Go-Ang Pratunam Chicken Rice traces its roots to 1960, when Go-Ang Kaomunkai Pratunam began as a food stall specialising in Hainanese chicken rice in Bangkok's Pratunam district. The stall quickly gained popularity among locals and tourists, and its cooking earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand Award in the inaugural Bangkok edition of the Michelin Guide.
The brand arrived in Singapore in October 2018, and the JEM outlet at 50 Jurong Gateway Road brings that Bangkok heritage to Jurong East. The menu centres on Khao Man Gai (ข้าวมันไก่), the aromatic Thai take on chicken rice with origins in Hainan, China, best paired with the restaurant's secret homemade chilli sauce.
Around that signature plate, diners will find side dishes such as vegetables, egg, fish and desserts — from Steamed Sea Bass with Chilli, Lime & Garlic and Bitter Melon Chicken Soup to Chai Poh Omelette and Mango Glutinous Rice — making it a natural spot for communal dining.
The JEM restaurant is open daily from 11am to 10pm, and islandwide delivery is available through the brand's online delivery store.
Every plate of chicken rice at Go-Ang Pratunam Chicken Rice carries more than six decades of history. The story began in 1960, when a food stall specialising in Hainanese chicken rice opened in the Pratunam district of Bangkok under the name Go-Ang Kaomunkai Pratunam. Word travelled fast, and the stall quickly gained popularity among locals and tourists alike — a reputation that eventually earned it a Michelin Bib Gourmand Award in the inaugural Bangkok edition of the Michelin Guide.
In October 2018, the brand opened its doors in Singapore, giving Singaporeans a taste of Thai Hainanese chicken rice without the plane ride. The JEM outlet in Jurong East is one of several Go-Ang restaurants across the island, all serving the same cooking that made the Pratunam stall famous. The brand sits within the Minor Food Singapore family, the operator behind one of the largest casual dining portfolios in the country.
At the centre of the menu is Khao Man Gai (ข้าวมันไก่), the Thai version of chicken rice, a dish that traces its origins to Hainan in China. It is a deceptively simple plate: chicken served with aromatic rice, brought fully to life by the secret homemade chilli sauce that accompanies it. That sauce is the quiet star of the Go-Ang table, a house recipe that regulars happily pair with everything else they order.
The chicken comes in formats for every kind of table. Smaller parties can order a Half Chicken, while hungrier groups can go for the Half or Whole Roast Chicken — a roasted take on the house bird that makes short work of family dinners.
Go-Ang describes itself as a perfect destination for communal dining, and the menu backs that up. Alongside the chicken, diners can add side dishes such as vegetables, egg, fish and desserts, turning a simple plate of chicken rice into a full Thai spread.
Seafood comes by way of the Steamed Sea Bass with Chilli, Lime & Garlic, a bright, tangy fish in classic Thai style. Comfort arrives by the bowl in the Bitter Melon Chicken Soup, a homely simmer of bitter melon and chicken. Tofu is covered twice over, with Stir-fried Sliced Tofu with Dark Soya Sauce and Fried Tofu Cubes with Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce, while the Chai Poh Omelette adds a Thai favourite to the spread. It is the sort of menu where everyone orders their own plate and then shares everything in the middle.
Dessert is the Mango Glutinous Rice, the classic Thai pairing of glutinous rice and sweet mango — a fitting end to a chicken rice feast.
The JEM outlet sits in the basement of the JEM mall at 50 Jurong Gateway Road, #B1-08, Singapore 608549, in the heart of Jurong East. Doors are open from 11am to 10pm daily, comfortably covering lunch through late dinner, and the setting suits everything from solo chicken-rice lunches to full family tables. The restaurant can be reached on 6050 6629.
Can't make it to Jurong East? Go-Ang offers islandwide delivery through its online delivery store, so the Khao Man Gai and its chilli sauce can come to you.
Singapore is hardly short of chicken rice, but Go-Ang's angle is a distinct one: this is the Thai interpretation of the dish, served from a recipe that has been on the go since 1960 and recognised with a Bib Gourmand in Bangkok. Add shareable sides, homely soups and an easy, welcoming setting, and it is clear why the brand has settled so naturally into Singapore's malls.
For Jurong East diners, the summary is simple: head to the basement of JEM any day between 11am and 10pm, order the Khao Man Gai, add a dish or two for the table, and do not leave the chilli sauce untouched.