Gai Yang, or Issan-Style Grilled Chicken with Side Dishes
by Nitthaya Grilled Chicken, Bangkok, Thailand
Issan, or Northeastern Thai food is some of the best-known food in the kingdom. While this region of Thailand may be famous for its som tam (papaya salad), khao niao (sticky rice), and larb (spicy minced meat salad), one of Issan's most delicious dishes is also one of its simplest: gai yang, or grilled chicken
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| gai yang, or Issan-style Grilled Chicken in Bangkok, Thailand |
Nitthaya is a very traditional Issan restaurant located in Bangkok's busy Ari neighborhood. They are famous throughout the country for their amazing Issan-style grilled chicken. We visited early one evening and ordered a serving of their famous gai yang along with several other traditional Issan side dishes.
Gai yang, or grilled chicken, is one of Issan's most popular street food dishes. What makes it different from other chicken dishes is the way in which it is prepared. Gai yang is marinaded overnight in a concoction of ginger, coriander root, fish sauce, soy sauce, black pepper, and palm sugar. The next day the chicken is grilled over charcoal, which imparts a great smoky flavor to the already aromatic chicken.
The tam mak houng itself was made of thin slices of raw young papaya muddled together in a mortar and pestle along with lime, chili, shrimp paste, herbs, palm sugar, salt, fish sauce, and a variety of other flavorings and spices.
Of course, Issan chicken is not complete without its side dishes. We also ordered tam mak houng, a type of Issan papaya salad similar to what you might find in neighboring Laos. The tam mak houng was served with a helping of vermicelli rice noodles and a handful of crispy pork rinds. The dish was meant to be served together as a whole; with each bite containing a bit of papaya salad, rice noodle, and pork skin. This gave it a great variety of flavor and texture.
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| Issan / Lao-style tam mak houng, or papaya salad (som tam) |
More Tam Mak Houng in Luang Prabang, Laos: Very Traditional Lao Papaya Salad from Luang Prabang
We also ordered deep-fried morning glory that came with a rich sweet and savory meat sauce for dipping. The sauce had a tomato base, and was full of minced pork, shrimp, and tons of herbs.
The fried morning glory was incredibly crunchy and was super delicious when dipped in the savory meat sauce. The crispy fried vegetables went really well with the thick dipping sauce, and it all combined to give the dish a very complex texture and flavor.
Even though the dipping sauce was served alongside the morning glory tempura, and was meant to be eaten together, it was delicious enough to eat on its own.
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| deep-fried morning glory with a sweet and savory meat dip |
The fried morning glory was incredibly crunchy and was super delicious when dipped in the savory meat sauce. The crispy fried vegetables went really well with the thick dipping sauce, and it all combined to give the dish a very complex texture and flavor.
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| deep-fried morning glory |
Even though the dipping sauce was served alongside the morning glory tempura, and was meant to be eaten together, it was delicious enough to eat on its own.
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| sweet and savory meat dip |
Other delicious fried vegetables
Ari is a popular neighborhood known for its amazing food. Check out more fantastic meals in Ari Neighborhood, Bangkok:
Location
Nitthaya Grilled Chicken is located in Bangkok's Ari neighborhood. It's a very short walk from BTS Station Ari. Click the link for Google Maps instructions:
ถนน พหลโยธิน ซอย สายลม Samsen Nai, Phaya Thai, Bangkok 10400
ถนน พหลโยธิน ซอย สายลม Samsen Nai, Phaya Thai, Bangkok 10400
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| Nitthaya Grilled Chicken, Ari, Bangkok |
See the map below for the exact location of Nitthaya Grilled Chicken, Ari, Bangkok.
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