So good! Got the mixed bowl to-go, steamed chicken was very tender. The fried chicken was just a tiny bit dry but I didn't mind because the sauce was great. I would come again the next time I'm in the area. read more

$17 mixed chicken and rice was: really good! The boiled chicken was dry but worked really well with the sauce. Rice had a lovely lime seasoning and I couldn't not eat it. The fried chicken was flavored well and juicy. Definitely can eat again. read more

surprisingly tasty and surprisingly open on Christmas Eve for dinner I enjoyed it and the service was quick, I was ravenous so I ate it right when I got it, I think for a quick service spot I would def recommend, I got the crispy chicken with rice and that hit the spot, the other thing I got was not memorable great addition to the downtown berk area read more

I ordered DoorDash twice and I really liked this place, so I decided to walk in to get the order fresh this time. Usually the soup is on the side, but this time they put it in the box, does it mean the foods are smaller in portion? It is supposed to be mixed with crispy chicken and slow cooked chicken The fried chicken was extremely dry, tough, and tasted old, like they fry that ahead of time and re-fry when they receive orders. There are only a few pieces of slow cooked chicken in the order which is completely different than what I have ordered before. I hate wasting foods that I usually finish all the foods even though they taste not very good. I couldn't even finish half of the foods this time. Not planning on going back.. read more

Katak Thai Chicken Rice - Mixed Chicken Rice - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

I ordered delivery takeout from Katak Thai, so I can't comment in the decor of the place, but I enjoyed this place. My wife and I both enjoy the Hainanese Chicken rice dishes, in other parts of the Bay Area there's a place in SF called Rooster & Rice that we enjoy. This place had a traditional Hainese Chicken and Rice dish, which was well prepared (sometimes chicken takeout can be dry, this wasn't). I ordered the chicken combo which was half steamed and half fried (way to be modern) and the fried chicken with the same ginger sauce was pretty good overall. I ordered from them because it met my craving and the price on Doordash seemed reasonable. I'd like to try it again sometime dine-in, figuring the dine-in experience without the delivery time is usually better. read more

Katak Thai Chicken Rice - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

My friend picked this place so we came here. Parking was definitely harder to find especially in the evening at night. Overall, it's very chill. Casual place prices are reasonable however I do think the portions are little on the smaller side. I tried the mixed chicken, which is fried chicken and regular steamed chicken overall it was OK. I didn't think it was the best chicken I've had but it wasn't bad. Service was OK, they do have a bathroom in the back, which you need to ask them to. You said it's more of an employee restroom. read more

Katak Thai Chicken Rice - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

A good Hainanese chicken rice is one of my all-time favorite comfort foods. Though rarely do I have a chance to try the Thai interpretation ^_^ Small shop with limited seating. Staff are straightforward. I placed my order at the counter and waited around 5 mins. Super fast for the Saturday lunch rush. KHAO MAN GAI: So good :3 Has that distinct sweet tangy dipping sauce; chicken is tender and savory. I think the chicken and rice could be even more flavorful (a bit weak for my taste), but otherwise delicious. This lot most recently hosted the Flying Falafel, among many other businesses. Here's to hoping Katak is here to stay! read more

Not much on atmosphere in here, is there? But then this place is really targeted to Berkeley students who couldn't care less about ambiance. They just need a place to park their laptops while they multitask. This small space used to be The Flying Falafel and then coincidentally What the Cluck which basically serves the same menu. After seeing a play at Berkeley Rep, Jamie W and I came here looking for a relatively light dinner and knew Khao Man Gai would meet our needs. We both ordered the $14.95 set with a generous portion of poached chicken, a mix of moist dark and too-dry white meat, over white rice with several cucumber slices, chicken broth, and a spicy dipping sauce (Photo 8). We were missing the poached eggs from our orders, which might've helped the white meat. Regardless the meal met our basic chicken rice needs. It just didn't surpass expectations. We shared a $6 Mango Sticky Rice, and that was definitely a tasty treat (Photo 7). Meanwhile, more students came in and camped at the other tables. Since we didn't have midterms to study for, we left. FOOD - 3 stars...right down the middle when it comes to chicken rice, also the egg was a mystery AMBIANCE - 3 stars...sparse on decor SERVICE - 2.5 stars...not much interaction TOTAL - 3 stars...fitting for the undergrad population RELATED - Exploring Berkeley? Here's my collection of places I've tried and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2CbVh8u read more

