advised I had a number and not a name. Dude disregarded that and asked for my name. Name given and was told they are working on it. After 15mins, I go back up. Ohhhh its not a name it's a number! Here you go. Then tells me "oh this app uses a number and not a name." Yeah I know bro. Food amazing. Service is shit. read more

I ordered in advance for pickup on their website. I got the macros plate with chicken breast and brown rice with extra cucumbers. First of all, what I expected was more cucumbers but it was limited to say the least. I also ordered the ginger scallion sauce and Thai Sriracha not realizing that they wouldn't give me the OG Thai style sauce that they are known for. Limited sauces, earns them less a star. The chicken was juicy and the rice was well cooked. I loved the accompanying broth to sip alongside my meal. It hit all the sweet spots for me as far as Hainan-style chicken goes and I'm a big fan of the entree. I wish they offered the extra sauces because that's what makes the dish especially if you get the brown rice (which wasn't flavored with chicken broth). It was a healthy lunch at a decent price point, which was all I could ask for. read more

Rooster & Rice - Thai Near Me - Irvine, California

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The restaurant was clean and well-kept. The chicken was fresh, moist, and tender, with flavorful sauces that complemented it well. Service was friendly and efficient. All good. read more

Rooster & Rice - Thai Near Me - Irvine, California

This place is good now. Been coming here past week and the chicken quality has been consistently good now. I always just get the original with ginger scallion. The ginger scallion is the best ginger scallion sauce I've had. KMG is good but ginger scallion is better in my opinion. Only thing that can be improved is the breast meat I think it's a bit dry sometimes. Chicken soup is has been great I like the saltiness of it. There are other chicken bowl places but this one just has a certain good flavor that makes it a unique chicken bowl. Glad to see it improve. It's 15$ for a chicken bowl but it's Irvine so it's expected. Overall 5 stars now, for speed of making food, the good packaging, and nice staff. read more

Rooster & Rice - Thai Near Me - Irvine, California

after hearing from friends about how good their chicken is, i finally had the chance to try rooster & rice out. they are known for their thai style chicken and also didn't know they have locations in the Bay Area! what we ordered: - original chicken w/ ginger scallion + habanero sauce - hat yai fried chicken - chicken cutlet - fried chicken skins (not pictured) - side of kmo sauce all dishes were really good & my favorite was the original! it was so full of flavor and i like it with both the ginger scallion and kmo sauce. this dish also comes with soup which is a plus for me. we also really enjoyed the fried chicken skins (i love anything crunchy and flavorful!!) service is quick and there's mostly outdoor seating. we sat outdoors and it was nice getting some fresh air! the verdict? you'll find me returning here again when i need to fulfill my chicken cravings. read more

Rooster & Rice - Inside - Thai Near Me - Irvine, California

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Restaurant is clean. Chicken tastes fresh, moist, and tender. The sauces were flavorful. I understand for this kind of dish, the rice is usually cooked a bit firmer, but on that particular day it tasted very uncooked and hard. Service was friendly and quick. read more

I ordered take out and they weren't real busy. It's in an easy to find strip mall. It looks new and clean. My food was ready and waiting on the counter. I can't say much about service. The rice was good. The chicken cutlet was crispy. The chili that came with it was good. I feel like there really wasn't anything special about this place. I saw it on Instagram and wanted to try it. Maybe next time I would try the OG chicken? read more

Rooster & Rice - Take out - Thai Near Me - Irvine, California

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I love ordering from this place when I'm feeling under the weather and don't want to make myself chicken soup. Also yummy when you're feeling good and just want something comforting. I like ordering the Hainan chicken with the ginger scallion sauce, and sometimes I order extra broth when I need the extra comfort of soup. I like eating this food when it's nice and hot/warm so sometimes I just eat it right away in my car. So yummy! I appreciate the fast service here as well. They get your food out pretty quickly! Thankful for this place read more

This is a quaint little spot tucked away in the corner beside an Indian restaurant and a 7-Eleven. It was just enough space to walk in and place an order to take out. The servers are very nice very helpful in answering any questions I had. Their hainanese chicken rice was amazing. It comes with nice broth that compliments the dish very nicely. They also have a hat yai (Thai fried chicken) chicken served over the Rice cooked in chicken broth. Which was absolutely delicious. They also have fried chicken skin, which is amazing. My most recent visit , however, the fried chicken skin was a little soggy, just because it was prepared ahead of time and the fried chicken was on the verge of being burnt, but they pulled it just in time. Whereas the previous time was perfectly cooked, but you really can't go wrong with their hainanese chicken just because that is their specialty. In spite of this, I still think that it is worth coming to here because they have an amazing menu. read more

