Gai Chicken Rice

Just discovered this spot a few weeks ago and went to try it out and let me just say the meal does not disappoint! Chicken was delicious and crispy, rice was cooked to perfection and the egg and broccoli were the cherry on top. Also if you go don’t leave without trying the mango sticky rice it’s so good you have to try it!

Some of the most tasty and crispy chicken you can get. How do they get it so crispy? Have had a lot of the options. Mango Jelly is also really good as is the Thai Ice Tea with mango puree.

Actually, it's more appetizing than it looks in the photo. A good choice for chicken lovers. Their soup smells fresh and sweet. It's awesome.

One of my go-to delivery places. The food is delicious, I always get the original Gai with ginger sauce. The portion sizes are big enough for 1.5 meals. The Chicken rice is deliciously flavorful, and you can tell that the chicken they use is fresh.

Absolutely recommend this fried chicken sandwich — it’s a flavor bomb in the best way. The fried chicken is insanely juicy with a perfectly crispy coating, and the spicy mayo brings a bold, fiery kick. Paired with golden, crunchy waffle fries and a fresh, crisp coleslaw on the side, it’s the kind of meal you’ll be dreaming about long after the last bite😋

Gai has been my go to for the busy + long days of work these past few months. I always order the lean gai since their breast meat is never dry and somehow stays juicy. It also feels like a pretty well balance and healthy meal compared to all the other take out/delivery options. How can you go wrong with chicken, rice, cucumber and soup? Well other places make it too salty or their chicken is dry but Gai has stayed consistent everytime I order. I’ve also eaten there in person after a workout too and still the same consistency. In case you didn’t notice, consistency is key for me and with that 5/5 stars.

The perfect sick food! Got hit with strep throat and was thinking where might have something tasty but not over the top. What better than chicken and rice that comes with a side of broth! Plus the mango jello for dessert is also great if you have a sore throat. Just what I needed! Also delicious when you're not sick haha but want to shout out specifically for this occasion.

Great concept, but unfortunately a mediocre execution on flavor and preparation. Crispy Gai had an oily, slightly crunchy crust; the accompanying chicken schmaltz rice however was fragrant and flavorful. Mala Dan Dan sauce was far from what is advertised. Virtually no numbing sensation, just hoisin sauce mixed with trace amounts of a nut paste and a little chilli spice.

Great place to grab a quick bite. Delicious!!! Service is normal if is busy be patient. Nice indoor seating and very small outdoor/street seating is available.

3.5 STARS Date: Tuesday, April 1st, 2025 Part of: 2 Meal: Dinner Delivery Time Ordered: around 7:30pm Delivered: around 8:15pm Ordered via: DoorDash Delivered to: Outer Richmond *The Original Gai ($18.50) - Chicken Rice, Sweet Chili Sauce, Extra Hoi An Sauce *The Mixed Gai ($19.50) - Chicken Rice, Hainan Ginger Onion Sauce, Extra Thai Soy Sauce *Thai Basil Gai ($17) - Chicken Rice *Crispy 5 Spice Wings ($14) I adore poached chicken. Growing up, I looked forward to when my mom would occasionally make one for some random meal at home. When the hubs mentioned getting chicken and rice for dinner, I was down. It was between this and another spot. I'd never tried chicken (gai translated) chicken rice, so I thought, why not?! If they have chicken twice in their name, it must be good! I should have read the descriptions since I actually like breast more than thigh. Would have just gotten one reg and one with breast only. The chicken was moist, smooth, and silky. Just the way I like it. The standard sauces (at least to me) were my fav - ginger onion and soy. I grew up eating poached chicken with a ginger and scallion oil, so this was comforting. I don't typically eat the rice, but looking at it, it seemed mushy. Tried a bit and it was rather light in chicken flavor. I found the soup very bland as well. Good chicken and sauce. Maybe the rice was off that day. Would give them another shot if I was craving chicken rice. REVIEW #3750

