I’D ALREADY downed a cup of gelato and two sizable tacos when I found myself near Hat Yai on NE Killingsworth for the first time.
I figured since I was in the neighborhood, and there was no line, I’d grab a couple of orders to go, try a bit of each and save the rest for later. But the road to good intentions is apparently littered with fried chicken and spicy shrimp rice salad. I tapped into the boxes on the drive home and didn’t stop.
In many ways, Hat Yai—named after the town in Southern Thailand famous for its deep-fried birds—channels the best of owner Earl Ninsom’s other two restaurants. The depth of flavor in almost every dish recalls the haute prix fixe of Langbaan (which is forever booked up), but the cost and casual atmosphere are a lot like PaaDee.
