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Coca Cola clams at Gado Gado
Molly J. Smith/EPDX

Portland’s Incredible Southeast Asian Restaurant Scene, Mapped

Go beyond Pok Pok to find the most essential Thai, Vietnamese, Burmese, and Indonesian food in town

by Nick Woo
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Coca Cola clams at Gado Gado
| Molly J. Smith/EPDX
by Nick Woo

Andy Ricker’s acclaimed Portland restaurant Pok Pok is, without a doubt, an exciting window into Thai cuisine, and has become a point of pilgrimage for lovers of Southeast Asian cooking in America. But the Chiang Mai-inspired restaurant is also just the most famous example of a vast, varied, and vibrant Southeast Asian food culture throughout the greater Stumptown. If you’re into spicy papaya salads and Ike’s Vietnamese fish sauce wings, there’s so much more to be found here, from an Indonesian coffee spot to a Laotian beer bar to a hidden Thai tasting-menu extravaganza.

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Hat Yai

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Named after the Southern Thai city near the Malaysian border, Hat Yai is a walk-in, counter-service spot specializing in all things crispy. That means rice flour-battered fried chicken with fried shallots paired with Malay-style curry and pan-fried roti. There’s also green curry brisket and khua kling, spicy ground pork with turmeric, makrut, and lemongrass. South Thai flavors like these are less common in the U.S. than those from the north, making this is a must-visit spot. Check the specials board for more regional treasures worth pairing with a Thai iced coffee or a cocktail from the full bar.

1605 NE Killingsworth St, Portland, OR 97211
(503) 764-9701
(503) 764-9701
Hat Yai Special
Nick Woo/EPDX

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Cully Central

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Cully Central is a brightly lit, family-friendly sports bar serving traditional Laotian food alongside Oregon craft beers. Try the savory, deep-fried Lao beef jerky with fish sauce paired with chile-dense papaya salad; or the nam khao, a crispy rice salad paired with long lettuce leaves to make crunchy wraps. The casual atmosphere makes it easy to enjoy a Fort George beer while the kids run around in the restaurant’s designated play area.  

4579 NE Cully Blvd, Portland, OR 97218
(503) 206-8911
(503) 206-8911
Nam khao
Nick Woo/EPDX

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Eem

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This North Williams hotspot is something of a Portland food scene supergroup. The name, Eem, is the first initials of its three owners: Earl Ninsom of Langbaan and Hat Yai, Eric Nelson of the cocktail pop-up Shipwreck, and Matt Vicedomini of Matt’s BBQ. The result of their combined efforts is a menu of outstanding curries — brisket burnt ends in white curry, smoked lamb shoulder massaman curry — inspired barbecue dishes like pork steak with Northern Thai chili dip, and Chopped BBQ Fried Rice. Tiki-esque tropical cocktails are on hand to cool things down.

3808 N Williams Ave st 127, Portland, OR 97227
(971) 295-1645
(971) 295-1645
White curry with brisket burnt ends
Nick Woo/EPDX

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Mekong Bistro

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Saron Khut and his family fled a war-torn Cambodia in 1981 for a Thai refugee camp where they lived for six months before relocating to the U.S. The family settled in Portland and eventually opened Mekong Bistro, a Cambodian restaurant that moonlights as the de facto meeting place for East Portland’s Asian-American community. Standout dishes here include som-lar maju kreung, an herbal sour soup with a choice of tofu or meat, and ah-mok, a tasty fish in coconut cream, cooked (and served) in banana leaves. 

8200 NE Siskiyou St, Portland, OR 97220
(503) 265-8972
(503) 265-8972
Ah mok
Nick Woo/EPDX

Gado Gado

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Chef Tomas Pisha-Duffly pulls from his Indonesian-Chinese heritage and New England upbringing for both traditional Indonesian fare and cheeky, out-there plates like pork and blood sausage corn dogs. The casual, colorful restaurant, tucked in a nondescript strip mall, is a natural fit for large-format dining, especially via its Rice Table, a $55 tour of the restaurant’s menu — all chef’s choice.

1801 NE Cesar E Chavez Blvd, Portland, OR 97212, United States
Dishes at Gado Gado
Molly J. Smith/EPDX

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Top Burmese

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Poe and Kalvin Myint are serving Indian-influenced food of Myanmar at their restaurant Top Burmese. Highlights include laphet, a fermented tea-leaf salad with sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and peanuts, and a buttery paratha served with a selection of paprika and turmeric-based curries. The small and cute restaurant space in Northwest Portland will soon be joined by another location in Beaverton.

413 NW 21st Ave, Portland, OR 97209
(503) 477-5985
(503) 477-5985
Two plates sit on a stainless steel table: a curried chicken dish with roti, and a udon-style noodle dish with eggs and onions
Chicken paratha and noodle salad
Nick Woo/EPDX

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Kopi Coffee House

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To say Portland has a thriving coffee scene is an understatement. Still, Kopi (the Indonesian word for coffee) is unique among the many local greats. Using beans sourced directly from Southeast Asia, baristas prepare drinks like koi jahe — a ginger, cardamom, and nutmeg French press — and kedai susu — a latte with makrut-lemongrass and sweetened condensed milk. In the morning, wake up for stuffed breakfast rotis and coconut rice bowls with bacon, sausage, or curry.

