Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    The Chicken Rice

    4.3 (269 reviews)

    Order The Chicken Rice Takeout or Delivery

    The Chicken Rice Photos

    Business Info

    THE CHICKEN RICE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

    You might also consider

    More like The Chicken Rice

    Recommended Reviews - The Chicken Rice

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Byron C.

    This place is bonkers, Hat Yai surprised me, knew I wanted to eat it again first time I ate it. Food is perfect for me, 10/10 lol, very savory! Food court, parking in Downtown Santa Ana is normal, structure is free and not a far walk. Inside the 4th street market food court, may not be 100% easy from the street but just follow your map/gps and it's there. Casual food court. I got the split hainan/hat yai, not sure if I want full hat yai, eating there 2nd time today, been looking forward to it!

    The Chicken Rice Food Stall
    Alan S.

    The Chicken Rice is one of the top spots in OC for original Khao Man Gai. It's been a minute since my last visit, so I was surprised to discover that they relocated from their previous Santa Ana location into the 4th Street Market. The Chicken Rice joins a number of innovative food makers featured in this food hall. I parked at a nearby meter but according to their website, there are two parking structures off of 4th and 5th Streets that offer the first 2 hours free! I recommend making it a combo with the Chicken & Rice which includes 2 choices of protein, soup and vegetables. My go-to protein choices are Hainanese Chicken and Crispy Chicken, so I get to enjoy the best of both worlds! The combo includes a choice of signature ginger rice or steamed rice, but you can choose brown rice (+$1) or sticky rice (+$2) for an additional charge. They also allow their customers to select 2 sauces from 8 different options. The Ginger Chicken Oil is a nice complement to the Hainanese Chicken and I enjoyed dipping the Crispy Chicken in their Spicy Soybean Chili Ginger sauce. If you're a Hainan Chicken fan like I am, The Chicken Rice is a must try!

    Hainan Chicken
    Nghi T.

    I've been meaning to try this place since moving to the OC and this place did not disappoint! I ordered the food for delivery and it came quickly. Everything was correctly. chicken is so good and the rice is divine. Portions are great for the price. I will definitely be back to try all their other chicken options!

    Kailyn W.

    After looking at all the different food options in fourth street market, my partner and I chose to come to Chicken Rice, after seeing hainan chicken on their menu (I appreciated they had pictures of the menu items). I had never had hainan chicken before but my partner has, so I was excited. When we were ordering, the service was friendly, helpful and fast. The lady gave us the choice between two different sauces with our meal. When the food came out and I had my first bite, I was in heaven. The broth was incredible and warmed me up inside. The chicken was tender and delicious. The rice at the bottom was also yummy, as it soaked up all the juices. Our meal also came with a side of broth, so I was enjoying dipping my chicken in both the broth and in the sauces. I can't wait to come back to Chicken Rice for some more hainan chicken and to try their other dishes!

    Hainan chicken rice
    Vivienne A.

    If you really like Hainan Chicken rice then this place is NOT the real deal. I ordered white meat with rice. Got ginger scallion sauce which is pretty authentic. But the chicken is dryer than my cats' dried freeze chicken cat food. It's not fun swallowing it down my throat. The rice is ok. The soup is not the typical Hainan chicken soup but a sweet miso?! Just don't do it! Save yourself $15 bucks.

    Kayla H.

    My boyfriend picked up the hainan chicken dish for me and it was delicious. I can't say much about the service but I do know the chicken rice is located in the 4th street market. It's a food hall with plenty of options and this one is a solid option. Food Consensus: The hainan chicken was simple but flavorful. The quality of chicken was solid and the soup was flavorful. The sauces along with the chicken and ginger rice were chef's kiss. It was such a comforting dish that my boyfriend and I both enjoyed. I will definitely be getting it again when I head to that food hall. I would highly recommend checking out this spot in the 4th street market. They're serving up some solid hainan chicken.

    Hainan Chicken, Crispy Chicken, Small Soup, Ginger Scallion Oil
    Timothy Spencer T.

