Kuan Ah

It’s common to see family-run businesses handed over to the second (or third) generation, who then call in the designers and image consultants to give the operation the modern “look” they feel is necessary to be successful in today’s “trendy” world. Not Kuan Ah. After over a half-century serving khao man gai and a handful of other Hainanese staples, they expanded their menu and moved to a purpose-built “complex” on a quiet stretch of the Chao Phraya River. But, frankly, while just about everything else has received an upgrade (including the service, which was whip-smart on a recent visit), the venue itself is about as stylish as a cafeteria, more function than fashion. The focus here is obviously on the food, which is terrific, the kind of confident, presentation-be-damned cuisine you can only get in places that have been in business this long. If you want khao man gai—and, believe us, you do—you must order at least half a chicken, bowls of savory rice are not included and if you want soup, you’re obliged to order that, too. These are gigantic chickens, so big that the pieces, which are cut so roughly that there are potentially dangerous shards of bone in many pieces, are piled high onto a plastic plate without any need for hidden slices of cucumber or other padding underneath. The meat is tender but a far cry from the grainy, texture-less mass-produced chicken that is the norm these days. It has flavor, a taste that is satisfying but not gamey like some gai baan, and is perfectly cooked the old-fashioned way: slowly. Another specialty of the house is "sukiyaki," which is ideally enjoyed at one of the 40 or so outdoor tables. While it comes with vegetables and glass noodles, at Kuan Ah the focus is on the meat or seafood—and certainly not the “soup,” which is flavorless. The beef in our suki set is, like the chicken, unevenly cut in non-uniform pieces but mouth-wateringly tender; the raw meat comes swimming in a spicy-hot homemade yentafo-like sauce plus more on the side for dipping. The menu here is extensive, with over 150 items, and it goes far beyond chicken to include a full range of seafood dishes, including live items. Our crab in curry was on the oily side and a bit too spicy, but still excellent—and a very reasonable B250 (market price), as are bottles of frosty Heineken to wash it down. Indeed, your money here is very well-spent. Bring a group, because portions are huge (their “small” dishes would be "large" elsewhere), the food old-school delicious and views of the colorful ringroad bridge best enjoyed from one of the larger round tables right next to the river.