The intersection of Arlington St. and Crawford St. in Watertown is a slow and quiet residential area. What Da Chick, a new Thai chicken restaurant with bright yellow walls covered in pictures of cartoon chickens, acts as a beacon of light on the otherwise gray street corner.
Opened on Nov. 9, What Da Chick specializes in khao man gai, a traditional Thai chicken rice.
“Thai-style chicken is so new around here,” said Natapat Jansipsee, a line cook at What Da Chick. “The restaurant vibe is very street-like—you could find something like this in Thailand.”
What Da Chick strives to be authentic in the food it serves. Its menu attracts many people of Thai heritage to the restaurant as well as those looking to expand their cultural palate with new worldly cuisines, according to Jansipsee.
“It’s an old school [meal] for everyone,” Jansipsee said. “It’s everywhere, in every culture, and every culture is different. … We want to set up the vibe straight away that this is very authentic, very Thai, very warm, welcoming, and family-oriented.”
Just like vendors one could find on the streets of Thailand, What Da Chick offers a limited menu of Thai comfort food with just five chicken rice options and a few appetizers, but each option is packed with flavor.
“The place screamed that it was fun, new, and not too serious about itself, which was cool,” AJ Singh, a diner at What Da Chick, said. “Everyone was really nice, and the food was really good—definitely some of the best Thai food in the area.”
One of the restaurant’s most popular dishes, according to a hostess, is the spicy chicken rice. The dish includes What Da Chick’s basic fried chicken coated in a chili powder that is unique to Thailand and gives the dish a slightly more acidic and spicy flavor. The fried exterior provides a nice crunch and texture to the chicken without feeling too greasy.
“[The food] had flavors that I could see everyone enjoying,” Sing, CSOM ’23, said. “It wasn’t like you had to love Thai food to be there.”
Along with traditional ginger rice, each chicken dish comes with a different dipping sauce to complement the flavors of the chicken. The spicy chicken comes with a sweet chili sauce that cools down the hint-of-lime spice with a honey-like sweetness.
What Da Chick also serves a lighter, roasted chicken option. The dish comes with a lemon tamarind sauce, which adds a gingery flavor to the meal.
Each meal also comes with a bowl of Daikon soup, a traditional Thai starter made from radishes and chicken stock. The soup feels soul warming and might even remind you of your mom’s chicken soup.
What Da Chick offers a variety of appetizers, including fried chicken or vegetable gyoza for a warm option and a seaweed or house salad for a cold starter. The restaurant also serves traditional Thai drinks such as Thai iced tea, longan juice, and roselle juice.
To further emphasize its focus on family and community, What Da Chick offers a combo family meal for larger groups, including all three styles of What Da Chick chicken—poached, grilled, and fried—six servings of Daikon soup, and two portions of each sauce—ginger, sweet chili, and tamarind.
No matter which chicken style you decide to go with, What Da Chick brings the flavor and comfort of traditional Thai street food to the people of Watertown for a reasonable price. The spicy chicken rice costs $12.95, according to the restaurant’s website.
“We want all the guests to feel at home and in a cozy environment,” the hostess said. “We can serve flavorful food and special family combos for everyone so that everyone feels welcome here.”
Images by Francesca Giangiulio / Heights Staff
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