P Thai's Khao Man Gai & Noodles
Thai Changthong cooks the broth, poaches the chicken in it, cooks the rice in it and fries the skin. He calls it three-way chicken:
We never throw away anything. It's fucking genius, whoever come up with this.5
Why go
Changthong came from Bangkok by way of North Hollywood, landed in Austin at about fifteen, and started by picking cilantro at Satay off Anderson Lane.5 Tyson Cole hired him at Uchi in 2004, he moved to Uchiko when it opened in 2010, then helped Paul Qui open Qui and built Thai Kun with him.5 P Thai's started as a counter at the back of Hong Kong Supermarket in July 2023 and served its last plate there on the final Saturday of January 2024, when the store closed after nearly twenty years.5 He took over the old Vamonos room on Airport Boulevard, which gave him a full kitchen and let the menu grow past two dishes.6 The dish itself is his mother's, and the street food of Bangkok's Chinatown.6
Order this / avoid
- Khao man gai, or the combo. The chicken is the name on the menu, but
the unexpected highlight is the rice that's been cooked in chicken fat until it's savory,
served with a fermented bean and ginger sauce.1 - The combo settles it if you cannot choose between poached and fried: a smaller serving of each on the same rice, with both dipping sauces.1
- Pig tongue salad.
One of the most refreshing savory salads we've ever had,
sliced paper-thin and dressed in fish sauce, lime, sugar and chili.1 - Boat noodles.
A fiery broth that's tangy, rich, and very savory thanks to the pork blood that goes into it.
1 - Sukiyaki, the Thai one: bean thread noodles, cabbage, fish balls, shrimp and pork in a tart, spicy broth. It lands lighter than the boat noodles.1
- The braised five spice pork shank if you want the rice without the bird, alongside the roast chicken and the barbecue pork the bigger kitchen added.6
- Avoid anchoring the table on the fried pork belly.
It's great, but it's not why you're here.
1
What locals & experts say
- Nicolai McCrary scored it 9.2 for The Infatuation and calls this the best khao man gai in the city. On the rest of the menu:
These are Thai street-food dishes that can't be found anywhere else in Austin.
1 - Paul Qui, who built Thai Kun with him and is still a silent partner:
Honestly, he makes some of the best Thai food in the country, and I'll tell anybody from New York or L.A. that. It's not even close.
5 - Philip Speer of Comedor, who worked beside him at Uchi:
I always knew that Thai was an amazing cook at Uchi, because when he made a family meal it was the best meal ever.
Speer's other memory is telling him to tone the chiles down, which is still the running joke between them.5 - Changthong on how he cooks:
I don't know how to do American style. I'm all about passion not fashion.
5 - The New York Times put it in the top fifty in the country on The Restaurant List 2025, one of two Austin rooms on it, off 200 meals eaten across 33 states. KXAN reported the selection.7
- Matthew Odam had it on the Statesman's best-new list in 2023 while it was still a counter in a supermarket.6
- James Beard Foundation, Best Chef: Texas, semifinalist, 2026, for Thai Changthong. He did not advance; the 2026 nominee roster names no Austin room and no Austin person.10
Good to know
- Counter service, walk-in, at 4807 Airport Blvd.6
- The old address is dead. The supermarket counter closed with the store; anything pointing at Hong Kong Supermarket is out of date.5
- Hygiene: no finding. Austin Public Health scored the kitchen 98 on 19 May 2026, and 87, 89 and 95 before that.4
Verdict
must-visit — Take the combo first, because it puts both chickens on the same fat rice and settles the argument in one sitting, then come back for the boat noodles. Thai Changthong broke down chickens at a teppanyaki grill, then cooked at Uchi from 2004 and at Uchiko from 2010, before he built a menu out of one bird. You can taste that part.