See all

I love Hainan and Thai poached chicken with rice, and I consider myself a bit of a connoisseur, so I was excited to try Katak. But this place had a lot of problems. First, service was nonexistent, you order at a kiosk with a zero human interaction. The atmosphere was also nonexistent. I didn't mind that it was counter service, most chicken and rice places are, but it did not look very clean and they were playing two different kinds of music which was very distracting. They had a water tank but no cups for water. No napkins or utensils were available either. And they did not have a restroom. I thought restaurants were required to have a restroom by law? I ordered the mixed chicken rice, which was supposed to come with fried and poached chicken as well as several sauces. The food came out quickly, but they brought me the wrong order. And they put everything in card board to-go containers, even if you order it to dine in, whic makes for an underwhelming presentation. They only brought me poached chicken. I pointed this out and they apologized and brought me the mixed chicken. But the portion was very small and they removed the skin on the second order. The skin can look off putting to Americans, who have never tried it. Because it's a poached chicken it appears raw although it is not. But for those of us who love poached chicken, the skin is the best part! I felt like they made a judgment call based on my ethnicity. I was very disappointed but I was also very hungry and I didn't want to send it back a second time. It was also missing the two sauces that were supposed to come with it. And I had to pay extra for the scallion ginger sauce. This is the only place I've ever been that made me pay extra for that. That said, the food was very tasty, not the best I've ever had but good. I didn't like the fried chicken very much, next time I would order just the poached chicken and make sure that they left the skin on. The rice and broth were good and I liked their ginger scallion sauce. Although the food was good I'm not sure I'm coming here again. Maybe I would go if I'm in the neighborhood? It's pretty expensive for what I got. I didn't like the missing items and parking is very difficult. My overall impression is that they just don't really care that much.. maybe it's a good place for takeout? Here is a picture of what I ordered and what I got. It doesn't look much like the picture does it? read more

Katak Thai Chicken Rice - Mixed chicken - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

Just walking around town, decided to stop in. I ordered the mixed chicken through the kiosk, since there was a couple girls ordering at the counter. We were the only people in the restaurant. They seemed to be Berkeley students and were quite chit chatty. But it wasn't noisy otherwise. I sat down waiting for my order. I got a text saying it was ready, so I went to the counter. I guess it wasn't, so the female employee said she would bring it to my table. It was a couple more minutes, and she did in fact bring it to my table. The slow cooked chicken. Was room temp at best. I actually had to put it in the chicken broth to warm it up. The fried chicken was warmer, but still not hot. The chicken broth was pretty bland. The rice flavor was decent though. I feel bad. I wanted to like this place. But. Alas. What can you do. read more

Katak Thai Chicken Rice - Mix Chicken Rice - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

I am sooo hungry and usually love Katak. Decided to splurge and spend $30 on myself - an app and plate. My mouth dropped when I opened my Mix Chicken plate. The slow cooked chicken was soooo unappetizing looking and there were no good meaty pieces. They were all super tiny, shredded pieces of mostly boiled skin and bone that were tossed in there. Sorry, but never again. Felt disrespectful and careless. What the heck is this? read more

See all

Kiosk ordering is easy with good descriptions of the items. I got the chicken rice soup and added a poached egg for extra protein and an extra side of spinach. Both come on the side. I wish there was a way to ask for the spinach to be put in the broth so it wilts. There are only a few tables so if you come with a big party to sit he might be out of luck. The broth was good but I wish that I had added a side order of the sky and Ginger sauce. Because it needed a little more flavor. The Seasoned rice is a nice compliment. Their signage both a wide diverse drink menu however it seems that almost every drink was unavailable or sold out except for Thai coffee Thai tea or canned drinks. But they do have a water dispenser so you can have free water. read more

Katak Thai Chicken Rice - Chicken Rice soup as is. - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

Great food. Great service! They provided a work lunch for me. It all was wonderful. Delivery worked out great. read more

Food is fresh, not fussy, delicious. If you just need a simple delicious meal, this is a great place.

