Pok Pok

"Pok Pok, Division by Factory North. I love that Andy Ricker is unapologetically replicating authentic dishes from Chiang Mai, even working directly with the source to make sure he is executing them properly. He is being true to the ingredient combinations that produce the punchy flavors of what you want out of great Thai food: sweet, charred, sour, hot, even sometimes funky. Opened in 2006, it's arguably the cornerstone of this now bustling food street destination and really the launch of Portland as a food city. The restaurant's eclectic ephemera and indoor/outdoor/upstairs/downstairs style pays homage to the street food stalls in Thailand. If you can't get in, or you are waiting on your table, visit Whiskey Soda Lounge across the street for a mini version of the Pok Pok experience in drinking lounge form."

"Pok Pok, the restaurant group known for its Thai street food and Northern Thai dishes, closed most of its locations earlier this year, with the expectation that the original location on SE Division and one Pok Pok Wing might reopen down the line. Friday morning, however, owner Andy Ricker announced on Facebook that the restaurant group was done." - Alex Frane

"The Pok Pok mogul has closed the majority of his businesses permanently, with the original locale temporarily closed, but he is bringing back the famous fish sauce wings he developed with longtime employee Ich 'Ike' Truong through Reef’s ghost kitchens." - Brooke Jackson-Glidden

"Restaurateur Andy Ricker’s famed Portland restaurant group Pok Pok, known for its Thai “street food” and Northern Thai dishes, is massively downsizing. According to an Instagram announcement, every Portland store except the original Pok Pok location on SE Division Street and, potentially, Pok Pok Wing in Southeast, will close permanently." - Alex Frane

"Andy Ricker, the chef and owner of the Pok Pok restaurant group, decided to close all of his restaurants following the death of chef Floyd Cardoz from complications of COVID-19." - Jamie Feldmar