For our last evening in Portland we ventured for a group dinner at a Thai restaurant that came highly recommended by friends, strangers, and food magazines alike...Pok Pok. Pok Pok was originally a mobile food cart in the Portland area until owner and head chef Andy Ricker decided to take the plunge and open up a part open air/part indoor seating restaurant in the front of his house. The dishes are still inexpensive (ranging from $5-11) and pack huge flavor but now can be enjoyed seated.
Cara was so thoughtful and arranged a reservation for our group of 10 at 8:45 our last night in Portland. After being seated we were treated to water flavored with Pandanus leaf which gave it a grassy flavor. We all ordered one round of beverages that ranged from a mango infused vodka speciality drink (mango infused vodka, lime juice, simple syrup, pressed coconut milk), to a Tamarind Whiskey Sour, to a Salted Plum creation.
Our server was very helpful and guided us through out meal with ease...3 dishes are usually enough for 2 people, he'll bring us some rice that goes well with our meal, we'll eat with our hands and a spoon and there will be no pad thai ordered. Got it.
Well, we managed to obey most of his instructions except for the abundance amount of food we ordered. The highlights are:
Kai Yaang: A small game hen that is stuffed with lemongrass, garlic, cilantro and pepper-- served with 2 dipping sauces. This hen was so tender and so flavorful that it melted in my mouth. I tore that bird apart in seconds.
Muu Paa Kham Waan: BOAR collar meat, rubbed with coriander root, garlic, and black pepper. Glazed with soy and sugar and grilled-- served with a chili-lime-garlic sauce and with a plate of frozen mustard greens to cleanse the pallet. I'll let Harbin's words sum up the experience with this dish: "That boar is so good I want to hit someone" Our server responds with: "Where are you guys from?" Us: "NASHVILLE BIOTCH". Ok, we didn't actually say the "biotch" part but that sure would have be hilarious.
Kaeng Hung Leh: Pork belly and pork shoulder that they stew in this pot of ginger, sugar, tamarind, turmeric, Burmese curry powder, and pickled garlic. I swear....this was like eating the best tasting comfort food on the planet. The meat was phenomenally tender...I mean, it couldn't have been more tender and stayed together. A definite table favorite.
Other dishes worth noting: some crazy spicy fish sauce wings, a poultry salad of sorts, a lovely prawn dish and a vermicelli noodle dish that was understated but still appreciated.
No better way to spend our last night than with an amazing dinner that didn't cost us an arm and a leg, great service and even better company.
Now...It's 7AM and my stomach is still recovering from the heat, bold flavors and the over indulgence but I'll deal with the after effect for a meal like that almost any day.
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