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Ahh..no...NO. 2nd time trying and both times left disappointed. First time I ordered the original chicken and my son the cutlet, Cutlet was ok but dry & nothing special. The original chicken was flavorless despite paying for several up charge $1.50 sauces to kick it up several notches. 2nd time I came back (why?) to try the Hat Yai (Thai) chicken which they were out of during the grand opening. HT Chicken to was an epic fail...dry rice and bland, overcooked chicken with a few plain cucumber slices and standard sweet Thai sauce. Came with one sauce container which was 2/3 filled, likely so I bought more. NO, there will not be a 3rd try . I'm Yelp Elite which just means I've tried a ton of places and I fully expected to see the red , Yelpers report this location has closed, in the near future. Sorry, do better, we deserve better and it's easy to find. read more

Rooster & Rice - Hat Yai - Ate one overcooked dry piece and done - nope. Not sure I'll eat these leftovers. - Thai Near Me - Irvine, California

Really good, really recommend, small place with some outdoor tables. Good for a quick lunch with friends. Everyone I went with preferred what they ordered over others so it's up to preference but overall everything was good. No complaints read more

Rooster & Rice - Thai Near Me - Irvine, California

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My friend and I got food from here for lunch. We placed our order ahead of time and picked it up. I got the Hat Yai Chicken. Not sure if this was the norm, but what I got was very overdone and dry. Their environmentally-friendly compostable fork broke as I was trying to get the meat off of the bones. If it weren't for the sweet chili sauce, I probably wouldn't be able to get the chicken down without a lot of water. Needless to say, I've had better Thai fried chicken elsewhere. Probably should've stuck to their more popular Hainan chicken which is rather ironic given that this is supposed to be a Thai restaurant. read more

Rooster & Rice - Thai Near Me - Irvine, California

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Located right next to 7-11. Ordered online and it was ready for pick up before I got there. Delicious chicken and sauce. read more

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

Delicious. We've tried several options and the chicken never disappoints. The chicken broth is so good. Totally recommend.

Tried a few items here and just wasn't impressed at all. -The Original: This was pretty meh. The chicken was extremely dried out. The sauce was helpful, but not my favorite thing. I guess we should have opted for the OG ginger scallion sauce, but I wanted to try something new. The chicken was just so dry that it was not enjoyable. The rice was also not that flavorful (pretty bland, similar to just eating plain white rice). The best part about this dish was the chicken broth it came in. -The Cutlet: Nothing special about it. Very similar to katsu. Parts of this was too overly cooked, causing the chicken to be dried. -Hay Yai Chicken: Another version of fried chicken. Pretty bland - lacked any good seasoning. The friedness of it was good, but the chicken itself lacked any taste. It's like they don't know how to season the chicken? Overall, this place was pretty disappointing. The best thing I had here was the chicken broth...lol. However, the packaging of it was poor and a bunch of the chicken broth leaked from the cups they use. Most meals here are around ~$15. And honestly, after we finished our individual meals, I was still hungry. read more

I ordered this through DoorDash on a rainy day and it was the perfect meal! Got the original Hainan chicken with an additional egg and extra ginger scallion sauce. It was SO GOOD. It came with a side of chicken broth/soup which was a little salty for my liking but still really good. Would definitely come back. The chicken was extremely tender and flavorful. read more

Rooster & Rice - Original Hainan Chicken - Thai Near Me - Irvine, California

I was excited to try this highly rated restaurant and was surprised by the actual experience. This is a place that you dash into to grab a quick lunch. The food was really plain. I suppose it would be good for those who are on a low sodium diet. The service was fine. You order at the counter and pick up your food when it's ready. A little underwhelmed by the whole experience. read more

The chicken and rice are decent but please for the love of god include some real veges instead of some sliced cucumbers that have absolutely no flavor. read more

Food was great! Super yummy. Service is quick and convenient. Ambiance is clean, but only outside seating. read more

Some pretty good stuff here... The popcorn chicken is better than the original (number1) but both are good. The sauces they offer are really good. Lots to try so we need to come back for another round. read more

It's more like 3.5* but I rounded down because I think there's room for improvement It's a quick service place with no seating inside but plenty of outdoor seating with umbrellas for shade. If you're comparing this hainan chicken to the ones in 626, don't, because you'll be disappointed. It's not to say it's not good, because it is for this area but the chicken is not as juicy as it could be and the richness of the chicken taste just isn't fully there. the ginger scallion flavor is also lacking. The habanero sauce is surprisingly decent. Not the typical Hainan flavor I'm used to but still pretty good to curb the cravings. The rice texture is a bit on the mushier side and the rice wasn't quite seasoned. Typically they use the chicken broth, ginger and scallion to cook the rice right? If so I def did not taste it in the rice. I think if they improve on making the chicken more juicy and the rice more flavorful, it will be really good! read more

