Pok Pok, one Michelin star

Pok Pok is a Portland sensation, it has a James Beard award and Michelin star under its belt.

Andy Ricker’s vision is to bring the boldness of southeast asian cooking back to his hometown in Portland for everyone to try. Having grown up in Singapore, i appreciate the differences of SE Asian cuisine. Being close to the equator, there is an abundance of fresh herbs and spices. A lot of elements are also brought in from the sea and rainforest:

Dried shrimp - shrimp laid in the sun to dry, added to papaya salad
Infamous fermented fish sauce- umami bomb from fermented anchiovies
Kaffir lime - the fruit of the plant, similar to lime/lemon but more fragrant
kaffir lime leaf - extremely fragrant leaves, chopped to release the flavor
Fresh lemongrass - the stalk of the leaves are discarded, using only the fragrant stem part
Fresh tumeric - a very strong type of root similar to ginger
Galangal - another type of root with dull yellow color
Calamansi - a smaller type of citrus, extremely concentrated and a cross of taste between a tangerine and a lime
Tamarind pulp - citrusy and sweet paste dissolved in water to bring acidity and sweetness to dish, Pok pok also uses this to make whiskey sour
Shrimp paste - ground shrimp dried in the sun to give it a pungent smell, umami bomb
Thai basil - a type of basil for the tropical areas, strong licorice aroma
Vietnamese coriander - longer leaf and very subtle flavor
Fresh red and green chili - brings a crisp and fresh taste plus the spicy taste, different from dried chili

There is always a wait at the restaurant and the restaurant itself is in a transitional part of town. The restaurant is actually a house and the original kitchen of the house has been expanded to be the central kitchen. Upstairs seating is limited and there are also side expansions towards the side of the house. All the seating are covered, so don’t fret about the rainy pacific northwest. Put your name down and enjoy some famous ice cream across or get a drink at the establishment across the street, also owned by Pok Pok.

The bar is well stocked, serving cocktails with syrups made in house

Tamarind stewed pork belly. Pork belly is cooked until very tender

Pok Pok Portland Tamarind stewed pork belly

Claypot tiger shrimp vermicelli, the shrimp is very succulent

Pok Pok Portland claypot tiger shrimp vermicelli

Thai style rotisserie chicken over charcoal fire served with two types of dipping sauces and beside it eggplant salad with fish sauce and boiled eggs, made with fish sauce and lime juice.

Pok Pok Portland Charcoal rotisserie chicken

The highlight of the night is the sweet and spicy chicken wings with fish sauce. There is a layer of pulled sugar on top of the chicken wings. Pulled sugar can be made by boiling sugar with water, lemon juice and worked until the sugar pulls like strands of hair. The sauce of the chicken wings is also pungent from the fermented fish sauce. This is a concoction of sweet, sour, savory and crispiness from the fried chicken skin deserving of a Michelin star. We ordered two servings of the chicken wings.

After dinner, head over to the famous Portland ice-cream shop Salt & Straw.

Tips:

the chicken wings are the highlight
the wait can be long, you can grab a drink at the bar or head across to get a drink, they're owned by the same establishment
can also grab ice cream at Salt & Straw while you wait