American Fried Rice

Happy 4th of July! Even though I'm 9,000 miles away in Thailand, I still want to celebrate Independence Day.

This year, my wife and I did something special and kind of unusual to celebrate. Instead of going out for burgers, barbecue, or hot dogs, we went out to brunch to have a very unique Thai dish: American Fried Rice.

It's not American. Not at all... but this "American Fried Rice", steeped in a rich history and creative flavor profile, is a Thai dish worth trying.

The basic version of the dish is a plate of rice stir-fried with ketchup, raisins, and various meats such as fried chicken, hot dogs, and sometimes ham or bacon.

The story goes that the dish was invented in the 1960s during the Vietnam War era. At that time, American military presence in Thailand was significant, leading to the introduction of American food products and culinary influences. Thai chefs, particularly those catering to American soldiers, began experimenting with these new ingredients.

Lucky's Hungry American Fried Rice is an upscale restaurant in Bangkok's Ari neighborhood that puts a spin on the traditional "AFR".

We arrived in late morning and ordered a plate of corn ribs to start out. 

Pinky ordered the "hell chicken" AFR which came with a huge piece of deep-fried hot chicken, cole slaw, ham, and a fried egg served on top of a plate of American fried rice made with ketchup and raisins,

I ordered the classic AFR, which came with a huge piece of juicy deep-fried chicken, ham, bacon, sausage, a pork burger patty, and a fried egg.

The whole dish is absurd, but it's delicious. And what could be more American than this huge plate of delicious food?

Happy Independence Day!