New Astoria Thai Eatery Serves Up Street-Style Chicken

ASTORIA, QUEENS — Astoria has no shortage of Thai restaurants, but the latest addition to the neighborhood's Southeast Asian food scene is the only one to focus on a single regional delicacy.

Chick It Out opened Thursday on 35th Street just south of Broadway. As the name suggests, the small eatery revolves around chicken — specifically, the chicken-with-rice dish known as khao man gai that is a popular street food in Thailand.

"You find [it] everywhere in Bangkok — every corner," manager Paula Suratsombat told Patch. First invented by immigrants from the Chinese province of Hainan, the soft, steamed chicken dish can now be found across Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Chick it Out's chef, named Ittipat, opened a similar restaurant in Bangkok around 20 years ago before eventually immigrating to the U.S. After working in kitchens around the city, including Hero Thai in Astoria, he made moves to open his own business — and soon came upon the vacant storefront formerly home to Ivie Joy Flowers, steps away from his workplace at Hero.

"He wanted to do what he enjoys," Suratsombat said.

Though it is only steps away from other Thai restaurants like Hero, Pye Boat Noodle, Thonglor and Enthaice, Suratsombat said Chick It Out is the only one in the neighborhood with khao man gai on the menu.

Six different dishes are on the menu at Chick It Out, from an "original," slow-poached khao man gai to variations that include roasted and fried chickens. Meat can be served with either rice, salad or egg noodles.

Beverages include Thai iced tea and iced coffee, lychee and mango teas, and nom yen, a distinctive Thai pink milk drink. Chick It Out hopes to expand its menu in the future with dishes like stewed pork and roast pork with rice, Suratsombat said.

The compact eatery focuses mostly on takeout and delivery, though its bright interior features a few spacious tables and a colorful elephant mural on the rear brick walls. Thus far, many of the customers have been walk-ins, including Chinese Americans who happened to pass by and noticed the regional dish on the menu.

"We haven’t advertised much," Suratsombat said.

Chick It Out is open daily from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. at 32-06 35th St., in Astoria. Its menu can be found on Grubhub, Seamless, UberEats and DoorDash.