Hainanese chicken rice has plenty of homes in this city. Its punchier Thai cousin is about to get one.
A spot called Hen is opening on Broadway in Mount Pleasant, built around khao man gai, the Thai take on chicken rice.
We spotted the signage going up back in June, with a window decal spelling the dish out in Thai, Chinese, Japanese, and English.
Hen is taking over the old Best Burrito unit on the block.
According to our research, the brand is not new, just new here.
Hen already runs two locations in the Boston area, one on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston and one on Union Square in Somerville, and this is its first Vancouver address.
The shop describes itself as a place for Thai food made with fresh ingredients, with a full cocktail bar built to run alongside the meal.
The heart of it is khao man gai, and the difference from the Hainanese version you already know comes down to the sauce.
Hainanese chicken rice usually arrives with three individual condiments on the side: a bright chili sauce, minced ginger scallion, and thick sweet dark soy.
Whereas the Khao man gai leans on a single all-in-one dipping sauce instead, a nam jim that blends fermented soybean paste, chilies, ginger, garlic, vinegar, and sugar into something tangier and louder.
And then there are slight differences in the poached chicken and fat-slicked rice.
Assuming this location mirrors the menu of their Boston location, then it’ll reach past the signature too, with items like crispy chicken, pad see ew, and ginger rice.
But spelling the dish out in four languages across the front window is its own quiet statement of who the shop is for.
Through the windows the buildout looks close, though no firm opening date is posted yet.
Hen joins the list of other upcoming Vancouver food spots like Como Ultramar in Mount Pleasant, Earnest Ice Cream on Granville Island, and Mello West End.
For more new and upcoming food spots in Metro Vancouver, take a peek at our tracker here, and subscribe to our weekly newsletter here.
Address: 15 West Broadway, Vancouver BC