Pok Pok
Pok Pok was a Portland-based Thai restaurant group founded by chef Andy Ricker and known for regional Thai cooking, street-food-inspired dishes, and distinctive restaurant concepts.
Last updated August 24, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Pok Pok was a Thai restaurant group founded and led by chef Andy Ricker in Portland, Oregon. The first restaurant opened in 2005 on Southeast Division Street, building its identity around Thai street food and regional dishes that Ricker had encountered during travels in Thailand, particularly in and around Chiang Mai. Rather than presenting a generic version of Thai cuisine, Pok Pok emphasized preparations, ingredients, serving styles, and flavors associated with specific Thai regions and everyday food culture. The original Portland restaurant developed from a relatively local operation into one of the city's best-known dining institutions. Its rise was frequently described as a Portland restaurant success story: a concept rooted in street-food traditions became a destination restaurant and later a multi-location group. The Oregonian named it Restaurant of the Year in 2007, and the restaurant received wider national exposure through a 2009 appearance on Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Ricker won the James Beard Foundation's Best Chef: Northwest award in 2011, further establishing Pok Pok's reputation within the American restaurant industry. The group expanded beyond its original Portland base during the 2010s. A Brooklyn location opened in 2012 and received a Michelin star in the 2015 and 2016 editions of the Michelin Guide. That location also appeared in the series finale of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. Ricker closed the Brooklyn restaurant in September 2018, citing rising operating costs. Pok Pok also entered Los Angeles, where Pok Pok Phat Thai opened in December 2014 and Pok Pok LA opened in November 2015, both in the Chinatown area. The Phat Thai location closed in August 2016, while Pok Pok LA closed in March 2017. The brand also developed a narrower concept focused on chicken wings. Pok Pok Wing locations operated in Portland and, through a licensing arrangement, at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas's Block 16 Urban Food Hall. The Las Vegas location opened in 2018 and became the final operating Pok Pok-branded restaurant after the Portland closures. Its licensing agreement expired in December 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic brought the group to an end. In March 2020, Pok Pok announced an indefinite closure of its locations as public-health restrictions disrupted dine-in restaurants. The group initially attempted takeout and delivery, but Ricker later reassessed the strategy after the coronavirus-related death of chef Floyd Cardoz, describing the event as a warning about the risks confronting restaurant workers and operators. In June 2020, he confirmed the permanent closure of several Portland restaurants and wings locations. In October, he announced the closure of the original Pok Pok and the remaining Portland operations. The Las Vegas Pok Pok Wing continued until December 2020, when its licensing arrangement ended. Pok Pok's legacy rests on its influence on Portland's food culture and on the broader visibility of regional Thai cooking in the United States. It won repeated reader awards from Willamette Week and was described by The Oregonian as a defining Portland restaurant of its era. Although the restaurant group is defunct, Pok Pok remains associated with Andy Ricker's chef-driven interpretation of Thai cuisine, the expansion of regional Asian cooking in American dining, and the vulnerability of independent restaurant groups during the pandemic.
History
Pok Pok began in 2005 when chef Andy Ricker opened a Thai restaurant on Southeast Division Street in Portland, Oregon. Ricker drew on food he had encountered during travel in Thailand, with particular attention to northern Thai cooking and the street-food traditions of Chiang Mai. The restaurant's identity was therefore more regional and chef-driven than that of a generalized Thai restaurant. Its menu and atmosphere helped make Thai regionality, unfamiliar preparations, and informal food traditions more visible within Portland's increasingly influential dining scene. The original location gained strong local attention during its first several years. The Oregonian named Pok Pok its Restaurant of the Year in 2007, and the restaurant later appeared on Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives in 2009. Ricker's profile grew further when he received the James Beard Foundation's 2011 Best Chef: Northwest award. These recognitions helped turn Pok Pok from a successful Portland restaurant into a nationally discussed dining destination. Expansion followed during the 2010s. Pok Pok opened a Brooklyn location in 2012, giving the group a presence in New York City. The restaurant appeared in the finale of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations and received a Michelin star in the 2015 and 2016 guides. Ricker closed the Brooklyn operation on September 2, 2018, attributing the decision to rising costs. The brand also tested the Los Angeles market through Pok Pok Phat Thai, opened in December 2014, and Pok Pok LA, opened in November 2015. Both were located in Chinatown; Phat Thai closed in August 2016, and Pok Pok LA closed in March 2017. Pok Pok developed additional concepts alongside its full-service restaurants. Pok Pok Wing focused on Thai-style chicken wings and operated in Portland as well as at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas. The Las Vegas branch opened in 2018 in the resort's Block 16 Urban Food Hall under a licensing arrangement. The group also operated Whiskey Soda Lounge, a related Portland concept associated with the Pok Pok restaurant family. The business was severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. In March, all locations were placed on an indefinite closure schedule as dine-in service was restricted and restaurant operations became more difficult. Pok Pok initially followed the common industry response of offering takeout and delivery. Ricker later issued a statement after the coronavirus-related death of chef Floyd Cardoz, treating the event as a warning about the health risks and structural pressures facing restaurant workers and operators. By mid-June, he had confirmed permanent closures affecting Pok Pok NW, Whiskey Soda Lounge, and the northeast and southwest Pok Pok Wing locations. In October, he announced the closure of the original restaurant and the remaining Portland locations. The Las Vegas Pok Pok Wing continued through December, when its licensing agreement expired. Pok Pok's operating history ended in 2020, but its cultural influence continued. The group won Willamette Week's Best Restaurant readers' poll in 2015 and was named Best Thai Restaurant in 2016, 2017, and 2018. It was also recognized in other categories in later local polling. The Oregonian characterized Pok Pok as a defining Portland restaurant of more than a decade, reflecting its role in the city's culinary identity and its contribution to the popularization of regional Thai food in the United States.
