Butterflied chicken marinated in lemongrass, coriander root, garlic, fish sauce and palm sugar, slow-grilled over charcoal until the skin lacquers and the meat smokes sweet. Served with sticky rice and nam jim jaew.

Gai yang is the Isaan northeastern Thai grill tradition, brought to Bangkok with the great Isaan labour migration of the mid-20th century. The roadside gai yang stall, with butterflied chickens splayed between bamboo skewers over charcoal, became a Bangkok fixture by the 1980s. Soi Polo Fried Chicken in Lumphini and Som Tam Jay So pair it with som tam and sticky rice as the canonical Bangkok lunch trio.

4 editor picks for Gai Yang (Isaan Grilled Chicken) in Bangkok, ranked by editorial score. All Bangkok signature dishes · Gai Yang (Isaan Grilled Chicken) across every city.