Chick-A-Dee is the first restaurant in Phoenix to specialize in Hainan chicken rice, but don't miss the fried chicken nuggets. Here's what to order
If you've ever fought for chicken nuggets, you'll recognize this scene — hands going everywhere in a torrent of frenetic energy the moment a paper takeout container filled with a pile of golden brown nugs arrives. That's because there are never enough nuggets for the number of people, especially when the chicken bites are as good as the"cluckets" at this new Thai restaurant. Piping hot and dusted with a lemon-grassy chile spice mix, they didn't even need dipping sauce.
There are many minor players, but the Tom Hanks of chicken rice is called Wenchang chicken from the Southern Chinese island of Hainan. Immigrants brought it to Malaysia and Singapore in the late 19th century, and in no time "Hainanese chicken rice" became Singapore's national dish. As noted on the wall-length explainer that graces the side of the dining room, Chick-A-Dee simmers its stock with herbs for 48-hours to create a supremely flavorful rice.The khao man gai at Chick-A-Dee is quite fantastic. Fresh from its paper wrapper, the premium grade jasmine rice from Thailand was sumptuously moist, yet not overpowered by the chicken flavor. It was savory, but still light with just a touch of ginger and garlic.
The temperature was perfect — not cold, not hot. The texture was juicy, but much of the flavor came not from the chicken itself, butfrom the array of sauces on offer, my favorite being the Thai traditional, which had the sweet funk of fermented soy bean, the Thai version of miso paste. A nice counterpoint was the sweet black sauce, a sugary soy sauce that you can pour directly over the whole plate.