- 2020
Restaurant group closes during the pandemic
[1]The Portland operations close permanently, followed by the Las Vegas location in December.
- 2018
Pok Pok Wing enters Las Vegas
[1]A licensed Pok Pok Wing opens at the Cosmopolitan's Block 16 Urban Food Hall.
- 2015
Brooklyn restaurant earns a Michelin star
[1]The Brooklyn location receives a Michelin star in the 2015 guide.
- 2012
Brooklyn expansion
[1]The restaurant group opens an outpost in Brooklyn.
- 2011
James Beard recognition for Andy Ricker
[1]Ricker wins the James Beard Foundation's Best Chef: Northwest award.
- 2009
National television exposure
[1]Pok Pok is featured on Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
- 2007
Named The Oregonian's Restaurant of the Year
[1]Pok Pok receives a major local restaurant award from The Oregonian.
- 2005
Original Pok Pok opens in Portland
[1]Andy Ricker opens the first Pok Pok on Southeast Division Street, focusing on Thai street food and regional Thai cooking.
Products and positioning
Chef-led regional Thai dining rooted in street food and northern Thai cuisine, presented through destination restaurants and specialized concepts.
Thai restaurant · 2005
Pok Pok restaurants
The core Pok Pok restaurants served regional Thai food with an emphasis on dishes associated with northern Thailand and Thai street-food culture. The original Portland restaurant was the group's central location and became its most enduring and recognizable operation.
Fast-casual Thai restaurant concept · 2018
Pok Pok Wing
Pok Pok Wing was a specialized concept centered on Thai-style chicken wings. It operated at Portland locations and later at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas's Block 16 Urban Food Hall through a licensing arrangement.
Thai restaurant · 2014
Pok Pok Phat Thai
Pok Pok Phat Thai was a Los Angeles Chinatown restaurant focused on pad Thai and related Thai noodle dishes. It opened in December 2014 and closed in August 2016.
Thai restaurant · 2015
Pok Pok LA
Pok Pok LA was a full-service Los Angeles Chinatown outpost that extended the group's regional Thai restaurant model to Southern California. It opened in November 2015 and closed in March 2017.
Thai bar and restaurant
Whiskey Soda Lounge
Whiskey Soda Lounge was a related Portland bar and dining concept associated with the Pok Pok group, offering drinks and Thai-oriented food in a more casual setting.
Brand decisions
2020
Pandemic closure and shift toward takeoutStrategyBackground
COVID-19 restrictions disrupted dine-in restaurant operations across the United States. Pok Pok initially closed its locations and attempted to operate through takeout and delivery.
Action taken
Andy Ricker announced an indefinite closure in March, then reassessed the operating model after the coronavirus-related death of chef Floyd Cardoz. By June and October, the group announced permanent closures of its Portland operations.
Aftermath
The original Pok Pok, Pok Pok NW, Whiskey Soda Lounge, and Portland Pok Pok Wing locations closed permanently. The Las Vegas Pok Pok Wing remained open until December, when its licensing agreement expired.
2018
Closure of the Brooklyn locationOtherBackground
After operating in Brooklyn since 2012 and receiving Michelin recognition, the outpost faced increasing operating costs.
Action taken
Ricker closed the Brooklyn restaurant on September 2, citing rising costs.
Aftermath
Pok Pok continued operating through its Portland, Los Angeles, and licensed Las Vegas concepts for varying periods.
Recent events
Pok Pok announces Pok Pok Playroom launch[2]
Reported:
Pok Pok announced that its first title, Pok Pok Playroom, would become available on May 20 for children ages two to six.
Snowman spins out Pok Pok[2]
Reported:
Snowman spun out Pok Pok as a distinct company focused on educational children’s entertainment.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/pok-pok · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled