Bay Area Thai chain Rooster & Rice opened its first Washington state location on July 28 at 278 106th Ave NE on the ground floor of Soma Towers in Downtown Bellevue.

The fast-casual restaurant specializes in khao mun gai, a Thai comfort dish of poached chicken served over fragrant rice with a side of chicken broth and signature sauce.

Prices run $8 to $17, with the signature "Original," which includes breast and thigh with skin, cucumber, cilantro, and KMG sauce, priced at $16. A location-specific item called "The Bellevue" swaps in ginger scallion sauce at the same price.

The opening adds a fourth food tenant to Soma Towers' ground-floor Urban Mix retail space, joining La Ma Tou Hot Pot, Xiao Chi Jie, and TOASTED, according to the Downtown Bellevue Network.

Rooster & Rice was founded by Bryan Lew and Tommy Charoen, who met as childhood friends and launched the concept in 2015 in San Francisco.

Charoen, who trained at the Venetian Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas before becoming corporate executive chef of the Straits Restaurant Group, built the menu around his mother's khao mun gai recipe. Lew also operates INDO Restaurant & Lounge in Palo Alto.

In 2018, the pair partnered with Aroi Hospitality Group, whose team includes former founders of the food delivery app Caviar, to develop a franchise model. The chain now operates locations across the San Francisco Bay Area, Santa Clara, Pleasanton, Irvine, Costa Mesa, Beaverton, Oregon, and Houston. The estimated initial investment for a franchise runs $353,600 to $560,300, according to the brand's franchise website.

Rooster & Rice is part of a broader wave of out-of-state restaurant brands entering Downtown Bellevue this summer, including TeaByDo at Belgate Plaza and Sabine Café & Bar at The Eight, which we reported on July 12.

The restaurant's grand opening celebration took place July 28 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. with giveaways, according to the brand's Instagram account. No additional Washington locations have been announced.