Chicken Meets Rice is likely opening a third location at 1331 Coleman Ave. in Santa Clara. Sources say that a lease was signed for a 2,378 square-foot restaurant space, which will undergo a full build-out. Based on this information, it’s possible that the Coleman Avenue location will open later this year or perhaps early 2022.
Chicken Meets Rice specializes in Hainanese Chicken Rice, a Southeast Asian dish that is typically comprised of poached chicken and seasoned rice, with a side of chili sauce and cucumber. This restaurant takes it up a notch, inviting customers to make it their own from a selection of traditional Hainanese chicken, fried chicken, grilled chicken, or fried tofu to be served on traditional chicken rice, brown rice, or salad greens.
Next, customers can pick add-ons such as chicken wings or Soya boiled eggs, before topping it off with a sauce. Chicken Meets Rice offers seven sauce options, including Ginger Scallion, Singapore Chili, or Sesame Teriyaki. According to their website, they are working on offering Sticky Rice to complement their fried and grilled chicken.
Chicken Meets Rice was founded by Shone Tran and Jon Sujarit, whose shared love of food and travel one day led them to a hole-in-the-wall Brooklyn restaurant that served unforgettable Hainanese Chicken Rice. Years later, they decided it was time to open their own chicken rice shop in the Bay Area, sharing the regional variations they grew up with from their own cultures.
Opening their first store over four years ago, they currently manage two locations in Santa Clara and Cupertino, both of which are open every day from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Neither Tran nor Sujarit could be reached for comment.