Hat Yai (restaurant)

Hat Yai
Exterior of the restaurant in southeast Portland, Oregon's Buckman neighborhood, 2022
Restaurant information
Owner(s)
Food typeThai
CityPortland
CountyMultnomah
StateOregon
CountryUnited States
Websitehatyaipdx.com

Hat Yai is a Thai restaurant with two locations in Portland, Oregon, United States.

Description

Hat Yai is a Thai restaurant in Portland, Oregon, named after the city in Thailand of the same name.[1] The original restaurant on Killingsworth Street in northeast Portland's Vernon neighborhood has a seating capacity of 36–38.[2][3] Andi Prewitt of Willamette Week said of the location:

The humble skinny strip of a dining room echoes the simplicity of those stands, and you can watch the team work quickly but methodically in an open kitchen. There's just a hint of stateside Southern character, too, and not just because there's fried chicken. Countryfied touches extend to the rustic wood, cheery blue-and-white vinyl tablecloths and drinks served in Mason jars.[4]

A second restaurant operates in southeast Portland's Buckman neighborhood. The menu includes rice-battered fried chicken.[5][6]

History

Construction of the first restaurant was underway, as of December 2015.[7] Hat Yai's menu was revealed in early 2016.[8] Plans for a second restaurant in southeast Portland were confirmed in October 2017.[9]

The business is owned by chef Earl Ninsom and Alan Akwai.[10][11]

Reception

In 2016, Alex Frane included Hat Yai in The Daily Meal's "ultimate guide to Portland's best Asian fried chicken".[12] Matthew Korfhage named the restaurant Willamette Week's Pop-In of the Year.[13] He also included Hat Yai in the newspaper's 2017 list of sixteen "great" eateries in northeast Portland.[14] In 2017, The Oregonian's Michael Russell called Hat Yai the "Southern star in Portland's Thai food constellation".[15]

Brooke Jackson-Glidden included the fried chicken combo in Eater Portland's 2024 overview of "iconic" Portland dishes.[16] Hat Yai was also included in the website's 2025 list of Portland's best restaurants for mid-week lunches.[17] Katrina Yentch included Hat Yai in the website's 2025 overview of the best restaurants in Buckman.[18] The business was included in Time Out Portland's 2025 list of the city's eighteen best restaurants.[19]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Hat Yai Is the Best New Thai Spot Portland has Seen in a Long Time". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on September 30, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  2. ^ Bamman, Mattie John (January 12, 2016). "The Ultimate Guide to 2016 Winter Restaurant Openings in Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on June 2, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  3. ^ Bamman, Mattie John (May 18, 2016). "Hotly Anticipated Thai Restaurant With Regional Focus Finally Soft Opens". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on June 3, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  4. ^ "Hat Yai". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on August 10, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  5. ^ Walsh, Chad (July 28, 2016). "PoMo Dishes On Hat Yai | The O Goes In Search Of Ramen In NoPo". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on June 3, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  6. ^ "Can New Michelin-Recognized Thai Spot Farmhouse Kitchen Stand Out in Such a Spoiled City?". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on December 15, 2021. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  7. ^ Hezel, Anna (December 29, 2015). "In Portland, Thai Food Moves Beyond the Usual". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on August 18, 2021. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  8. ^ Bamman, Mattie John (January 7, 2016). "Langbaan and PaaDee Sister-Restaurant Hat Yai Reveals Menu". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on June 3, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  9. ^ Russell, Michael (October 3, 2017). "Portland restaurant and bar news: 10 things you need to know this week". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  10. ^ "Hat Yai Does Amazing Things From a Tiny Counter-Service Spot". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on May 29, 2021. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  11. ^ Canavan, Hillary Dixler (September 18, 2018). "Hat Yai's New Location Will Serve More Than Just Great Fried Chicken". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on June 3, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  12. ^ "The Ultimate Guide to Portland's Best Asian Fried Chicken". The Daily Meal. August 3, 2016. Archived from the original on August 6, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  13. ^ "Hat Yai Is Portland's 2016 Pop-In of The Year". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on February 24, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  14. ^ "16 Great Places To Eat in the Neighborhoods of Northeast Portland". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on August 10, 2021. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  15. ^ Russell, Michael (April 7, 2018). "Hat Yai is the Southern star in Portland's Thai food constellation". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on November 9, 2020. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  16. ^ Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (January 29, 2015). "Iconic Portland Dishes That Are Actually Worth Eating". Eater Portland. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
  17. ^ Bicchieri, Paolo (March 8, 2022). "The Best Restaurants for a Mid-Week Lunch in Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on July 27, 2024. Retrieved February 5, 2025.
  18. ^ Yentch, Katrina (March 31, 2025). "The Best Restaurants to Eat and Drink Around the Buckman Neighborhood". Eater Portland. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
  19. ^ Wolfe, Alice (April 2, 2025). "The 18 best restaurants in Portland, Oregon". Time Out Portland.
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