Hat Yai 2.0 Is Coming

Eater PDX 2016 Restaurant of the Year nominee Hat Yai is bringing its Thai fried chicken and spice-laced curries to the corner of Southeast Belmont Street and Sixth Avenue, according to the O. It’ll set up near ramen mecca Afuri and not far from Kachka’s forthcoming restaurant. Could this be a new dining strip in the making?

Neither Hat Yai 2.0’s exact address or an opening date have been announced. What has been announced: It will feature the same deliciously lethal combination of crispy chicken, roti bread, and curries. Eater has reached out to Hat Yai for details.

Hat Yai comes from bartender Alan Akwai (St. Jack, Teardrop Lounge) and Earl Ninsom, the rockstar chef behind two of Portland’s top Thai restaurants, Langbaan and Paadee.

Since opening in 2016, it has struck a deeply moving balance, furnishing regional flavors from half way around the world for reasonable prices; a half chicken with sticky rice costs $12, and a quarter of a fried chicken with roti and curry — there’s nothing, nothing like dipping fried chicken in curry — runs $13.

Yelp

• Hat Yai [Official]
• Portland restaurant and bar news: 10 things you need to know this week [Oregonian]
• All Previous Hat Yai Coverage [EPDX]