Heng Heng Chicken Rice

The food at Heng Heng reminds us of why chicken is now officially the most popular meat on the planet. This casual diner in Thai Town is known for its Thai-style Hainan chicken rice, which is some of LA’s best. The juicy dark meat is lightly seasoned to balance the bold garlic rice, funky chili fish sauce, and side of chicken broth spiked with enough white pepper to send a tickle up your nose. There’s also Heng Heng’s less famous but unapologetically superior poultry dish: crispy zaab chicken. This pile of chopped fried chicken is coated in a lime-lemongrass-fish sauce marinade that’s zippy and so deliciously punchy we inhale the entire plate in minutes. If you want to throw a little pig in the mix, you can order the zaab with half chicken and half fried pork belly, too. For South Bay folks: Heng Heng also has a second takeout-only location in Hawthorne.