I'm not sure if people really use yelp anymore I know some people do but personally I haven't in a while google maps is my go to now but I got looking at my old yelp reviews this afternoon and it made me nostalgic and I wanted to write a new one for a place I like in sf and so here we are

Stopped here for lunch! It's walkable if you work in the Mission Dolores area! Wasn't too busy. I didn't dine in, but it was definitely cozy while I was waiting for my order. Missing a star because I used the kiosk and placed my order, but apparently my order never made it to the kitchen, so I waited a little longer for my order (which sucks if you are taking a lunch). For hainanese chicken and rice, this places so so tasty. I was surprised at how flavorful everything was and it just tasted fresh!

Was super excited for this but it was as good as I expected to be honest. Not bad but I've had similar better ones. The chicken tasted good and the rice was good but the soup was pretty salty and the sauces weren't as good as I've had at similar places.

My friend was visiting from out of town. We met up and hung out in the Dolores park area. My friend wanted to come here for lunch. I had something similar the weekend before so I opted for the soup noodles. It was a bit bland although there's a lot of chicken. My friend really enjoyed her Hainan chicken with the ginger sauce. Decor is an open kitchen concept so you can see the workers prepping. You order at the counter and they bring you the food. No frills tables and chairs. A bit of a mess. I had to clean up our table. Their one unisex bathroom is gross and the toilet overflowed. Self serve water station.

We've eaten alot of chicken rice. GAI on 16th St is Excellent! Delicious chicken and ginger rice! The rice noodle soup is DELICIOUS!

Chicken. Rice. Different styles. Really good. Mango drink and dessert. I'm just trying to get 85 characters so yelp will post it.

Came here after the gym to try it out. I got the original gai. It was extremely good I just wish the portions were larger. The service itself was very quick and good. It's a nice little shop right off market. Definitely would check it out if in the area.

Fast casual Hainan chicken rice - who knew it could be found tucked in the outskirts of the Mission? I got the mixed breast/thigh chicken rice with Hunan ginger sauce (how could I get anything else). The chicken was tender and juicy (although I wish there was some dark meat to add some extra flavor) and the sauce was quite fragrant. Loved the lil soup cup on the side; the meal was comforting for sure.

Splitted the steamed chicken and their fried chicken with my colleague. It was so good! Both so fast and flavorful. Chicken is moist & good. Love their ginger scallion sauce!!

Food - ordered the original gai. came on a weekend afternoon and it wasn't too packed. chicken was super tender! cucumbers were slightly pickled, refreshing and delicious. rice was good and the sauce was tasty. Not too salty like other places. While the food was good, the drinks were not! my friend ordered the thai tea and said there was barely any tea flavor. I ordered the thai mango milk and it was disappointing. it tasted like artificial mango syrup and milk. do not recommend the drinks but the food is delish Service - really good. easy order and food came quick. Ambiance - cute little hole in the wall shop. not a ton of seating.

The staff was super friendly. The food was good. I got the crispy chicken plate. We didn't get to eat here but it was clean and quiet.

The original Gai is my favorite here! Its a split of dark and light meat on top of rice with sauce on the side. The restaurant is small and has limited seating so i would recommend coming with a small group or ordering to-go! The chicken here is delicious and feels like a healthy meal! If you are looking for a satisfying simple meal i would check this place out! The food comes out pretty quickly so you dont have to wait long at all.

This is a great place for a tasty, healthy, and affordable meal. This spot is definitely a takeout friendly spot, although I most recently dined in. I got the original Gai with brown rice and Hainan sauce. It was delicious! The chicken was perfectly tender and flavorful, the cucumbers were refreshing and pickled with vinegar, and the brown rice was the right texture. My only complaint was that the complimentary broth that came with the meal was a bit too salty to finish. I'll be back to try the salad next time!