I ordered Khao Man Gai with an extra chicken breast (+$6), but the portion of chicken was very small. It honestly didn't look like any extra was added. If "extra breast" means more chicken, this wasn't worth the additional cost. Really disappointing for the price. read more

Got the Khao Man Gai with an extra portion of dark meat and the Khao Man Gai Tot (Crispy fried chicken). Total for all (~$14+$16+$6 and tax and tip was $40. It was located near the Berkeley Bart station so it was a convenient walk. I have been searching for a Hainan Chicken place in Berkeley because South Bay's Rooster and Rice and Chicken Meets Rice are heavenly. When I went in the chill cashier promptly handed me my food. However, I was very disappointed. The sauce provided was not enough for the chicken, coming from a person who does not like sauce, and the chicken breast was tough and dry. On top of that, the cucumber slices were huge and overpowered the chicken flavors. The parsley was wilted and was conveniently covered up by fresher parsley on top and just placed there, not minced or anything, so it was a pain to eat. The additional dark meat portion was not flavorful and the sauce was not enough for everything. I did like the chicken stock though. If you're dying for Hainan Chicken, give this place a try, otherwise, you're better off trying other restaurants in the area. read more

See all

They have incredibly tender and tasty chicken rice. It is reasonably priced, and the staff is very friendly.

Hainan chicken, Hainanese chicken rice, khao man gai... It's a dish I first had in Singapore, and depending on where you are, everyone's version is a little different. Khao man gai is the Thai version, and at Katak Thai Chicken Rice, it was quite delicious. The chicken was moist and nicely cooked, and the dipping sauce (I went with the scallion ginger version, which is more Hainan style) was tasty. Together with the rice and broth, it made for a complete, satisfying meal (I ordered some extra dark meat). The only drawback for me is that they didn't have plates--everything was in a to-go container, which made eating it a little less easy. But service is friendly, and it's a great choice for a fast-casual meal that doesn't skimp on flavor. It's not quite at the level of Nong's Khao Man Gai in Portland, but Katak is still a very strong contender, and I'd certainly eat there anytime. read more

Very telling when I go somewhere three times in the span of a month. This place is incredible. It has the setup for everything you need: some tender protein chicken with dipping sauce, a bed of chicken rice and veggies underneath, and a nice clean chicken broth on the side. Flavorful, fresh, and a safe guarantee for a lunch with a friend. read more

Katak Thai Chicken Rice - Khao Man Gai Tot (Crispy Fried Chicken Rice) and Khao Man Gai (Chicken Rice) - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

I've walked past this place so many times. and I finally gave in and ordered their chicken and rice to-go. Let me just say... WOW. It came with a fragrant broth and a rich, flavorful sauce that tied everything together so well. The chicken was tender, the rice was perfectly seasoned. This is officially my new go-to comfort food spot. Plus, the staff were super friendly and welcoming. Highly recommend! read more

Katak Thai Chicken Rice - Chicken and Rice (Khao Mun Kai) - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

No customer service interaction whatsoever. $20 for a kid's size portion of rice and meat. The flavor of the rice was pretty good actually, but the chicken itself lacked flavor and the fried one was dry. Soup portion was also too small and was a little bland. The sauce carried the chicken, as the boiled one had little flavor on its own. read more

A very disappointing experience Chicken rice is an amazing dish but we were super underwhelmed. Chicken was tasteless and not well cooked. The egg rolls tasted like they were cooked in bad oil. read more

Ordered the mixed chicken combo and everything tasted fresh and delicious!! I'll def be back soon! Prob one of the best chicken rice spots I've had in NorCal. read more

