Katak Thai Chicken Rice

Hainan chicken, Hainanese chicken rice, khao man gai... It's a dish I first had in Singapore, and depending on where you are, everyone's version is a little different. Khao man gai is the Thai version, and at Katak Thai Chicken Rice, it was quite delicious. The chicken was moist and nicely cooked, and the dipping sauce (I went with the scallion ginger version, which is more Hainan style) was tasty. Together with the rice and broth, it made for a complete, satisfying meal (I ordered some extra dark meat). The only drawback for me is that they didn't have plates--everything was in a to-go container, which made eating it a little less easy. But service is friendly, and it's a great choice for a fast-casual meal that doesn't skimp on flavor. It's not quite at the level of Nong's Khao Man Gai in Portland, but Katak is still a very strong contender, and I'd certainly eat there anytime.

Just walking around town, decided to stop in. I ordered the mixed chicken through the kiosk, since there was a couple girls ordering at the counter. We were the only people in the restaurant. They seemed to be Berkeley students and were quite chit chatty. But it wasn't noisy otherwise. I sat down waiting for my order. I got a text saying it was ready, so I went to the counter. I guess it wasn't, so the female employee said she would bring it to my table. It was a couple more minutes, and she did in fact bring it to my table. The slow cooked chicken. Was room temp at best. I actually had to put it in the chicken broth to warm it up. The fried chicken was warmer, but still not hot. The chicken broth was pretty bland. The rice flavor was decent though. I feel bad. I wanted to like this place. But. Alas. What can you do.

Kiosk ordering is easy with good descriptions of the items. I got the chicken rice soup and added a poached egg for extra protein and an extra side of spinach. Both come on the side. I wish there was a way to ask for the spinach to be put in the broth so it wilts.There are only a few tables so if you come with a big party to sit he might be out of luck. The broth was good but I wish that I had added a side order of the sky and Ginger sauce. Because it needed a little more flavor. The Seasoned rice is a nice compliment. Their signage both a wide diverse drink menu however it seems that almost every drink was unavailable or sold out except for Thai coffee Thai tea or canned drinks. But they do have a water dispenser so you can have free water.

Got the Khao Man Gai with an extra portion of dark meat and the Khao Man Gai Tot (Crispy fried chicken). Total for all (~$14+$16+$6 and tax and tip was $40. It was located near the Berkeley Bart station so it was a convenient walk. I have been searching for a Hainan Chicken place in Berkeley because South Bay's Rooster and Rice and Chicken Meets Rice are heavenly. When I went in the chill cashier promptly handed me my food. However, I was very disappointed. The sauce provided was not enough for the chicken, coming from a person who does not like sauce, and the chicken breast was tough and dry. On top of that, the cucumber slices were huge and overpowered the chicken flavors. The parsley was wilted and was conveniently covered up by fresher parsley on top and just placed there, not minced or anything, so it was a pain to eat. The additional dark meat portion was not flavorful and the sauce was not enough for everything. I did like the chicken stock though.If you're dying for Hainan Chicken, give this place a try, otherwise, you're better off trying other restaurants in the area.

Very impressed with warmth welcoming hospitality from staffs // owner.The highlight: of course CHICKEN RICE, perfectly executed, very tender with aromatic of Thai jasmine rice and the sauce was very tasty with a kick of ginger and Thai chilli. Do not forget the combo of steam and crispy chicken at the same time. Great food, very convenient location, lively staffs. Coming back for sure.

I was in a rush today so I decided to come back to what the cluck! As per usual, great service and the food came out fast. Since I need to eat while on the move I decided to take a gamble and order a the cluck sandwich and a Thai iced coffee. Needless to say, the sandwich isn't their best item but it got the job done.Some notes on the sandwich:-bread not toasted, texture is fine just a little cold-meat is chicken katsu thigh, taste and texture is good, It looks like I only got half a thigh-got a bite of pickle with every bite, I like pickles so this is okay, if you don't like pickles I'd get it withoutThe sandwich is just okay but has potential to be better. My only gripe really is that the bread was a tad cold and i'd prefer it to be a little bit toasted.The Thai iced coffee hit the spot but as most restaurants do when you order drinks, the cup is 80% ice. Delicious but I'd only treat myself to it. Some final notes on my take out order, my drink was put inside the paper bag and it was stapled 4 times so it was super secure! The only issue with this is that I wanted to drink my drink so it was a hassle getting into the bag. I actually has to end up tearing it from the side to get to my drink. A nice detail that was done was that they taped the straw opening of my cup so that it'd be less prone to spilling. Overall, really secure packaging for a to go order...maybe a tad too secure haha.

I passed by this place a little after 1 PM on a random Saturday in July 2023 and was intrigued by the sign they put outside. Because of that, I decided to try out the Classic. The rice has a light flavoring kind of like Hainan Chicken Rice and the texture was a little bit like sticky rice, which I liked. The chicken was white meat, and more than half of the pieces were dry, so I savored the ones that weren't. The sauce is a dark brown soybean sauce that's a little sweet, but it also has ginger, which I think clashes a little bit with the core flavor profile. Overall, I found the sauce flavor to be a little heavy for white meat chicken. The cashier was practical and helpful. Overall, I felt the food was just okay, and I was disappointed they didn't use more reusable dishware and utensils for dine-in. ECO NOTES (Dine-In)Dine-In Dishware: Reusable plate and single-use paper bowl for soup that felt like it had a waxy coatingNapkins & Utensils: Plastic-packaged bag of plastic utensils (looked like spork or spoon plus napkin)Water cups: They asked if I wanted anything to drink, and I said no. I'm not sure what would've happened if I requested water.

I kept walking by this place on the two-block walk from the BART station to the Freight and Salvage, and finally decided to stop on. On the screen where you order, I canceled my plan to have their regular chicken when I saw a side dish of marinated whole wings, which I love.Though marinated, they were pretty plain tasting, fairly crispy. Tiny tub of sweet and sour sauce helped. Small but satisfactory. A side order of steamed rice (cooked in chicken broth, and definitely tasted of it) helped.I'd have to order more for a real full meal, but this was a start.

Brief Summary:- There is a SnackPass kiosk inside- There are tables and bar stools inside. No outdoor seating- Close to walking distance from the BART stationI have been to another branch in Oakland, and it was a good eating experience, so I was at the same expectations when a new branch opened in Berkeley. It's close to the BART station, and on the busiest streets there so it's easy to spot. There is a kiosk inside the restaurant, so you can either order it from there or call the staff. When I was there, the staff was mostly stationed in the back and peeked out from time to time to deliver ordered dishes. We ordered the same ones we tried the first time; I got the classic and my relative got the one with crispy fried chicken. For those, who are fine with eating the chicken skin, the classic is great, but if you are uneasy with it the crispy fried chicken is a great alternative to still have a taste of the ginger sauce.What I also love about What the Cluck is the portions between the rice and the chicken. It's balanced out well, that I'm not eating only rice at the end. The provided sauce drenches the rice evenly, so nothing is left dry and tasteless. In addition, the general portion is enough to fill me up to content levels, with maybe a small room for a boba drink on the way home.

This is not the restaurant to go to if you are looking to sit down and have service. Even though we chose to "for here" we still received takeout boxes. It is ok.. There is also only one person working and no one at the cashier, it is self service kiosk. I think it is quite expensive as the serving sizes are pretty small. As for the food, it is pretty good. The flavors are alright if you have a craving for Thai Chicken Rice. The restaurant itself is pretty small, But I believe this is probably because customers are mostly college students who take to-go.