So I meet Gai today on 16th and the experience was unique. I'm used to Uncle chopping up the chicken and bagging it up. The chicken was above average although I found it to be saltier than most authentic delis. The chicken rice was good and that salad better. Thankfully there is a option to order half rice and half salad which is a definite must try. The salad super simple yet fresh. Peanut allergy so let them know no peanuts. with the sauce provided it def elevated the entire meal. The sauce reminded me of Nước chấm (fish sauce) Americanized. Overall less salt and a 25 reduction would bump this review to 5 The menu and concept of this can be very contagious although the price is what really set me back the whole time from entering . Your prices waaaay to high you need to cut it

Being one of the few chicken and rice-only options is doable. I came from Sacramento, where they have REALLY good chicken and rice, and this comes in third place for me, so it's hard to top it. I would say that they do have a lot more sauce options, but the rice was clumpy when I got it. If they improve next time, I would give it higher ratings.

I've been on hunt for the best Haianese Chicken dish everywhere I go. This place was one of the top choices in the area so I decided to give it a try. I got the original chicken and got all the sauces they have available. The chicken was moist and had some flavor. The Thai and the citrusy sauces were good, but the ginger one was lacking flavor. I was hoping for more flavor from the chicken, the rice, and even the broth. All in all, it was a good dish, but def not the best.

This was my first time here and I was not strongly disappointed nor impressed. I ordered the Original Gai with the Hainan sauce (ginger, green onions, and oil) and it came out almost as soon as we got seated. The chicken wasn't too dry and the rice was nicely flavored, but I thought the chicken to rice ratio was quite off - I finished all the chicken and still had more than half of the rice left. My friend ordered the Tofu Gai which was very underwhelming. It was essentially plain cubed tofu over a large bowl of brown rice ? I would have expected at least some sort of flavoring or seasoning on the tofu. Overall, service is very fast and the interior is clean. Would do the job if I happened to be in the area and needed some food, but I'm not sure if I would crave it and go out of my way to come here.

4.5/5 - for the price and food i was pleasantly surprised cause in the pictures the chicken in the original gai didn't look extremely flavorful. However, the sweet sauce introduced enough flavors and the chicken was tender. This was my order: half chicken rice, half salad, with sweet chili sauce. Choosing this option, at least on uber eats, made it $2 more expensive, but I did greatly enjoy the salad. Note: ordering at store is A LOT cheaper than ordering on uber eats, even if the store provided a discount code.

Ordered the original gai and it didn't come with any sauce. I'm used to this coming with the ginger scallion sauce by default and not having to add this for an extra cost. The dish itself without sauce is pretty bland.

No thrill excellent chicken and rice. Fast service and delicious chicken wings (not too small and not too greasy). Lactose free drinks are delicious and location is easy to access (street parking is a hit or miss but manageable)

Came here for lunch on a Monday and it was dead silent. Lucky me but I feel bad for the owners as their food is fantastic and more people should try it. I'm a fan of hainanese chicken + rice and they do it very well here at a reasonable price. Portions are good, multiple sauce options but the one thing I would say is missing is diced Thai chilis. Lovely staff who were friendly and eager to tell me about the different sauces ONE WISH: I wish there were a hainanese chicken rice place that offered an organic option. I'd pay $3-5 more!

Came here with a party of 7, there is limited seating here, but we were able to pull up chairs to a smaller table which worked out! It's right near Dolores Park, and so its all street parking and can be a little difficult during the day. After ordering, all food came out almost immediately, What we ordered: Original Gai - $12.95 - nearly everybody ordered the original gai! The rice was flavorful and the chicken was moist. It came with only a few cucumbers. The Hainan onion ginger sauce was mostly oil and scallions. The ginger was chunky and honestly was not as ginger packed as I am used to for Hainan chicken. Tofu Gai - $12.95 - I understand that this is not a vegetarian friendly place, but if you are going to offer a vegetarian option that is the SAME PRICE as the chicken version, it should be decent. This was atrocious. My friend paid $13 for PLAIN cubed tofu over PLAIN brown rice? there wasn't even enough sauce to salvage it. Extra sauces are $1.50 each so it wasn't worth to consider getting another sauce. Honestly, its a solid Hainan chicken, but combined with the tofu dish, I wouldn't particularly recommend this place unless you are really craving for Hainan chicken.

hai located on 16th street in San Francisco, next to u dessert story. Love their chicken thigh over rice with Hunan sauce. Service is quick, usually get to go after getting dessert. Ambiance is casual.