I was in a rush today so I decided to come back to what the cluck! As per usual, great service and the food came out fast. Since I need to eat while on the move I decided to take a gamble and order a the cluck sandwich and a Thai iced coffee. Needless to say, the sandwich isn't their best item but it got the job done. Some notes on the sandwich: -bread not toasted, texture is fine just a little cold -meat is chicken katsu thigh, taste and texture is good, It looks like I only got half a thigh -got a bite of pickle with every bite, I like pickles so this is okay, if you don't like pickles I'd get it without The sandwich is just okay but has potential to be better. My only gripe really is that the bread was a tad cold and i'd prefer it to be a little bit toasted. The Thai iced coffee hit the spot but as most restaurants do when you order drinks, the cup is 80% ice. Delicious but I'd only treat myself to it. Some final notes on my take out order, my drink was put inside the paper bag and it was stapled 4 times so it was super secure! The only issue with this is that I wanted to drink my drink so it was a hassle getting into the bag. I actually has to end up tearing it from the side to get to my drink. A nice detail that was done was that they taped the straw opening of my cup so that it'd be less prone to spilling. Overall, really secure packaging for a to go order...maybe a tad too secure haha. read more

See all

I passed by this place a little after 1 PM on a random Saturday in July 2023 and was intrigued by the sign they put outside. Because of that, I decided to try out the Classic. The rice has a light flavoring kind of like Hainan Chicken Rice and the texture was a little bit like sticky rice, which I liked. The chicken was white meat, and more than half of the pieces were dry, so I savored the ones that weren't. The sauce is a dark brown soybean sauce that's a little sweet, but it also has ginger, which I think clashes a little bit with the core flavor profile. Overall, I found the sauce flavor to be a little heavy for white meat chicken. The cashier was practical and helpful. Overall, I felt the food was just okay, and I was disappointed they didn't use more reusable dishware and utensils for dine-in. ECO NOTES (Dine-In) Dine-In Dishware: Reusable plate and single-use paper bowl for soup that felt like it had a waxy coating Napkins & Utensils: Plastic-packaged bag of plastic utensils (looked like spork or spoon plus napkin) Water cups: They asked if I wanted anything to drink, and I said no. I'm not sure what would've happened if I requested water. read more

Katak Thai Chicken Rice - Classic (Khao Man Gai) - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

Brief Summary: - There is a SnackPass kiosk inside - There are tables and bar stools inside. No outdoor seating - Close to walking distance from the BART station I have been to another branch in Oakland, and it was a good eating experience, so I was at the same expectations when a new branch opened in Berkeley. It's close to the BART station, and on the busiest streets there so it's easy to spot. There is a kiosk inside the restaurant, so you can either order it from there or call the staff. When I was there, the staff was mostly stationed in the back and peeked out from time to time to deliver ordered dishes. We ordered the same ones we tried the first time; I got the classic and my relative got the one with crispy fried chicken. For those, who are fine with eating the chicken skin, the classic is great, but if you are uneasy with it the crispy fried chicken is a great alternative to still have a taste of the ginger sauce. What I also love about What the Cluck is the portions between the rice and the chicken. It's balanced out well, that I'm not eating only rice at the end. The provided sauce drenches the rice evenly, so nothing is left dry and tasteless. In addition, the general portion is enough to fill me up to content levels, with maybe a small room for a boba drink on the way home. read more

Katak Thai Chicken Rice - The classic - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

Very impressed with warmth welcoming hospitality from staffs // owner. The highlight: of course CHICKEN RICE, perfectly executed, very tender with aromatic of Thai jasmine rice and the sauce was very tasty with a kick of ginger and Thai chilli. Do not forget the combo of steam and crispy chicken at the same time. Great food, very convenient location, lively staffs. Coming back for sure. read more

See all

I had their mixed chicken rice dish for lunch. If you eat light, it's good for two servings to balance out the cost. Comes with a few vegetables. The soup that accompanies it is very nice, and the sauce that goes with the chicken/rice is fantastic. Egg rolls could be better. read more

