The words “Sunday dinner” have a sort of magical meaning to some people.
There was a time when families had a special dinner on Sundays, something they didn’t have the rest of the week. At my house, it was sirloin steak in the summer and a pork roast in the winter.
So when I heard that Ruby Thailand restaurant in South Portland was offering a special Thai fried chicken menu on Sundays only – under the name Gai on Fried – I was very interested, and a little nostalgic. I liked the idea of something I could only get on Sunday, and fried chicken seemed like a nice option for a Sunday off from cooking.
Teriyaki fried chicken with rice from Gai on Fried at Ruby Thailand in South Portland.
You can find the Sunday offerings by going to the Ruby Thailand menu online and selecting Gai on Fried. The menu is available Sunday from 3-8:30 p.m., to eat in or take out.
On a recent Sunday, my family and I got takeout from Gai on Fried and set it on our Sunday table. Our spread included the restaurant’s OG Home Fried Chicken, including four drumsticks ($10.96) and 12 nugget-like “bites” ($16.99). We also got the teriyaki fried chicken with rice for $15 and an appetizer of shrimp tempura for $8.99.
Shrimp tempura appetizers from Gai on Fried at Ruby Thailand in South Portland.
The drumsticks and bites were tasty, but not what I was expecting. The coating wasn’t especially crunchy, but maybe I should have read the menu more carefully to see there was a whole section titled “crunchy fried chicken with secret sauce.” I had stayed away from these chicken pieces because it said a secret sauce was mixed in and I wasn’t sure I wanted either that you could select – garlic glaze or “crazy hot.” But next time, I will definitely try the “crunchy” variety.
The chicken I ordered was tender and mild, which I liked, with a dipping sauce of your choice on the side. We got a spicy mayo and a Thai sweet and spicy sauce, both of which were great. The teriyaki chicken had a nice sauce, not overly sweet or gloppy. We especially liked the shrimp tempura, in a very light batter.
Other appetizers on the Gai on Fried menu include pork dumplings, edamame, scallion pancakes and fried tofu. For the various kinds of fried chicken, you can get wings, drumsticks or bits in various sizes – six or eight pieces for wings, for example – or a combo of wings, drumsticks and bites.
There’s also a main dish called Gai Tord Hot Fire Ramen (soupless), which is super hot and spicy ramen and seaweed with fried chicken bites. Drinks and treats include Thai coffee ice cream, boba tea and Thai iced tea.
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