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5 Reasons Rooster & Rice Beaverton Is The Hottest Thai Spot Right Now (And Its Latest Status Update)

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As of December 25, 2025, Rooster & Rice in Beaverton, Oregon, remains one of the most talked-about fast-casual Thai concepts in the Willamette Valley, celebrated for its laser-focus on one iconic dish. This San Francisco-based franchise has successfully brought the authentic flavors of Thai street food to the Pacific Northwest, specifically introducing the Beaverton community to the legendary Khao Mun Gai (Thai Chicken and Rice). Since its grand opening in late 2024, the restaurant has quickly become a local favorite, not just for its simplicity and quality, but also for its role as the flagship location for a planned multi-unit Oregon expansion.

The Beaverton location, situated at 16055 SW Regatta Ln #1000, has garnered high praise for its fresh, comforting take on a Southeast Asian classic. While online ordering on the official website has shown a "temporarily closed" message recently, the restaurant continues to operate and serve its dedicated customer base through third-party delivery services, maintaining stellar customer ratings and confirming its status as a must-try destination for unique Thai cuisine in the Portland metro area. Its success is a testament to the power of specializing in a single, perfectly executed comfort food.

The Rooster & Rice Beaverton Experience: Location, Status, and Franchise Vision

Rooster & Rice is not your typical Thai restaurant with a sprawling menu of curries and pad thai. Instead, it follows a successful, focused model, similar to the strategy employed by other popular fast-casual chains, dedicating itself entirely to perfecting the art of Khao Mun Gai. This specialization is the core of its appeal and operational efficiency.

The Beaverton location, which celebrated its Grand Opening on Saturday, October 5, 2024, marked a significant milestone as the first of three planned Oregon franchised locations. The local franchisees, Albert and Herbert Liu, have ambitious plans to open two additional spots in 2025 and 2026, positioning the Beaverton restaurant as the cornerstone of their regional strategy. This multi-unit, multi-brand franchise model is guided by the broader vision of co-founder and CEO, Bryan Lew, who aims to scale the concept while maintaining ingredient quality and consistency.

Current Operational Status (December 2025 Update)

  • Address: 16055 SW Regatta Ln #1000, Beaverton, OR 97006.
  • Opening Date: Grand Opening was October 5, 2024.
  • Current Status: The restaurant is operational for dine-in, takeout, and delivery. Despite a temporary closure notice for online ordering on the official site, the location maintains active delivery and takeout services through major third-party platforms.
  • Customer Rating: Consistently high, with ratings between 4.7 and 5.0 on popular delivery apps, reflecting excellent customer satisfaction with the food quality and service.
  • Expansion: The Beaverton spot is the first of a planned Oregon expansion, with more locations slated for 2025 and 2026.

The Legendary Dish: What Exactly is Khao Mun Gai?

The entire Rooster & Rice concept revolves around Khao Mun Gai, a classic Thai street food that is a variation of the more widely known Hainanese Chicken Rice, a staple across Southeast Asia, including Singapore and Malaysia. The dish is the ultimate in Thai comfort food, celebrated for its deceptive simplicity and powerful, nuanced flavors.

The name Khao Mun Gai literally translates to "oily rice chicken," which highlights its two main components:

  1. The Chicken (Gai): Traditionally, the chicken is poached or steamed until it is incredibly tender, moist, and silky smooth. Rooster & Rice offers both the classic steamed (poached) chicken and a crispy fried chicken option, catering to different preferences.
  2. The Rice (Khao Mun): This is the secret weapon. The rice is cooked in the chicken broth, often infused with aromatic ingredients like garlic, ginger, and sometimes pandan leaf, giving it a rich, savory flavor that is far superior to plain steamed rice.

The dish is served with a bowl of warm, clear chicken broth and, most critically, a potent dipping sauce. This sauce is a complex blend of fermented soybeans, ginger, garlic, chili, vinegar, and sugar, providing a necessary kick of acidity, heat, and umami that ties the entire dish together. Without the perfect dipping sauce, the dish is incomplete.

The Must-Try Menu: Beyond The Original

While "The Original" Khao Mun Gai is the undisputed star, Rooster & Rice has developed a concise, focused menu that offers variations on the theme, ensuring the core concept remains strong while giving customers a few enticing alternatives. The menu is structured around "Main Bowls," "Fried Food," "Extras," and "Beverages," making ordering straightforward and fast-casual friendly.

Signature Main Bowls

The menu is designed to allow customers to customize their experience by choosing their preferred style of chicken and accompanying sauces. All main bowls come with the signature ginger-garlic infused rice and a side of broth.

  • The Original: The classic, featuring the silky, steamed (poached) chicken. This is the authentic Thai comfort food experience and the most popular item.
  • The Crispy: A version for those who prefer a crunch, featuring fried chicken. This offers a different texture profile while still being served over the savory rice.
  • The Veggie: A thoughtful vegetarian option, typically substituting the chicken with steamed tofu or a mix of seasonal vegetables, ensuring all dietary preferences are accommodated.
  • The Combo: For the indecisive, this bowl often provides a mix of both steamed and fried chicken, allowing a taste of both signature styles.

Enticing Extras and Sides

To enhance the meal, Rooster & Rice offers several popular side dishes that have become LSI keywords for the brand:

  • Fried Chicken Skins: A highly-rated, decadent side dish that provides an extra layer of crunch and rich flavor.
  • Extra Rice: The highly addictive, flavorful rice is often requested as an extra side.
  • Extra Dipping Sauce: Because the signature sauce is so crucial, many patrons order an extra serving to ensure every bite is perfectly seasoned.
  • Broth: The slow-simmered chicken broth, light yet deeply flavorful, is the perfect palate cleanser and accompaniment.

The limited, focused menu is a key competitive advantage in the crowded Beaverton food scene. By specializing, they ensure a high level of quality control and speed of service, which is essential for a successful fast-casual model. The high customer ratings reflect the success of this strategy, proving that sometimes, less is truly more when the "less" is executed flawlessly.

Why Rooster & Rice is a Beaverton Culinary Landmark

Rooster & Rice has cemented its place in the local culinary landscape for several compelling reasons, going beyond just serving a delicious meal. It taps into a niche market that was previously underserved in the area, focusing on a specific, authentic Thai dish rather than general Asian fusion.

The atmosphere of the Beaverton location, designed for quick, efficient service whether for dine-in, catering, or takeout, perfectly suits the modern, busy lifestyle of the Portland metro area. The concept is scalable and repeatable, which is why the franchisees, Albert and Herbert Liu, are confident in their Oregon expansion plans for 2025 and 2026. The brand’s success is a case study in how a specialized, high-quality concept can thrive in a competitive market.

For those seeking an authentic taste of Thai comfort food, a quick and satisfying lunch, or a unique catering option, Rooster & Rice on Regatta Lane is the definitive choice. Its commitment to the classic Khao Mun Gai, its high customer ratings, and its strategic position as the first Oregon location make it a significant and exciting entity in the Beaverton food scene today.

5 Reasons Rooster & Rice Beaverton is the Hottest Thai Spot Right Now (And Its Latest Status Update)
rooster and rice beaverton
rooster and rice beaverton

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