"Despite the constant churn of new development on SE Division, the labyrinthine amalgam of interlocking structures that once housed the original Pok Pok has remained vacant for more than half a decade. The Northern Thai comfort food chain began as a food cart and ended as an empire, with outposts in LA, Las Vegas, and Brooklyn, along with a small constellation of Portland locations."
"A hard act to follow, but if anyone can, it's the team behind OK Chicken. Restaurateur Earl Ninsom will be familiar to Portland diners for PaaDee, Langbaan, Hat Yai, and most recently Yaowarat. Head chef Sam Smith has a similarly impressive roster, including time in kitchens like Ava Gene's and Tusk. Smith says the goal here isn't Pok Pok 2.0, but they aren't running away from the comparison either: "There's certainly a few item crossovers, but our preparation of those things will be pretty different,""
SE Division's long-vacant former Pok Pok space is now occupied by OK Chicken & Khao Soi, a Northern Thai–focused restaurant. Pok Pok grew from a food cart into an acclaimed local and national presence with outposts in LA, Las Vegas, and Brooklyn, earning praise from The Oregonian, the James Beard Foundation, and the Michelin Guide. Restaurateur Earl Ninsom and head chef Sam Smith lead OK Chicken, drawing on prior projects like PaaDee, Langbaan, Hat Yai, Yaowarat, Ava Gene's, and Tusk. The menu aims to respect Pok Pok's legacy while delivering distinct preparations and regional Northern Thai flavor notes rather than reproducing signature items.
Read at Eater Portland
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]