    TDLR: It's a mom and pop shop inside a food court that does well by their namesake. It's not the best that I've ever had, but it doesn't need to be. The price is well within what one would expect given the portions, and this place deserves more business. Hainan chicken: I'm not gonna lie. It tastes kinda flat. It's like I'm eating white chicken that tried to be Hainan via method acting. Don't get me wrong, the flavors were good, and adding in the ginger scallion mostly fixes the problem. I just missed that unique Hainan taste that I'd normally get from traditional Singaporean or Singaporean inspired restaurants. Crispy chicken: The crunch profile is exactly what I was looking for. The batter melts in your mouth and offers little to no resistance after you bite in with your teeth. The chicken meat was tender and marinated well. I wouldn't advise using the ginger scallion sauce here because you will just taste the ginger scallion sauce. Ginger rice: Same with the Hainan chicken. I expected this strong flavor that is normal with the rice paired with Hainan chicken. Unfortunately, I got what felt like plain rice that was given a ginger essence. Things improved when it came to texture and portions. Soup: I don't know. Imagine the taste if you made a light broth with bonito flakes, scallions, and green onions. That was it. It does compliment the strong flavors of the meal by being on the light side when it comes to taste. Ginger Scallion sauce: Whatever ginger was missing from the rice was found here and then some. Whatever flavor was missing from the Hainan chicken was found here, and whatever flavor barely found in the soup WAS FOUND HERE. If you love ginger, this sauce is for you. Take it easy on it though, since adding too much would overpower whatever your eating with it. Service: I called to pick the order up. The lady (who I assume owns the business) was nice. She rang me up when I got there. No frills, no drama. Just the way I like it. Ambiance: The place is a stall in a foodcourt. I didn't focus too much on how many seats were available, but the area is cool and clean.

    Combination - hat yai chicken (on the left) and hainan chicken on the right)
    Takeshi H.

    Located in the ever popular 4th Street Market with their expanding inclusion of mom/pop independently owned restaurants is The Chicken Rice. For ambience this is a food court so expect noise, crowds, and lines. Parking if you're lucky can be found on the street but more likely to be in the adjacent parking structures. The service is brief and brisk but not unpleasant and cannot really expect much from a food court where the interaction is only for a moment. As for the food had a mixed opinion - for starters, this is Hainan Chicken "thai" style vs. "singapore" so there are differences. Thai version tends to have more bold flavors especially with their sauce while Singapore has a more subtle approach. The chicken in itself was moist but lacked a notable flavor profile but the ginger scallion sauce makes up the gap. The same problem was found in the rice which was more on mild side and did not have a strong flavor or aroma. Now on the other hand the hat yai chicken does have a much stronger presence as combination of both sweet/salty/savory which is a great way to enjoy a different spin on fried chicken but need to eat it quickly as if wait for too long it can become somewhat soggy. The complementary soup is just a nice way to cleanse the pallet whether at the beginning or end of the meal. The price point is fair considering the portion size is quite ample and filling. Overall, an establishment worth it to try for a food item that is not always the easiest to find amongst the OC region.

    The lid did not stay on the soup and more than half spilled out
    Yvonne T.

    Food was good but they messed up my sauce order. Got 2 regular soybean ginger sauce instead of spicy soybean ginger chili sauce. It was supposed to be spicy for both orders but when I asked the cashier about it she sighed and rolled her eyes. The soup lid popped off and leaked through the paper bag.

    Orange Chicken with brown rice
    Michael A.

    Ok so yes sometimes I forget to take pictures especially when the foods good. This place has simple execution with really good food. Located in the fourth street market in Santa Ana this spot has really good chicken with rice which is a great combo especially when they have like 6 different kinds of chicken you can pair with either ginger, white or brown rice. They have like 5 different sauces too I personally like the ginger and soy ones they're delicious. I posted the orange chicken but but i also ordered the bbq chicken which was good and last week I tried the Hainan which was ok but so far the orange and bbq are my favorite. Staff is friendly and the mood here is super chill free WiFi and clean

    Pretty cool food court
    Zubir E.

    We are huge chicken rice fans and was excited to try this. It's located inside a food court, overall ambience was nice. We called and ordered ahead of time and the order was ready when we got there. We ordered the Hainan chicken and the Crispy chicken. With chicken rice, it's all the rice first and then the chicken. Would give the rice 3/5 as it's dry and does not have the rich taste from the chicken broth. The crispy chicken was decent , would give it a 4/5. The hainan chicken is very dry and would give it a 3/5. The chilli sauce has a strong vinegar taste. Overall, this is average. There are better chicken rice option, like at Belacan Grill

    Combo - Hainan & Crispy Chicken
    Jeong P.

    This place gets 1 point for being one of the few places in OC that even serves Hainan Chicken Rice, and 4 more for doing it pretty damn well. I got a combo with the Hainan Chicken and Fried Chicken and both were cooked satisfyingly well. Everything from the rice to the soup and sauces were spot on in flavor and made for one compact and delicious meal. This is easily my favorite spot now at 4th Street Market, with that sandwich spot coming in a close second. I know there are some people who just won't be satisfied until they find Hawker stand or Savoy level Hainanese Chicken, but this is OC folks. And for me, this is as good as it gets right now.

    Hainan Chicken
    Uri P.

