What Happened to Pok Pok After Best Thing I Ever Ate? (Portland, OR)

Best Thing I Ever Ate, Season 5, Episode 11

Best Thing I Ever Ate (Food Network) featured Pok Pok's Vietnamese fish sauce wings, known as Ike's Wings, in the show's 'Finger Food' episode. According to Wikipedia, chef Andy Ricker opened the original Pok Pok on Southeast Division Street in Portland, Oregon, in 2005, serving Northern Thai and Isaan street food; the fish sauce wing recipe was developed with his first employee, Ich 'Ike' Truong. Willamette Week reported that Pok Pok grew into a Portland institution and expanded to other cities before Ricker closed its remaining locations in 2020. This appearance is logged as an additional episode credit against the existing Pok Pok record for Portland, Oregon.

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, Season 27, Episode 8 Aired September 29, 2017

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives included Pok Pok of Portland, Oregon, in the 'Amazing Asian' episode (S27E8), which aired September 29, 2017. Pok Pok, founded by chef Andy Ricker, is known for Southeast Asian street food, including its Vietnamese-style fish-sauce chicken wings, according to a Food Network video clip of Fieri's visit. The Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives locations archive lists an earlier Pok Pok appearance from 2009, with this later segment folding the restaurant into a themed roundup of Asian restaurants rather than a standalone visit.

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, Season 7, Episode 7 Aired October 5, 2009

Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives featured Pok Pok in "You Can Say That Again" (S7E7), which aired October 5, 2009, spotlighting the restaurant's Southeast Asian street food, including its Vietnamese-style fish-sauce wings. Pok Pok was a Thai restaurant founded by chef Andy Ricker on Southeast Division Street in Portland, Oregon, according to Wikipedia. Wikipedia's Pok Pok entry, revised July 11, 2026, reports that Ricker's satellite locations followed the original restaurant's success and that its remaining locations closed in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. A Yelp listing for the Division Street address, updated August 2026, separately marks the restaurant as closed. No source reviewed for this record shows the Division Street location has reopened since the 2020 closure reported by Wikipedia.

Food Paradise, Season 11, Episode 2

Pok Pok appeared in the episode 'Handheld Happiness' for its Northern Thai street-style cooking, the specialty chef Andy Ricker built the restaurant around. According to Wikipedia, Ricker opened the original Pok Pok on Southeast Division Street in Portland, Oregon, in 2005, and the concept grew into a small chain with additional Portland locations plus outposts in Brooklyn, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas; the Brooklyn location later earned a Michelin star, and Ricker received two James Beard Awards for his work. According to The Oregonian, Pok Pok was widely regarded as a Portland institution with a rags-to-riches history, moving from a street cart to a celebrated restaurant. Wikipedia, revised 2026-07-11, reports that Pok Pok's remaining locations closed in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic.