There have got to be more Thai restaurants per square block in Portland, Oregon, than in any other U.S. city. (The only thing there seem to be more of are tight-fitting black stocking caps—even the doormen in our hotel wore them.) Rising above the crowd is Pok Pok Thai, a suitably eccentric outpost on a quiet street in Southeast. Named for the sound made by a mortar and pestle when making green papaya salad, Pok Pok is basically a madeover wooden garage that provides takeout and a dozen or so outdoor seats, plus a little shed for huddling in on rainy days. But the food coming out of the kitchen is pure, fresh, and as authentically Thai as you are likely to find. Chef-owner Andy Ricker spent years in Thailand and returns frequently to refresh soul and palate, and his devotion to the food of (primarily) northern Thailand is obvious in the deft spicing and deep flavors of dishes like curry pumpkin soup, fried egg salad, and a perfectly poached chicken served on coconut rice with a complexly spicy dipping sauce and a clear soup created from the poaching liquid. Make sure you don't miss the game hens he grills out back on a curious charcoal-fired vertical rotisserie he brought back from Bangkok. P.S. An expansion next year is slated to bring an indoor dining room, as well.
Pok Pok 3226 SE Division, Portland, OR (503-232-1387; pokpokpdx.com)
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