Hat Yai
Fried Chicken, Roti, and Actually Good Wine
Mississippi · Portland · Southern Thai · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 14, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
You're here for the fried chicken. You're absolutely not expecting the wine list to be interesting. And yet — Hat Yai quietly hands you a short, considered selection that makes you do a double take at a counter-service spot on Killingsworth.
Selection Deep Dive
The list is tiny — we're talking a handful of options — but whoever chose these bottles was paying attention. A German Riesling and a Languedoc red from Minervois are not the wines of someone who just called a distributor and said 'send me whatever.' These are food-first picks, chosen to actually work with spice, fat, and funk. No Cabernet Sauvignon, no Pinot Grigio from nowhere — just two wines that make sense on the table. The gap, obviously, is depth: if you want a second option mid-meal, your choices are limited.
By the Glass
At least two pours and both are $9 flat — which in Portland in 2024 is practically an act of charity. The Peter Louer Riesling and the Sentinelle de Massiac Minervois cover the white-and-red bases without any fuss. Rotation appears nonexistent, but when what's there works this well, that's easy to forgive.
Sentinelle de Massiac Minervois 2015 — $9
A $18 retail bottle poured at $9 a glass is a straight-up steal. Minervois reds tend to be earthy and herb-driven — exactly what you want next to a bowl of curry.
Peter Louer 'Barrel X' Riesling 2015
Most people ordering fried chicken at a counter-service Thai joint aren't reaching for a 2015 German Riesling. They should be. The acidity and residual character in barrel-aged Riesling is one of the best things you can put next to spicy food, and at $9 it's practically a secret.
Sentinelle de Massiac Minervois 2015
Skip it only if you're leaning into the heat — the Minervois is a solid pour but the tannin structure can amplify spice rather than cool it down. Go Riesling if your curry order is aggressive.
Peter Louer 'Barrel X' Riesling 2015 + House Curry
Riesling's natural acidity cuts through rich coconut-based curry while its fruit weight handles the heat without getting steamrolled. This is a textbook match, stumbled upon at a counter-service spot on a North Portland side street.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Hat Yai isn't a wine destination — it's a fried chicken destination that happens to have two genuinely smart, absurdly affordable wine picks. That's more than most restaurants twice its price point can say.
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