What once seemed like a dream came true in Thailand when a humble eatery suddenly became a must-visit spot on the global travel map. It all started with a fascinating coincidence between the restaurant’s name and a character featured in an episode of the anime Gundam GquuuuuuX.
Gundam GquuuuuuX is a collaboration between Sunrise and Studio Khara (famous for the Evangelion series), airing since April. The anime follows Amate Yuzuriha, nicknamed “Machu,” a student living a quiet life in a space colony. Everything changes when she meets Nyan, a mysterious girl, and Shuji, a pilot involved in secret clan battles featuring illegal Mobile Suit fights.
From a modest eatery to a global anime hotspot
For many, especially foreign travelers, exploring Thailand’s street food is always an exciting adventure. Yet few expected that a small, unassuming restaurant like Nyao Khao Man Gai Kao Kha Moo would suddenly skyrocket in popularity, drawing millions of anime fans worldwide.
This sudden fame came from a scene in episode 10 of the anime series “Gundam: G no Reconguista” (original title: GquuuuuuX), which aired early morning on June 10 in Japan. In this episode, the character Nyan cooks Khao Man Gai, a traditional Thai boiled chicken with rice, explaining she only makes it for those she loves.
This small detail immediately caught the anime community’s attention. Fans quickly noticed the intriguing link between the character Nyan and a real restaurant in Bangkok named Nyao Khao Man Gai Kao Kha Moo. The perfect coincidence is that “Nyao” in Thai sounds very close to “Nyan,” the Japanese onomatopoeia for a cat’s meow, just like the character’s name in the show.
Right after the episode aired, images of the restaurant spread rapidly across Gundam fan forums, groups, and social media. Hashtags about the eatery and the anime became trending topics, turning Nyao Khao Man Gai Kao Kha Moo into a worldwide phenomenon.
How anime transformed a local restaurant’s fate
Previously, Nyao Khao Man Gai Kao Kha Moo mainly served local customers and a few chance tourists. Now, it welcomes many international visitors daily, especially Gundam and anime enthusiasts. They come not only to savor the famous roti but also to check in and take photos at a place that has become a part of anime history.
Interestingly, the restaurant’s Facebook page had been inactive since 2023, but after the episode aired, it suddenly flooded with likes, comments, and interactions from anime fans. The surge in attention surprised the owner, who posted on Facebook asking, “What just happened to my restaurant?”
This once again highlights the incredible power of pop culture, especially anime and manga, to influence other industries in unexpected ways. A tiny detail in a show, a simple everyday setting, can create a domino effect that brings revenue and fame to a small business. It turns ordinary places into “pilgrimage sites” for fans, creating a fresh and unique form of tourism.
The Thai restaurant owner surely never imagined this sudden change of fortune. From a modest local eatery, they have become part of Gundam’s legacy, a destination every fan wants to visit when in Thailand.
Source: Crazy for Anime Trivia