Pok Pok

Pok Pok was a group of Thai restaurants based in Portland, Oregon, founded and led by chef Andy Ricker. Pok Pok won both local recognition and major industry awards, with The Oregonian describing the restaurant as "one of those quintessentially Portland institutions, a sort of rags-to-riches story of the street cart that became a restaurant that became a legend." The main restaurant was located on Southeast Division Street in Portland;[2] with its success Ricker opened satellite locations elsewhere in Portland, and at various times in Brooklyn, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. Its remaining locations closed in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pok Pok
Pok Pok and the Whiskey Soda Lounge in Portland, Oregon, in 2009
Pok Pok is located in Portland, Oregon
Pok Pok
Location in Portland, Oregon
Restaurant information
Established2005 (2005)
Closed2020 (2020)
Owner(s)Andy Ricker
Head chefAndy Ricker
Food typeThai
Street address3226 Southeast Division Street[1]
CityPortland, Oregon
StateOregon
CountryUnited States
Coordinates45.50468°N 122.63219°W / 45.50468; -122.63219
WebsitePok Pok Restaurants

History

The first Pok Pok opened in 2005, specializing in street food and northern Thai cuisine that Ricker had eaten on his travels, especially through Chiang Mai.[3][4] The restaurant grew in recognition, being named The Oregonian's 2007 Restaurant of the Year,[2] and featured in a 2009 episode of Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. In 2011, he was named the James Beard Foundation's 2011 "Best Chef: Northwest" for his work.[5] At its closure in 2020, The Oregonian called Pok Pok "Portland’s defining restaurant for more than a decade."[6]

A Brooklyn location followed in 2012; the Michelin Guide awarded it a star in its 2015 and 2016 editions but rescinded it in the 2017 Guide.[7][8] Ricker closed the restaurant on September 2, 2018, citing rising costs.[9][10][11]

Pok Pok Phat Thai and Pok Pok LA opened in the Chinatown neighborhood of Los Angeles in December 2014 and November 2015 respectively,[12][13] but Pok Pok Phat Thai closed in August 2016 and Pok Pok LA followed in March of the following year.[14][15]

In 2018, a Pok Pok Wing opened in the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas's Block 16 Urban Food Hall dining area.[16] This closed in December 2020 following the expiration of its licensing agreement, the last of the Pok Pok restaurants.[17]

COVID-19 pandemic

In March 2020, Pok Pok announced its indefinite closure of all locations due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has had an impact on the restaurant industry due to social distancing mandates and guidelines. Initially, Pok Pok followed the example of many restaurants across the US in providing takeout and delivery services while dine-in remains prohibited. Following the coronavirus-caused death of New York chef, Floyd Cardoz, Pok Pok's Andy Ricker published a statement explaining Cardoz's death as the reason for the change in strategy. Ricker cited the tragedy as a “wake-up call to the restaurant industry” and himself.[18]

In mid June, Ricker confirmed the permanent closure of Pok Pok NW, Whiskey Soda Lounge, and the northeast and southwest Pok Pok Wing locations, leaving just the main restaurant and possibly the southeast Pok Pok Wing location.[3] Ricker announced closure of the original and remaining locations in October 2020.[6][4] A remaining Pok Pok Wing in Las Vegas continued service through December.[17]

See also

References
  1. Olson, Donald. "Pok Pok in Portland OR". Frommer's. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  2. Brooks, Karen (June 7, 2009) [2007-06-15]. "Restaurant of the Year 2007: Pok Pok". The Oregonian. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  3. Frane, Alex (June 15, 2020). "Most of the Pok Pok Empire Is Closing". Eater Portland. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  4. Frane, Alex (October 30, 2020). "The Pok Pok Empire Has Officially Fallen". Eater Portland. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  5. "Chef Andy Ricker of Pok Pok - Biography". Starchefs.com. Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  6. Michael, Russell (October 30, 2020). "Pok Pok, Portland's defining restaurant for more than a decade, is no more". The Oregonian. Retrieved July 20, 2021.
  7. Adamczyk, Alicia (September 30, 2014). "New York's Michelin-Starred Restaurants Announced For 2015". Forbes. Archived from the original on November 22, 2016. Retrieved November 21, 2016.
  8. Sutton, Ryan (November 15, 2016). "Surprise: Here Are the 2017 NYC Michelin Star Rankings (A Few Days Early)". Eater New York. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  9. Goldfield, Hannah (June 25, 2012). "Pok Pok NY". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on April 26, 2013. Retrieved January 15, 2013.
  10. Wells, Pete (June 26, 2012). "Pok Pok Ny in Brooklyn". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 22, 2016. Retrieved November 21, 2016.
  11. Fabricant, Florence (August 13, 2018). "Pok Pok Ny to Close After 6 Years". The New York Times. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  12. Scattergood, Amy (December 30, 2014). "Andy Ricker's Pok Pok Phat Thai now open in Chinatown". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on November 22, 2016. Retrieved November 21, 2016.
  13. Balla, Lesley (November 2, 2015). "5 Things to Know About Andy Ricker's Pok Pok in Chinatown". Zagat. Archived from the original on November 22, 2016. Retrieved November 21, 2016.
  14. Elliott, Farley (August 2, 2016). "Pok Pok Phat Thai turns off the lights in Chinatown this Sunday". Eater LA. Archived from the original on November 22, 2016. Retrieved November 21, 2016.
  15. Bargar Suter, Lesley (May 15, 2015). "Pok Pok L.A. Is No More, but There Is Glory in Its Passing". Los Angeles Magazine. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  16. Knapp Rinella, Heidi; Mancini, Al (August 14, 2018). "Pok Pok, Lardo, Hattie B's to open on Las Vegas Strip". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  17. Stapleton, Susan (December 2, 2020). "Chef Andy Ricker's Pok Pok Wing Closes at the Cosmopolitan This Weekend". Eater Las Vegas. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
  18. Frane, Alex (March 25, 2020). "The Pok Pok Empire Closes Indefinitely in Wake of Coronavirus Crisis". Eater Portland. Retrieved March 30, 2020.
  • Media related to Pok Pok at Wikimedia Commons
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