I kept walking by this place on the two-block walk from the BART station to the Freight and Salvage, and finally decided to stop on. On the screen where you order, I canceled my plan to have their regular chicken when I saw a side dish of marinated whole wings, which I love. Though marinated, they were pretty plain tasting, fairly crispy. Tiny tub of sweet and sour sauce helped. Small but satisfactory. A side order of steamed rice (cooked in chicken broth, and definitely tasted of it) helped. I'd have to order more for a real full meal, but this was a start. read more

Agree with the other reviews that the chicken is tasteless, sauces are kinda salty and generally mid and the chicken isn't very well cooked. Rice is decent. Fish cakes were awful. Also came with exactly one sprig of Cilantro, which seems like an odd place to skimp? read more

the food is pretty good here, and it's good for any students who want to try out a new place near campus. crispy chicken- it reminds me of chicken katsu, but with hainan rice and sauce! pretty good mango sticky rice- perfect if you want a little sweet treat! i got my food togo, but there is some seating for dining in! read more

Katak Thai Chicken Rice - Crispy Chicken (Khao Man Gai Tot), Little Cluck Crispy Chicken, Mango with Sweet Sticky Rice - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

So yummy! Perfect lunch special! Sauce is so yummy will definitely come again!!! $11.95 lunch special!! read more

See all

Skimped super hard on the chicken. I ordered a mix plate and got like 6 pieces of chicken. Do not come here not worth it. read more

Katak Thai Chicken Rice - Mix Chicken Rice - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

This is not the restaurant to go to if you are looking to sit down and have service. Even though we chose to "for here" we still received takeout boxes. It is ok.. There is also only one person working and no one at the cashier, it is self service kiosk. I think it is quite expensive as the serving sizes are pretty small. As for the food, it is pretty good. The flavors are alright if you have a craving for Thai Chicken Rice. The restaurant itself is pretty small, But I believe this is probably because customers are mostly college students who take to-go. read more

Katak Thai Chicken Rice - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

First time trying What the Cluck and if you're in the area for a savory snack give it a try. It's a cute little spot that serves Thai style chicken & rice (khao mun gai). We ordered the classic khao mun gai, extra breast meat (portion is very small), a little cluck and fried chicken skins (crunchy). The chicken was moist, rice had good flavor and the sauce was pretty good (but not better than mom's). We dined in and the service we received was friendly. read more

See all

Great lunch special! The chicken and rice was very well cooked and delicious as well as the sauce. The side of soup was a nice addition as well. read more

Katak Thai Chicken Rice - Khao Man Gai (Chicken Rice) - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

Holy Moly was this place delicious. I am feeling under the weather so I ordered online and it knocked my socks off. The chicken was juicy and the sauces and broth were delightfully gingery . I can't wait to go to the physical space but couldn't wait to write the review . read more

We ordered the mix chicken rice, chicken spicy basil and mango sticky rice. Mix chicken was pretty good. Spicy chicken basil portion is smallllll. You get a 4-5 small piece of chicken only and it is not spicy. The mango sticky rice is the smallest portion I had ever seen in my life. read more

This location recently opened, and my friend and I were super excited to try because we love Hainanese chicken. Overall was a great experience--service was fast and we loved the broth each dish came with--but 4 out of 5 stars because the inside of the restaurant seemed a bit dingy/not the most well-kept and serving size of the food wasn't amazing for the price. Here's what we got: - classic (4.5/5): this one exceeded my expectations. Chicken and rice were both super tender and flavorful, and sauce paired perfectly. One of the better prepared Hainanese chicken dishes I've had. Only complaint is that there was way more rice compared to chicken. - San Franciscan (3.5/5): my friend doesn't love chicken skin, so went with this skinless option instead. It came with a bed of greens instead of rice, which was not obviously not as flavorful and honestly didn't pair amazingly. Chicken was still fine but definitely not as good as the classic if you don't mind skin. read more

Katak Thai Chicken Rice - Classic - Thai Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

The fried chicken was okay, sauce is standard sweet chili sauce. The Thai coffee tasted like burnt ash and was darker than it should be, wasn't able to drink it. The spring rolls were extremely pale and soft, not really fried and the ratio of outside to filling was not right. If this was cheaper it would have been okay, but for the price the quality was not there. read more