One of Austin's best Thai chefs is back with his khao man gai and noodle concept

Matthew Odam, Austin American-Statesman
Updated ·2 min read
Chef Thai Changthong now has a brick-and-mortar restaurant to serve the Thai-Chinese dishes from his youth.
Chef Thai Changthong now has a brick-and-mortar restaurant to serve the Thai-Chinese dishes from his youth.

Thai Changthong moved out from underneath the East Side King umbrella last year when the the chef-partner at Thai Kun opened P Thai's Khao Man Gai at the Hong Kong Supermarket in North Austin.

But when that family-run store closed after several decades in business, the Bangkok native who first introduced Austinites with his fiery Thai cooking at an East Austin trailer that later became its own restaurant was left looking for a home.

It didn't take Changthong too long. The Uchi and Uchiko veteran has moved into the space that was previously home to Tex-Mex restaurant Vamonos at 4807 Airport Blvd. With a full-sized kitchen and proper dining room at his disposal, Changthong was able to expand the menu, as well.

P Thai's originally only served khao man gai, poached chicken and chicken fat rice, and khao man gai tod (a fried version of the dish), with a few snacks like fired chicken skin. The dish was inspired by the food his mother cooked during his childhood and the street food he would eat in Bangkok's Chinatown neighborhood. Despite the spartan space, P Thai's made the Statesman's list of Best New Restaurants in 2023.

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The menu at the restaurant includes boat noodles, a traditional Thai rice noodle dish made with a dark, deeply savory broth enriched with Thai five spice. In addition to the khao man gai, the Thai-Chinese rice dishes include braised five spice pork shank (khao ka moo), marinated roasted chicken (khao gai yang), barbecue pork (khao moo dang), and fried pork belly.

But before you go beating a path to Changthong's new door, know that the restaurant is only in its soft opening phase. That means a limited menu and limited hours. The restaurant is now open for dinner, but check its Instagram page for hours.

From 2016: Restaurant review: Chef Thai Changthong brings the heat at Thai Kun

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: P Thai's Khao Man Gai and Noodle Shop is now a restaurant on Airport