Rooster & Rice, a Bay Area-born Thai fast-casual chain known for its khao mun gai, has opened its first Washington location inside Soma Towers in Downtown Bellevue. The restaurant is located at 278 106th Ave NE, joining a growing food lineup inside the residential tower that already includes La Ma Tou Hot Pot, Xiao Chi Jie, and TOASTED.
The Bellevue restaurant marks Rooster & Rice’s expansion beyond California and Oregon, where the brand currently operates locations across the San Francisco Bay Area, Santa Clara, Pleasanton, Irvine, Costa Mesa, and Beaverton. The chain has also had a presence in Texas, opening a Houston location in 2022.
What Rooster & Rice Serves
Rooster & Rice centers its menu on khao mun gai, a Thai comfort dish of poached chicken served over fragrant rice, traditionally paired with a side of chicken broth and a signature sauce. The Bellevue location’s menu includes:
- The Original — breast and thigh with skin, chicken rice, cucumber, cilantro, and KMG sauce, served with a side of chicken broth ($16 regular, $17 thigh only)
- The Bellevue — the same chicken and rice base with ginger scallion sauce in place of KMG sauce ($16 regular, $17 thigh only)
- The Marina — skinless breast served over brown rice with KMG sauce ($17)
- The Riceless — a choice of breast or thigh served over seasonal vegetables instead of rice ($17)
- Hat Yai Chicken — a Thai street-style fried chicken leg served with chicken rice, crispy shallot, and sweet chili sauce ($15)
- The Vegetarian — tofu and seasonal vegetables over brown rice with a vegetarian broth ($16)
- Khao Tom Gai — a chicken rice porridge topped with ginger, a poached egg, and fried chicken skin crumble ($8)
The menu also offers a la carte extras, including fried chicken skins, additional chicken, broth by the cup or the quart, and bottled beverages.
Company Background
Rooster & Rice was founded in the San Francisco Bay Area by restaurateurs Bryan Lew and Tommy Charoen, who set out to build a fast-casual concept around clean, simple Asian recipes. In 2019, the pair partnered with Aroi Hospitality Group, whose backers include former founders of the food delivery app Caviar, to grow the brand into new markets.
Rooster & Rice operates as a franchise, with the Bellevue location representing the company’s entry into the Washington market.
