The owners of Gai ‘N Rice, renowned for their authentic Thai chicken-over-rice recipes, are opening a new eatery right here in Elk Grove.
A recent kitchen fire and closure of their established restaurant along Freeport Boulevard in Sacramento was the start of something new for the sisters, who grew up in the restaurant business, beginning with their grandfather’s restaurant venture in Thailand.
Wildly popular for its flavorful rice dishes, curries and soups, customers began to wonder why Gai ‘N Rice hadn’t reopened after closing last October.
Bombarded by messages and overwhelmed by the community’s support, the sisters aim for an epic comeback story: The return of the Sacramento restaurant and the launch of a new Elk Grove eatery, which seems like a natural fit.
Fans of Gai ‘N Rice drive from Elk Grove to Sacramento for their fix of authentic Thai chicken-over-rice specialties. So as soon as the sisters announced their plans, they were pleasantly surprised by the rallying calls from the Elk Grove community.
The family-owned Gai ‘N Rice, which first opened in 2019, is located at the former home of Tea Rex along Elk Grove Boulevard. It opened over the Memorial Day holiday weekend.
Sampling from the menu:
Gai ‘N Rice’s all-time favorites include the classic, crizp and green versions of the Gai ‘N Rice. The Gai ‘N Rice is poached chicken served over fragrant jasmine rice, which is made with cucumber and cilantro. It comes with soybean sauce and a side of chicken broth.
For smaller plates, customers enjoy the charming dumpling, steamed pork in a curry sauce. Sweet taro puff, crispy veggie egg roll and seaweed salad are some of the other items on the lighter side.
The curry noodle Gai comes in an egg noodle dish with chicken, yellow curry broth and a garnish of fried shallot and cilantro.
There are several beverage items, including Thai iced tea, coffee, iced pink milk and other drinks. And there’s only one dessert item listed, which means you’ll have to try the mango with sticky rice.
Check out the full menu here.