A dish from Somtum Thai Kitchen | Somtum Thai Kitchen
Where to find the best khao soi, larb, pad kee mao, and more Portland has one of the best Thai food scenes in the nation, and it’s no secret, with the New York Times singling out Portland and Los Angeles as the leaders o
f America’s Thai food renaissance. From chef Akkapong Earl Ninsom’s regional and, at times, historical takes on Thai cooking at Langbaan — a recent James Beard Award winner — to Nong Poonsukwattana’s simple and spectacular khao man gai, Thai chefs in Portland have developed celebrity status, selling sauces in grocery stores and developing restaurant empires.
Portland’s Thai scene is more than its big names, however; the city and its surrounding suburbs are home to plenty of spectacular strip-mall spots churning out bright piles of som tum and comforting bowls of boat noodles, as well as glitzy restaurants offering inventive takes on Thai standards. These are the must-visit Thai restaurants to visit for in-person dining, takeout, and delivery.
In the latest update, we mostly just made sure all the menu details we included were up to date. But we also removed Yaowarat, not because the Thai-Chinese food there isn’t good, but because owner Akkapong Earl Ninsom owns or co-owns a whopping three other restaurants on the list.
Know of someplace we missed? Email us at pdx@eater.com.
Additional reporting by Katrina Yentch. ...read more read less