I'd never heard of this business until my friend saw them offering a menu on Neon about a month ago. She ordered something and enjoyed it a lot, suggesting that I give it a try when she reordered with them. I trusted her judgment and doubled up on an order of the Mala Dan Dan noodles (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=du0SaRwi3awOuAftzeag6A&userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q); reheated it was a bit drier (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=aw39rZ_UHhYAmV09mF5GPQ&userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q) but the flavors were there. The small container of chicken broth likely from their namesake dish was a nice accompaniment. The portions of the topping, mainly well-seasoned minced meat, was generous and was enough for me to pair with some instant noodles for another meal. It was not overly salty and the Mala flavor was there. A week later, I ordered and tried The Original Gai (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=PJk31NFE4cWGJq2re8XdXg&userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q) which came packed very well as seen here. I do not like microwaving my food as I find that the textures and sometimes the flavors change from that method. I chose to steam each each item separately (chicken, rice, and soup) since the cook times for them vary. Here is what I feasted on when done (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?select=OgrwbW5xPe9ulF-YPxShdw&userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q). The Original Gai consists of a mix of breast and dark meat pieces, a drumstick in my case. There are several good points to this plate as I give them kudos for deboning all of the chicken pieces, save one soft bone that I found on the drumstick top. The sauces were also excellent and apportioned well as I mainly used the ginger garlic oil mix for the chicken while pouring the soy sauce vinegar sauce mainly on the rice. The cucumber pieces gave it a nice change. I will probably haw their signature dish when my friend decides to order here again. It's probably best to dine in to appreciate it fresh made. *** Coincidentally, I happened to see a news clip about some one or persons vandalizing this biz. Please be vigilant in supporting local small businesses.

Chicken was good, soup was good, even the pickled cucumber was good. Unfortunately, unbeknown to me, the brown rice was loaded with garlic and I got sick from it. I'm highly sensitive to garlic and go to great lengths to avoid it. I skipped the sauces for this exact reason but the rice caught me out because in other similar places it literally was just totally plain. The solution is very easy, just list the ingredients in each dish and people with sensitivities or allergies can simply avoid them. The description here "Brown Rice" implies just that.

The lean salad gai is delicious and healthy!The base is finally shredded cabbage and carrots, and it's topped with crushed peanuts, green onion, and cilantro with chicken and pickled cucumber sticks on the side. The ginger and green onion sauce and the vinaigrette are both flavorful and fresh!

The crispy gai was delicious. It wasn't dry at all. I came here by accident because I was looking for a restroom. Originally, I was going to get a drink just to use it because I was craving a burrito. I am so glad I didn't listen to my craving. I ordered my food and it came out quickly. I got the sweet and spicy sauce for my chicken. It was more on the sweet side but no complaints. The server gave me a hot sauce that was tasty and good amount of spice:

So fkn good, great value too. Nice staff, chill ambiance, always consistent. I think it's healthy as well? Idk feels like it though

Food is always on point. I used to get the regular gai but now get the salad with a side of rice.

Delicious food! My son had a cold and I got him takeout and it was just the thing! The sauces are wonderful. Cooked just right. So yummy.

