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. The Oregonian anointed it “Portland’s defining restaurant” and both the James Beard Foundation and the Michelin Guide distributed accolades accordingly. But now a trio of the city’s most accomplished restaurateurs are bringing new life to the storied space with OK Chicken & Khao Soi, their own take on the Northern Thai culinary phenomenon.
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,” he says. “We want to pay respect to what came before us, but really do our own thing.” So no fish sauce wings, sorry, but probably some regional flavor notes Pok Pok fans will recognize.
As for what Smith’s excited about on the new menu, he rattles off most of it: “pomelo salad with Thai chiles and fermented fish sauce and the crispy pork rinds,” but also the Thai-style fried chicken thigh, “so it’s not like heavy batter, it’s straight marinated. So the skin gets nice and crispy.” The titular khao soi comes in chicken, beef, or vegetable configurations, and there’s a house made sai oua sausage that’s fairly uncommon on Portland area Thai menus. But a good chunk of the menu emphasizes the simple grilled meats paired with fresh herbs and fish sauces that the region is known for. “We’re absolutely keeping it regional,” he emphasizes.
The bar program is headed up by Eric Nelson, a veteran of Veritable Quandary, Laurelhurst Market, and Expatriate. “[Ninsom] used to come into Laurelhurst Market and quiz me on bar things,” he says. I ask if that’s when his consultancy started, but Nelson is modest: “I don’t know if I was a consultant so much as an ear for him to bend.” It’s been a fruitful partnership though, with Nelson co-owning several of Ninsom’s newer restaurants, including Eem and Yaowarat…