Chef Chalee Kader (100 Mahaseth, Holy Moly and Mickey’s Diner) is putting one of Thailand’s most nostalgic dishes back into the limelight with his aptly named American Fried Rice, a delivery-only venture serving exactly what its name suggests.
With his new brand, Kader pays homage to this overlooked but beloved dish by recreating it in various sets using only top-notch ingredients.
Go big with the AFR Jumbo (THB440), a heaping serving of ketchup fried rice, fried chicken, pork patty, kielbasa sausage, ham, bacon, corned beef, and an onsen egg. The AFR School Cafeteria (THB230) is a nod to the taste of school kids with fried chicken, pepper sausage, ham, and fried egg over rice.
The portions are big enough for two or more people and the packaging is eye-catchingly retro. Add-ons include options such as raisins (THB80), duck leg confit (THB180), and fried potatoes (THB30), to name a few.
Yesterday, chef Chalee also announced his collaboration with chef Paolo Vitaletti of Appia for an Italian twist: American fried rice with a roasted pork patty porchetta, pickled veggies and fried egg.
The dishes can be ordered via Line @americanfriedrice.
A dish consisting of rice fried in ketchup, then topped with fried eggs, bacon, and sausage, American fried rice has been around since the 1950s. Its provenance is linked to several tales that could or could not be true.
Some say it was invented during the war in Vietnam by a chef catering to American GIs stationed across Thailand. Another tale notes an airport restaurant at Don Mueang was asked to make breakfast for a flight which ended up being canceled, leaving the chef with a surplus of breakfast items that would become the dish. Some even say it has Mexican influence. Whatever the case may be, it’s a mutant staple for Thais of all ages and is rarely found in the United States, despite the name.
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