Text and photos by Stacie Joy
Updated 12/14
Owner Chai “Bryan” Chunton's restaurant on Queens Boulevard, Zen Yai, was destroyed during a five-alarm fire that injured 12 people.
The first thing that strikes me at Eat’s Kaho Man Gai, 518 E. Sixth St., is how spotlessly clean the kitchen is. Immaculate.
It’s almost hard to believe any cooking is done in it!
The second thing I notice is the meticulous prep stations, and how space is allocated in this small restaurant.
Owner Chai “Bryan” Chunton (also known by his nickname “Eat”) greets me and tells me about the single dish that the space prepares and sells since opening in August.
“I think the neighborhood is ready to try real Asian comfort food,” he says. “The East Village needs traditional khao man gai [chicken fat rice]. It’s hard to make. So we make and sell only that dish.”
Eat’s offers two versions of the dish: the original, heritage, free-range bird with liver and gizzards, ginger-scented rice, winter melon soup, plus a few slices of English cucumber, and the vegan version, which has steamed tofu slices, turmeric-Thai saffron rice (made with vegetable stock) and vegan version of the winter melon soup, plus the cukes. There’s also a trio of sauces to choose from: traditional ginger-garlic, sweet brown sugar-soy, and spicy green chili. And both Thai iced tea and a Thai cold brew that steeps for more than 12 hours.
[The vegan version]
Chunton, who has born in Bangkok and grew up in Queens, decided to open in the East Village because of the interesting food options and adventurous diners in the neighborhood ... and the fact that no one else was bringing this staple of Asian street food to the area.
He picked a bright yellow paint so his shop would stand out on the block, and who can miss the giant chicken outside?
Eat’s Khao Man Gai, 518 E. Sixth St. between Avenue A and Avenue B, is open every day from noon until 10 p.m. You can follow them on Instagram.