2327 E Burnside St, Portland, OR 97214
(503) 234-8610
(503) 234-8610
Nasi pagi
Nick Woo/EPDX

PaaDee

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Often overshadowed by its fine-dining sibling Langbaan, the casual Paadee holds its own with an Issan menu flush with tasty larb (do not miss the fluffy, omelet larb with crispy rice that’s full of citrus and mint). Whole salt-grilled rockfish is a stunner, as is the ba mhee pitsanulok, an egg noodle and pork broth soup featuring pork belly, red pork, and pork meatballs. The fun, fruity cocktails are a good match for some of the aggressively spicy dishes. 

6 SE 28th Ave, Portland, OR 97214
(503) 360-1453
(503) 360-1453
Ba mhee pitsanulok
Nick Woo/EPDX

Also featured in:

Langbaan

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Hidden behind a bookshelf in the back of Paadee, reservation-only Langbaan serves a multi-course tasting menu that changes seasonally. Chef de cuisine Brandon Hirahara complements a variety of regional Thai flavors with wild pink sea bream, ramps, fried scales, and nasturtium, while pastry chef Maya Erickson sweetens the deal with carrot cake, white chocolate coconut mousse, and rhubarb with a black sesame sauce. Try the kanom krok, which features scallops, coconut cream, galangal, and lemongrass in a crispy-rice cup, but be warned: This is one of the hardest reservations to get in all of Portland.

6 SE 28th Ave, Portland, OR 97214
(971) 344-2564
(971) 344-2564
Kanom krok at Langbaan
Nick Woo/EPDX

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Nong's Khao Man Gai

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Nong Poonsukwattana arrived in the U.S. in 2003 with two suitcases and $70. A few years later she’d saved up just enough to buy a food cart, and went into business preparing and serving her signature dish every day until it sold out. She eventually raised enough to open a brick-and-mortar location on each side of the river. Nong’s Khao Man Gai specializes in the Thai version of chicken and rice. Poonsukwattana poaches free-range chicken in water, ginger, pandan leaves, and garlic; chicken fat gets rendered with shallot, galangal, pandan leaves, and garlic; jasmine rice is cooked in the aromatic fat and broth. The care put into each step is palpable in the final product. Go early and ask for a bag of fried chicken skins, which are almost always sold out within hours of opening.

609 SE Ankeny St C, Portland, OR 97214
(503) 740-2907
(503) 740-2907
Khao Man Gai
Nick Woo/EPDX

Also featured in:

Rose VL

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The family behind Rose VL and its sister restaurant Ha VL have been perfecting Vietnamese noodle soups and sandwiches since 2006. The daily rotating soups — like Saturday’s turmeric mi Quang and Sunday’s crab flake soup — are complex, concentrated masterpieces. Cau lầu, a noodle dish from the central Vietnamese city of  Hội An, features thick noodles, fresh herbs, sliced pork, bone-in chicken, peanuts, fried shallots, and wontons. The heady stew of wonderfully contrasting textures and flavors has earned this place many regulars.

6424 SE Powell Blvd, Portland, OR 97206
(503) 206-4344
(503) 206-4344
Cao lau
Nick Woo/EPDX

Also featured in:

An Xuyen Bakery

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While An Xuyen Bakery is home to excellent pastries, macarons, and baguettes, the place is most beloved for its $2.99 bahn mi. It all starts with a crispy, fluffy loaf that is so good, other restaurants like Foster Burger and Lardo use it, too. Pickled carrots and daikon, cilantro, and cucumber top fillings like sweet barbecue pork, savory lemongrass chicken, or tender vegetarian “meat.” Finish off with a bag of guava cookies, durian cakes, and jelly rolls to go.

5345 SE Foster Rd, Portland, OR 97206
(503) 788-0866
(503) 788-0866
BBQ pork banh mi
Nick Woo/EPDX

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Bun Bo Hue Restaurant

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From the outside, this corner spot with barred windows is less than beckoning, but Bun Bo Hue’s namesake beef noodle soup is a standout among the many versions in this part of town. Chile-spiked broth and bouncy Vietnamese vermicelli rice noodles join tender sliced beef and pork, sausage, pork knuckles, and blood cubes in a perfectly balanced bowl. 

7002 SE 82nd Ave, Portland, OR 97266
(503) 771-1141
(503) 771-1141
Bun bo hue
Nick Woo/EPDX

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Hat Yai

1605 NE Killingsworth St, Portland, OR 97211

Named after the Southern Thai city near the Malaysian border, Hat Yai is a walk-in, counter-service spot specializing in all things crispy. That means rice flour-battered fried chicken with fried shallots paired with Malay-style curry and pan-fried roti. There’s also green curry brisket and khua kling, spicy ground pork with turmeric, makrut, and lemongrass. South Thai flavors like these are less common in the U.S. than those from the north, making this is a must-visit spot. Check the specials board for more regional treasures worth pairing with a Thai iced coffee or a cocktail from the full bar.