    My husband and I basically choked from inhaling this meal too fast, it was too good. The chicken was steamed well, the sabaw (soup in Tagalog) was CLEAN, and we ATE this up. This is such a homey meal that reminds you of when your grandparents made you a bowl of chicken and rice to show they love you. The rumors are true - this place is amazing. My husband was especially pleased....

    Fried tofu, hainan chicken, thai tea.

    See all

    9 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Alan S.
    205
    416
    1648

    1 year ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    9 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 2

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 2
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    DELICIOUS. Ate it 3 days in a row. New period craving. Chicken is so juicy and flavorful

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    4 years ago

    Helpful 6
    Thanks 1
    Love this 5
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Hanz L.
    373
    437
    156

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Latifa S.
    1423
    1785
    18277

    3 years ago

    Helpful 17
    Thanks 2
    Love this 13
    Oh no 0

    8 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jan D.
    995
    1395
    108

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Matthieu R.
    157
    65
    114

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    5 years ago

    Helpful 14
    Thanks 0
    Love this 12
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 38
    Thanks 0
    Love this 37
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 7

    Ask the Community - The Chicken Rice

    Are there free parking?

    There's metered street parking and a nearby structure that I know of. I haven't seen any free spaces in the times I visited that where super close.

    What is Thaiger milk tea?

    Thai iced tea with brown sugar

    Does their tom yum soup come with noodles?

    No, it does not

    View All 4 Questions

    You might also consider

    Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken

    Gus's World Famous Fried Chicken

    4.4
    (947 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$

    Exceptional--Possibly the Best Fried Chicken in Orange County…read more I was surprised to see a few negative reviews because our experience with Gus's Fried Chicken in Santa Ana was exceptional. This is some of the best fried chicken I've ever had. It has a true Southern-style flavor: perfectly seasoned, crispy on the outside, juicy inside, and just enough of a spicy kick without overpowering the chicken. The Louisiana hot sauce packets are nothing fancy, but the simple vinegary heat pairs perfectly with the chicken. The fried green tomatoes were excellent, and the barbecue baked beans were seriously good as well. My only regret is that we didn't order the collard greens and mac and cheese--I'll definitely be trying both next time. We ordered delivery, and everything arrived hot, neatly packaged, and in great condition. The customer service was also excellent. Even the leftovers reheated beautifully in the air fryer. For my taste, Gus's beats the Korean fried chicken spots, the other Southern-style chicken restaurants, Crack Shack, Raising Cane's, and the other popular fried chicken places around Orange County. The flavor and seasoning put it in a different category. Absolutely superb. Five out of five, and easily one of the best fried chicken experiences in Orange County.

    GUs's fried chicken is an icon of delicious food good service and a great place to visit!…read more The chicken is unbelievable! Go there and enjoy!

    Photos
    Drink station and cool wall!
    Drink station and cool wall!
    Fried Pickles
    Fried Pickles
    Chicken, mac & cheese, and greens

    See all

    Chicken, mac & cheese, and greens
    Cluck Kitchen

    Cluck Kitchen

    4.4
    (771 reviews)
    4.3 mi
    $$

    The best chicken sandwich I have ever had. There is no exaggeration. The chicken was HUGE yet…read morecrispy and tender, all at the same time. Curly fries were crispy and the perfect thickness and seasoning. Truly all around a delicious sandwhich. The cashier who rang us up also was super kind and gave us tomato without charging extra, since it was our first time there. Little acts of kindness like that make a true business and it doesn't go unnoticed. Thank you and we will be coming back!

    Loved everything we ordered at Cluck Kitchen! The tenders were super crispy and juicy. I also love…read morethat they have so many delicious flavors to choose from. The hot honey was my favorite, the perfect mix of sweet with a little kick. The Nashville sandwich was also so good with a bold, flavorful heat that will definitely satisfy any spicy lover. We tried both the Standard (4 oz on a potato bun) and the Cluck (6 oz on a brioche bun), and I'd definitely recommend upgrading to the Cluck size if you're hungry or just want the ultimate fried chicken experience, it's so worth it. The curly fries were perfectly seasoned, crispy on the outside, and fluffy with a great potato flavor. Don't skip the sauces either! The Cluck Sauce was our favorite, the tangy mustard flavor paired so well with the tenders. We'll definitely be back! Easy 10/10!! What we ordered: -Tenders (country fried, lemon pepper, hot honey) -The Nashville Sandwich (standard) -The Nashville Sandwich (cluck size) -Curly Fries -Cluck Sauce, Comeback Sauce, Ranch

    Photos
    Focused and sauced!
    Focused and sauced!
    New sandwich meal combos
    New sandwich meal combos
    New sandwich meal combos

    See all

    New sandwich meal combos

    The Chicken Rice - thai - Updated August 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...