Crackling fried chicken in a glossy, citrus-bright glaze — the crowd-pleaser that gets along with everything else on the table.
$15
Where it comes from
Orange chicken is American by birth — a 1980s invention that grew out of the old Hunan habit of cooking with dried tangerine peel — and it found its way onto Thai-American menus the same way it found its way into every American heart: crisp, sweet-sour, impossible to stop eating. Ours keeps the batter light and the glaze bright and sticky, tossed hot so the crackle survives the sauce. Order it for the kids, then watch the adults reach for it.
Not sure how to judge a plate like this? Read our field guide to the best Thai food in Orange County — five signs of a real Thai kitchen, and what to order once you’re in one.
