Some of the most successful street vendors in Southeast Asia make their name from a single dish. That's literally true for this husband-and-wife startup, who serve the Thai chicken-and-rice combo called khao man gai (Cow mon Guy). As in the Sukhumvit district of Bangkok — and as with khao man gai's forebear, Hainanese chicken rice — at first the dish seems simplicity itself. Poach a whole chicken with ginger and garlic. Use the resulting broth to cook the rice, and as the foundation for a light soup to refresh the palate between bites; slice some cucumber as an additional palate freshener. Serve with tangy sauce on the side.
Here the execution was splendid: The chicken was tender, the rice was fluffy and fragrant. This khao man gai really hit the mark, however, with a pungent-sweet-spicy dipping sauce that combined fermented soybeans, garlic and ginger once again, simple syrup, vinegar, and Thai chilis. (Ultimately the dipping sauce became a pour-over-the-rice sauce.) In lieu of a basic order ($8), it's wise to ask for an order phi seht (Pea-Set, or "special"; $10), the upsized version that adds more chicken, more rice, and a second serving of the sauce.
Also shown: a modest addition to the one-vendor, one-dish formula for success, a homemade hibiscus drink ($3).
Khao Man Gai NY
At the Hester Street Fair, Essex St. at Hester St., Manhattan
Saturdays, late April through October
Also at the Hester Night Market, 851 Sixth Ave. (entrance at 29th St.)
Thursday evenings, May through September
www.Facebook.com/KhaoManGaiNY
