• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu

Portland Food and Drink

Restaurant News and Information For Portland Oregon Area Restaurants and Bars

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Send me email!
  • Home
  • About
    • Home
    • About the Site
    • The Authors
    • Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
    • Email me
  • Reviews
    • List of All Reviews
    • Steakhouse Roundup
      • Steakhouse Reviews Introduction
      • El Gaucho Steakhouse
      • Morton’s Steakhouse
      • Ringside Steakhouse
      • Ruth’s Chris
      • Steakhouse – Results
  • Topics
    • Memorials
    • Food Memories
    • Travel Writing
    • Food Writing
      • Alcohol Related
        • Beer
        • Wine
        • Spirits
      • April Fools Stories For Portland
      • Contests and Competition
    • Authors / Book Reviews
    • Cheese information
    • Interviews: Honest dialog with people in the Portland food industry
    • Recipes
  • Guides
    • Portland Coffee Guide
    • Guide to Local Wine Shops
    • Guide to Portland Distilleries
    • Guide to Portland’s Beer Shops

Bourdain and Ricker Pair Up for Chiang Mai Adventure

June 2, 2014 by PDX Food Dude 1 Comment

Pok Pok Portland
Photo courtesy Pok Pok

I haven’t always been a fan of Anthony Bourdain. Though I enjoyed his first book, Kitchen Confidential, No Reservations, the show he slogged through for nine seasons on the Food Network, left me cold. Last year, however, I started watching Parts Unknown on CNN, and found him to be much more interesting – mature, a father, introspective and seeming like he gives a damn. Now I don’t miss an episode.

Enter Andy Ricker, of Pok Pok fame, with his original Northern Thai restaurants in Portland and now branches in New York City. In the latest episode, Ricker becomes Bourdain’s tour guide through the street food scene of the Chiang Mai area of Thailand. It is an alcohol fueled romp through the region, with the obligatory scenes of over indulgence, ladyboys, and a few dishes that even makes Bourdain recoil: raw blood soup, anyone? But underneath it all is a fascinating look at Northern Thai food. I’ve spent time in Chiang Mai, and have eaten lots of the street food, but never felt that any TV show I’ve seen has portrayed the scene the way it really feels when you are there yourself. Parts Unknown gets it right. Ricker is fascinating as the big American, who is so passionate about the food, locals seem to open their heart to him. He knows the cuisine, and even in their most drunken moments, cuts through the haze with thoughtful analysis of each dish. It’s been a while since I’ve been to Pok Pok, but I want to go back. I’m guessing that Ricker has to walk a fine line in his restaurants between Americanized Thai food and the real thing, trying perhaps to dumb it down slightly for American palates and ingredients, yet still stay true to the roots of the cuisine and to bring us along in our education.

Paired with Bourdain’s newly reflective nature and sense of adventure, the show is interesting, educational and at times laugh out loud entertainment. If you get a chance to see it, you should.

Related

Filed Under: Portland Food and Restaurant News and Discussion

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. PDX2FLR says

    June 10, 2014 at 5:09 am

    Well written article, I always wonder how ‘authentic’ is authentic when most people haven’t been to Thailand. Nevertheless Pok Pok is still on our radar for the monthly Thai fix, although it’s a little less consistant most likely due to growing pains. Please no blood soup!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

© 2025 · PortlandFoodandDrink.com • See Terms of Service and Privacy Policy