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

Crispy Thai chicken. Yum! I like that it came with a side of soup/broth. The chili sauce was delicious and the veggies was refreshing. Friendly, helpful staff. Outside seating. A+ read more

Rooster & Rice - 2.23.24 - Thai Near Me - Irvine, California

Rooster and Rice has been a place I've been wanting to try for a while and I am very glad I got around to eating here! The menu is very simple, but that is definitely to their advantage. I ordered the original Khao Mun Gai and was very happy with my choice! The chicken was very tender and flavorful and paired very well with chicken rice, and the broth had a deep, rich flavor that I very much appreciated to cut the heat of the surprisingly spicy (and delicious) habanero sauce! The KMG sauce was very good as well! The cashier was very helpful in deciding what I should order, and all around I'd love to try some of their specials. I do feel like I have a great sense of the high level of quality and taste that the shop can produce from my one time there! read more

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

Discovered this place by accident, was looking for a bagel shop close by but then saw this on Yelp. It was a rainy day and they have the perfect warm comfort food. We got one tofu and one with chicken. The sauces are amazing and everything was cooked well! read more

Loved this place in SF and had to try it when it opened here. Chicken is juicy, sauce is tangy, rice is savory. You can't beat this meal read more

Rooster & Rice - Inside - Thai Near Me - Irvine, California

Finally, I got to try this Thai inspire chicken and rice bowl restaurant after hearing great things about in on social media. They have been having some good specials this month since they just opened, including free bowls for the first 50 people this morning. It was worth the wait and so delicious! There isn't a wide variety of menu options, but what they do they do well. They have a few bottled beverages and multiple chicken bowls, including a vegetarian option with tofu. My husband and I got the classic with the original sauce and added the garlic ginger sauce, the original being my favorite. The broth was so flavorful on its own, but it's a nice addition to any bowl. The ambiance is trendy with a colorful mural on the wall and the staff were friendly and efficient with taking our orders. Looking forward to coming back! read more

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Very flavorful chicken rice. The portions are on the smaller side (my 8 yo ate one entree and it wasn't enough), but the flavor is there. The cutlet was moist and the outside crispy. The Thai fried chicken had more skin/fat than meat, but it was definitely crispy. The hainan chicken is probably the best (and healthiest) option here. Be sure to try all the sauces. Also note that there is no indoor seating so dress warmly if you plan to eat here on a cold night. read more

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I placed an order for takeout online and the order was ready by the time I drove there. The restaurant is a small casual takeout place and was decently busy when I got there. I ordered The Original and was not impressed. The chicken was mushy and mostly skinless. Everything was pretty bland except for the soup which was kind of salty. I don't think I will be coming back here. You can definitely get better chicken rice at another place. read more

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

Just finished my meal and was so pleased that I wanted to immediately post about it! I saw that Rooster & Rice was opening their first SoCal location near me and had to visit! Hainan chicken rice is a dish from my childhood and Rooster & RIce's Khao Mun Gai is the Thai version of the same dish. Instead of ginger scallion sauce, it is served with their Mother sauce (soybean-chili-garlic-ginger), though ginger scallion is available for an extra $2. Their Original ($14.95) contains deboned breast and thigh with skin on top of jasmine rice and cucumbers, with a side of chicken broth. The chicken was poached quite nicely, the meat tender and perfectly paired with that sauce. The rice is cooked in the poached chicken juices and is sooooooo good. The broth reminded me of my mom's. I thought the price was on the high side, but they use organic ingredients and the serving is pretty generous, so I'm not going to complain. Plus they use compostable packaging and utensils. For those who are avoiding carbs, there's the Riceless where blanched veggies replace the rice. If you like fried, The Cutlet has a panko-crusted thigh, and there are popcorn chicken, Thai fried chicken legs and chicken skins as specials. Not in the mood for chicken? There's the Vegetarian with tofu. The line moves really quickly and the food is prepared within minutes! Online ordering is in the works. Parking in the lot. Opening special of 20% off (which makes the Original under $12 before tax) through November. read more

Great Place for highland chicken and the cutlet dish was also delicious! Coming back again soon!

I'm a big fan of hainanese chicken and rice but this thai style totally elevates it! My favorite is their special sauce (forgot what it's called) because I looveee the texture and taste. I could eat it with literally everything. The fried chicken is really good too! If I could, I would buy large containers of their rice it's literally the best. I can't wait to try their new location soon bc it's close to my house! Yay read more

Rooster & Rice - Crispy chicken and yummy rice - Thai Near Me - Irvine, California