Typing this review after finishing my meal that consisted of the mixed gai + complimentary soup (chicken broth soup similar to a miso soup) + Thai iced coffee This place is top tier. Why? Can't go wrong with chicken and rice for a superb, elite, healthy, and flavorful meal! I got the special gai with heinan sauce. The mixed gai has a mix of lean dark and white chicken pieces. You pick a sauce of your choice. Of the three, I chose the heinan - chef's kiss. It' compliments the steamed chicken with a rich and flavorful of no taste but a lot of taste at the same time! Within the plate are pickled cucumbers that are good and give a different crunch factor complimenting the taste of the plate. To me, the hot sauce is the icing on the cake. It's like a sesame vinegar dressing with a kick. I'd drink it if I could. The hot sauce puts everything together! Second time in a week coming here. If there was one closer to me, I'd go. I live in south San Francisco and only go to the 16th street location in the city. Parking is hit or miss, but it's worth it. The food, worth it. The service, worth it (shoutout to johan. The experience, worth it! Recommended! Enjoy!

I'm not a big fan of fried chicken and white rice, but the fried chicken here and the rice are like crack! ADDICTING!! I make sure have it once a week so I can satiate my craving from this place!!! I highly recommend it!!!

I'm a fan! Khao Man Gai is growing popularity and this place makes it pretty well! They have outdoor and indoor seating, but keep in mind that they require proof of vaccination in order to eat inside. I got the Original Gai with Chicken Rice and Hoi An Sauce, which is a Vietnamese-styled sweet & tangy sauce. Lots of fish sauce flavor! Not sure if you could ask for multiple kinds of sauces, but the cashier only offered us one. The chicken rice was my FAVORITE part! Flavorful, but not overwhelming. Paired with the pickled cucumbers and thigh meat, it was very pleasant to eat. I wouldn't recommend the Ginger Scallion sauce. Far too oily and not enough flavor in my opinion. The thai tea was really good though! Very clean and simple. Strong tea flavor.

Have been a big fan since they opened. Delicious food, so flavorful and satisfying. Just tried their Dan Dan noodles and omg and golly gee whillikers! Those are some amazing noodles. The depth of the flavor profile is fantastic, so much to savor. Wow! Enjoy!

This place is always so good! Very simple and comfort style food. The best part of this dish is the sauce. It's a little sour and sweet and vinegar like. Mix it or dip chicken with rice as you eat and it's absolute best!

If you're close early, turn your delivery app off! Ordered food which I never received. After watching the third delivery person assigned, asked him what's taking so long. He says the restaurant is closed and it was 7:45. My order was placed around 7:00 pm. Gai reached out. I appreciate Gai doing so. I hope they will be able to get a better understanding as to what happened. I'd like to know as it was the beginning of a very frustrating night trying to get dinner.

Ordered takeout from here and while the food was good, I felt like the chicken portion was pretty small for the price compared to another hainan chicken place I've tried in SF. The ginger scallion sauce was very fresh and good tho!

We ordered the Mixed Gai and Crispy Gai with Hainan sauce, which were both delicious. The meat was tender and juicy, and the Hainan sauce flavored the rice so well! Great value and taste. Takeout was also fast and conveniently ready for us when we went to pickup.

You guys know I give out more 5 stars than poor reviews. I don't like giving bad reviews. It doesn't get me off in any way. Came in today and asked about ordering the Special Gai that comes with thigh/breast ($2 upgrade) and broccoli + egg (that's a $5 upgrade). At $16.95 that's a deal. But I wanted salad, not rice. Well, they really mean it with no substitutions. Okay, cool. I order the Gai Salad with thighs only (no upgrade charge on that meat), ask for extra side of Thai sauce to go with the classic Hainanese sauce. Because, every entree should come with complimentary sauce, right? So if I want to try to two, I'm buying just one extra? Wrong. The counter attendant even pointed at the picture menu and I pointed to Thai and Hainan sauces. She nods. She runs my tab and it's over $19. For the Gai Salad. I wait a long time for my order. They do not put napkins, chopsticks, or forks in my bag. I have to run back into store and supply them myself, even though I see the counter attendant adding these utensils to DoorDash take-out orders. I get outside and realize that she had added to my order the side of broccoli that I did not want; the two sauces that I did not want; and no Hainanese sauce. Alright; cool. I'm a little pissed. But I'm hungry, since I've been sick, and I was going out of my neighborhood to try them out. So I walk back to Market and sip on the broth. Okay, it was fine. But I have seriously had generous bartenders give me larger shots of Fernet than what broth was in that tiny cup. I sit down to eat the meal later and the chicken is not just poached in a pure way, it is absolutely flavorless and rubbery and was not cut properly. The cartilage and the skin was not prepped right. I work BOH kitchen. This chicken was butchered poorly. The "salad" is finely shredded cabbage. I should have ordered the Special Gai and just thrown out the rice. Better yet, I should have tried Rooster and Rice. First time in a long time I have nothing good to say-- I almost feel guilty.

