Pok Pok Wing Throws Open the Doors on SE Milwaukie October 29

The fourth local restaurant by iconic Portland chef Andy Ricker, Pok Pok Wing will fire up the fryers tomorrow at 11:30 a.m., at 3120 S.E. Milwaukie Ave. just off SE Powell. In a big move, Pok Pok Wing will bring new dishes and a fast-casual model, and the new style of service means discounts.

Ricker tells Eater the wings at Pok Pok Wing will be priced about 10 to 20 percent lower than at his other locations. This is because his commissary kitchen is located onsite — one of the main reasons for opening in the location — which cuts down on expenses. To also cut down on expenses, Pok Pok Wing will not accept orders by phone or cash. It will soon offer online ordering and delivery.

“Portland restaurants are facing big challenges right now,” he says. “Rather than jack up prices, we’re moving toward technology.”

No knocking the wings, but Ricker’s take on a Thai-style fried chicken with something he’s developed called “sri rancha” could be the most exciting dish on the Pok Pok Wing menu. The chicken will have a Thai marinade and “top-secret” batter that’s “really crispy,” and the sri rancha is a new Pok Pok signature sauce combining ranch and sriracha hot sauce.

And another new item may be the holy grail for Pok Pok-loving vegans: a tofu version of Ike’s fish sauce wings. It’s fried tofu tossed in a caramel sauce with vegetarian fish sauce. Ricker says it’s been a staff meal for 10 years but he’s rarely served it at his restaurants.

Rounding out the menu are papaya salad, the long-running khao man som tam, steamed buns stuffed with pork, tofu, or fried chicken, and Pok Pok’s ice cream, in flavors like mango, durian, and Thai coffee. All drinks will be bottled, with beer, wine, and hard cider available for dining in or takeout.

“Pok Pok Wing didn’t work in New York because of its basement space with an electric kitchen,” says Ricker. “It failed again at the airport as a food cart, but again, the logistics were too complicated; you know, trucking around hundreds of pounds of wings. I think the new set-up will be the one that works.”

Starting tomorrow, October 29, Pok Pok Wing will serve lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday, from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Find 24 seats indoors and two picnic tables outside.

• Pok Pok Wing [Official]
• Pok Pok Wing to Fly into Milwaukie Avenue Brick and Mortar [EPDX]
• All Previous Pok Pok Wing Coverage [EPDX]