The Chicken Rice

Scott P

It’s a different style of Thai than what I’ve had before. The chicken dumplings were superb and crisp with a tasty dipping sauce that is soy based. The chicken and rice dish is delectable and also is served with a sauce and a side of soup. Excellent quick food after a long drive for an event down the block. The market is filled with lots of people and it’s quite noisy.

Marina Sarom

Food is pretty good. Tricky to find but right next to the parking structure. The worker is very friendly. Great service. The broth that came with this rice bowl was a light seaweed broth and I enjoyed it! The fried hat yai chicken was nice and juicy! Fried rice was decent.

Jedi Master ASU

Tase like Khao Min Kai in Bangkok. Very authentic! Get the spicy sauce for the chicken. Won't be disappointed.

Hannes Bend

Nice outside places to enjoy the food, and green curry with fish sauce but vegetarian was only spicy overall. Friendly staff and central place.

Vance Nguyen

Great quality Hainan chicken and sauces. Would recommend. Parking structure nearby first 2 hours are free.

Mrs.Horchata

Attentive staff and great customer service! The food was delicious 😋

The Chicken Rice is the go-to Hainan Chicken Spot in Santa Ana. Affordable; reliable; and tasty - it's hard to go wrong here especially during the pandemic. The slight twist here is that the Chicken Rice's Hainan Chicken is Thai style which is my first encounter with the variation. The differences to me mostly come in the amount of sauces / interesting variations on the chicken. Here, the Chicken Rice presents you with some pretty easy choices. Choose your style of chicken; up to 2 sauces (with a little extra for additional sauces) and type of rice. I've tried two variations here so far - the poached chicken which is the style I was most familiar with (simple / clean) and the chicken satay (which is marinated in grilled coconut and spices). I'm a fan of both depending on how much flavor I want on my chicken. My only personal disagreement here is with the brown rice in that it doesn't sit right with me complementing the chicken (a bit too gooey), so I opt for the garlic or sticky rice which are much better to my palette. Finally, I've opted with these sauces: +signature soybean ginger (love the ginger here // slight variation on the norm I'm used to) +sweet and sour (pretty much as the name states and this sauce isn't super overpowering) +ginger scallion oil (this is for those that want the ginger & scallion straight) You also get some fermented veggies + chicken broth. All for around $10-$14 depending on what you're getting. It's quite a filling meal and delicious. Pick-up has been super easy. My bag is always ready in the front and they just ask your name and you're good to go. There are some easy stops for quick parking as well as a parking lot about a block down that has 2 hours free parking in case you're grabbing multiple items in the area like I do. And they've been on DoorDash as well. Note too that they aren't open really for mid-to-late dinner service or weekend service, so your aim will be for lunch. Will be happily eating this will into the new year!

This place is fav place of mine and my husband’s. I’ve been looking for really good hainan chicken in California for a long time after discovering this dish in back in Oregon! This is the closest we got for hainan chicken and close to our home. We order from this place at least once a week if not twice.

Chicken Rice in DTSA! The fried chicken is definitely the star. Soup has a nice sweetness with the added daikon. Ginger Rice was great as well.

The food is delicious and you have a choice of many different sauces. If you can, sit outside in the patio.

Love this spot. One of my weekly go to spots. Their signature dish, their Hainan chicken rice always hits the spot.l for me. The chicken is fresh and sauces that it comes with is a perfect compliment. It also comes with very delicious and soup to warm up your appetite. Definitely reminds me of home cooking.

Marc Basilla

The food is delicious and you have a choice of many different sauces. If you can, sit outside in the patio.

Jenna Park

This place is fav place of mine and my husband’s. I’ve been looking for really good hainan chicken in California for a long time after discovering this dish in back in Oregon! This is the closest we got for hainan chicken and close to our home. We order from this place at least once a week if not twice.

John Wie

The Chicken Rice is the go-to Hainan Chicken Spot in Santa Ana. Affordable; reliable; and tasty - it's hard to go wrong here especially during the pandemic. The slight twist here is that the Chicken Rice's Hainan Chicken is Thai style which is my first encounter with the variation. The differences to me mostly come in the amount of sauces / interesting variations on the chicken. Here, the Chicken Rice presents you with some pretty easy choices. Choose your style of chicken; up to 2 sauces (with a little extra for additional sauces) and type of rice. I've tried two variations here so far - the poached chicken which is the style I was most familiar with (simple / clean) and the chicken satay (which is marinated in grilled coconut and spices). I'm a fan of both depending on how much flavor I want on my chicken. My only personal disagreement here is with the brown rice in that it doesn't sit right with me complementing the chicken (a bit too gooey), so I opt for the garlic or sticky rice which are much better to my palette. Finally, I've opted with these sauces: +signature soybean ginger (love the ginger here // slight variation on the norm I'm used to) +sweet and sour (pretty much as the name states and this sauce isn't super overpowering) +ginger scallion oil (this is for those that want the ginger & scallion straight) You also get some fermented veggies + chicken broth. All for around $10-$14 depending on what you're getting. It's quite a filling meal and delicious. Pick-up has been super easy. My bag is always ready in the front and they just ask your name and you're good to go. There are some easy stops for quick parking as well as a parking lot about a block down that has 2 hours free parking in case you're grabbing multiple items in the area like I do. And they've been on DoorDash as well. Note too that they aren't open really for mid-to-late dinner service or weekend service, so your aim will be for lunch. Will be happily eating this will into the new year!

Daniel Lee (DLEEEE1)

Chicken Rice in DTSA! The fried chicken is definitely the star. Soup has a nice sweetness with the added daikon. Ginger Rice was great as well.

Dor P

Love this spot. One of my weekly go to spots. Their signature dish, their Hainan chicken rice always hits the spot.l for me. The chicken is fresh and sauces that it comes with is a perfect compliment. It also comes with very delicious and soup to warm up your appetite. Definitely reminds me of home cooking.

This place was hard to find since it was inside a food court, 4th St Lab. I had Hainan chicken, which was moist and tasty. The sauce for it was interesting. I also had Drunken Noodle. It was a bit spicy, but not as spicy as I normally like. Good flavor, and it actually had something that I do not normally see in a Drunken Noodle dish. I don't know what it's called, but it looks like unripened or green pepper. The seating was in the common area. I had to bring my own tray to the trash bins.

Decent chicken rice but I wouldn't call it Hainan Chicken rice though (definitely not the best in Orange County like what a certain publication claims). Go for the crispy chicken. I took the combo (2 chicken types and ginger rice), cost ~$17 with tip as of 5/18/2019

Los Angeles

This place was hard to find since it was inside a food court, 4th St Lab. I had Hainan chicken, which was moist and tasty. The sauce for it was interesting. I also had Drunken Noodle. It was a bit spicy, but not as spicy as I normally like. Good flavor, and it actually had something that I do not normally see in a Drunken Noodle dish. I don't know what it's called, but it looks like unripened or green pepper. The seating was in the common area. I had to bring my own tray to the trash bins.

Richard Van

Decent chicken rice but I wouldn't call it Hainan Chicken rice though (definitely not the best in Orange County like what a certain publication claims). Go for the crispy chicken. I took the combo (2 chicken types and ginger rice), cost ~$17 with tip as of 5/18/2019

Fast and friendly service. Read the menu before ordering, you get two sauces with the regular chicken rice order.

David Chung

Fast and friendly service. Read the menu before ordering, you get two sauces with the regular chicken rice order.

Had the combo. Fried chicken was good but the boiled one is not so much. Very pricy for two chicken thigh and small side of ginger rice i just wish i got more rice. Anyway the spot is very difficult to find, Construction is everywhere.

Kor K.

Had the combo. Fried chicken was good but the boiled one is not so much. Very pricy for two chicken thigh and small side of ginger rice i just wish i got more rice. Anyway the spot is very difficult to find, Construction is everywhere.

I had the combo hainan and fried chicken. It’s so-so for the hainan chicken. There are much better places out there. I didn’t really like the fried chicken batter but that’s probably a personal preference. I usually eat panko style if it’s fried but thought I’d give it a try.

Jenn S

I had the combo hainan and fried chicken. It’s so-so for the hainan chicken. There are much better places out there. I didn’t really like the fried chicken batter but that’s probably a personal preference. I usually eat panko style if it’s fried but thought I’d give it a try.

Honestly this place was very bland almost no spices and flavor. The chicken was dry and there was almost no flavor let alone salt. Ordered chicken over rice and pad sew ew. This is food made for people who don't like spices or flavor.

The total $15+ chicken ok, side green onion goes with the chicken ok, the sauce ??? Confused and the soup should be chicken plain soup but they have kind of taste like miso soup. Extremely disappointed. Nothing like Hainanese chicken rice. It’s a ripoff.. the reason I give a review to help others like me got trick into it.. if I could -0000 rate . HORRIBLE 😡

Lisa Hong

The total $15+ chicken ok, side green onion goes with the chicken ok, the sauce ??? Confused and the soup should be chicken plain soup but they have kind of taste like miso soup. Extremely disappointed. Nothing like Hainanese chicken rice. It’s a ripoff.. the reason I give a review to help others like me got trick into it.. if I could -0000 rate . HORRIBLE 😡

Ryu Shen

Honestly this place was very bland almost no spices and flavor. The chicken was dry and there was almost no flavor let alone salt. Ordered chicken over rice and pad sew ew. This is food made for people who don't like spices or flavor.