There's something about chicken rice that just hits the spot. At Gai Chicken Rice, we got 2 orders consisting of chicken rice (white rice cooked in chicken broth), thighs only, and all 3 sauces (Thai, Hainan, and Hoi An). Bowls also come with cilantro, pickled cucumbers, and a cup of soup, and then we chose to add an egg. The chicken is poached well and the rice was fragrant. I loved how each sauce nailed what it claimed to taste like, and my favorite was the Hainan sauce, which had the ginger and spring onions. As a bonus, the drinks we got were also super yummy. The mango jasmine iced tea was not too sweet and had strong tea flavor, while the Thai iced tea tasted like an authentic one. This is definitely the kind of food I would crave when I'm looking for something lighter or just comfort food in general!

Decently good chicken + rice. After having Nong's Khao Man Gai in Portland, nothing will live up to that bar. But Gai's is probably the best you can get in SF. Small location with limited seating. Workers were extremely friendly and patient! If it's your first time, ask them for a sampling of multiple sauces so you can try them all :)

Delicious and healthy meal. Great for kids or adults. Fresh chicken over rice made with chicken stock. You get your choice of sauce on the side. It comes with a small cup of chicken broth to drink. I recommend adding broccoli. Great for take out or to eat in. Check out their full menu online and their tasty drinks!

Got a free $30 in credit from Uber Eats and decided to try this place out because I'm a huge sucker for KMG/ hainanese chicken rice. I had higher expectations because the pictures looked really good but it was a little underwhelming for the most part. Thai wings were pretty good. Tasted like the sweet chili sauce with fish sauce tossed in it. When it comes to KMG, the rice is just as important as the chicken. Sadly, the rice was not there. It was really mushy to the point where I felt like it's been bathing in chicken broth after it was done cooking. Chicken was okay. It also had a mushy texture and most of the pieces were dry. I'm guessing this was why their broth tasted so flavorful. Their sauces did help masking the dryness of the meat. If you had to choose one, I recommend the hoi an. You can't go wrong with the classic hainan ginger scallion sauce as well. Most likely not coming back because I'm use to authentic hainan chicken. Don't get me wrong, it's not bad but this is a grab & go lunch for the techies and other people that have moved here who haven't really experienced this type of cuisine

I have gone here for years. Several years ago, this place was one of my favorites to go to, but it has gotten increasingly bad, especially over the past year. There have been a few changes in staff, which is what I assume is behind the change, but tonight the food was so bad, it was inedible. I will never go back again. The broth tasted like poison tonight.

Excellent Hainanese chicken spot. Good portions and well done authentic flavours. I'd recommend it and would go again.

Consistently tasty food and great for delivery since they crank it out fast. It's very close to the Hianese chicken-rice you get in Singapore, though the rice has less of the fat drippings in it than you'd get there. My favorite is the "Original Gai" with the half rice / half salad option. The obligatory and included chicken broth "soup" with green onions is great.

If you're craving hainan chicken, def go to GAI! I usually get the original gai as it comes with all thigh meat with habanero sauce and hainan onion ginger sauce on the side. It also comes with a side of soup :) I've been here multiple times and the food has always been yummy and consistent!!