What is the name of the Thai Hainanese chicken rice dish?

The Thai Hainanese chicken rice dish is Khao Man Gai. The Thai name means roughly “chicken fat rice,” referring to rice cooked with chicken stock and fat for a rich, savoury flavour.

Khao Man Gai is Thailand’s adaptation of Hainanese chicken rice, a dish carried across Southeast Asia by migrants from Hainan in southern China. Its deeper culinary ancestor is commonly linked with Wenchang chicken and Wenchang chicken rice. In Thailand, the chicken is usually poached, sliced and served over seasoned rice.

A typical plate includes cucumber, coriander and a bowl of clear broth, sometimes with daikon. The dipping sauce is a major part of the dish and often combines fermented soybean paste, dark soy sauce, chili, ginger, garlic and vinegar. The dish is especially associated with Bangkok’s Pratunam neighbourhood. Khao Soi is a northern Thai curry noodle dish, while Khao Pad simply means fried rice; neither is a form of Hainanese chicken rice.