1605 NE Killingsworth St, Portland, OR 97211
(503) 764-9701
(503) 764-9701
Hat Yai Special
Nick Woo/EPDX

Cully Central

4579 NE Cully Blvd, Portland, OR 97218

Cully Central is a brightly lit, family-friendly sports bar serving traditional Laotian food alongside Oregon craft beers. Try the savory, deep-fried Lao beef jerky with fish sauce paired with chile-dense papaya salad; or the nam khao, a crispy rice salad paired with long lettuce leaves to make crunchy wraps. The casual atmosphere makes it easy to enjoy a Fort George beer while the kids run around in the restaurant’s designated play area.  

4579 NE Cully Blvd, Portland, OR 97218
(503) 206-8911
(503) 206-8911
Nam khao
Nick Woo/EPDX

Eem

3808 N Williams Ave st 127, Portland, OR 97227

This North Williams hotspot is something of a Portland food scene supergroup. The name, Eem, is the first initials of its three owners: Earl Ninsom of Langbaan and Hat Yai, Eric Nelson of the cocktail pop-up Shipwreck, and Matt Vicedomini of Matt’s BBQ. The result of their combined efforts is a menu of outstanding curries — brisket burnt ends in white curry, smoked lamb shoulder massaman curry — inspired barbecue dishes like pork steak with Northern Thai chili dip, and Chopped BBQ Fried Rice. Tiki-esque tropical cocktails are on hand to cool things down.

3808 N Williams Ave st 127, Portland, OR 97227
(971) 295-1645
(971) 295-1645
White curry with brisket burnt ends
Nick Woo/EPDX

Mekong Bistro

8200 NE Siskiyou St, Portland, OR 97220

Saron Khut and his family fled a war-torn Cambodia in 1981 for a Thai refugee camp where they lived for six months before relocating to the U.S. The family settled in Portland and eventually opened Mekong Bistro, a Cambodian restaurant that moonlights as the de facto meeting place for East Portland’s Asian-American community. Standout dishes here include som-lar maju kreung, an herbal sour soup with a choice of tofu or meat, and ah-mok, a tasty fish in coconut cream, cooked (and served) in banana leaves. 

8200 NE Siskiyou St, Portland, OR 97220
(503) 265-8972
(503) 265-8972
Ah mok
Nick Woo/EPDX

Gado Gado

1801 NE Cesar E Chavez Blvd, Portland, OR 97212, United States

Chef Tomas Pisha-Duffly pulls from his Indonesian-Chinese heritage and New England upbringing for both traditional Indonesian fare and cheeky, out-there plates like pork and blood sausage corn dogs. The casual, colorful restaurant, tucked in a nondescript strip mall, is a natural fit for large-format dining, especially via its Rice Table, a $55 tour of the restaurant’s menu — all chef’s choice.

1801 NE Cesar E Chavez Blvd, Portland, OR 97212, United States
Dishes at Gado Gado
Molly J. Smith/EPDX

Top Burmese

413 NW 21st Ave, Portland, OR 97209

Poe and Kalvin Myint are serving Indian-influenced food of Myanmar at their restaurant Top Burmese. Highlights include laphet, a fermented tea-leaf salad with sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and peanuts, and a buttery paratha served with a selection of paprika and turmeric-based curries. The small and cute restaurant space in Northwest Portland will soon be joined by another location in Beaverton.

413 NW 21st Ave, Portland, OR 97209
(503) 477-5985
(503) 477-5985
Two plates sit on a stainless steel table: a curried chicken dish with roti, and a udon-style noodle dish with eggs and onions
Chicken paratha and noodle salad
Nick Woo/EPDX

Kopi Coffee House

2327 E Burnside St, Portland, OR 97214

To say Portland has a thriving coffee scene is an understatement. Still, Kopi (the Indonesian word for coffee) is unique among the many local greats. Using beans sourced directly from Southeast Asia, baristas prepare drinks like koi jahe — a ginger, cardamom, and nutmeg French press — and kedai susu — a latte with makrut-lemongrass and sweetened condensed milk. In the morning, wake up for stuffed breakfast rotis and coconut rice bowls with bacon, sausage, or curry.

2327 E Burnside St, Portland, OR 97214
(503) 234-8610
(503) 234-8610
Nasi pagi
Nick Woo/EPDX

PaaDee

6 SE 28th Ave, Portland, OR 97214

Often overshadowed by its fine-dining sibling Langbaan, the casual Paadee holds its own with an Issan menu flush with tasty larb (do not miss the fluffy, omelet larb with crispy rice that’s full of citrus and mint). Whole salt-grilled rockfish is a stunner, as is the ba mhee pitsanulok, an egg noodle and pork broth soup featuring pork belly, red pork, and pork meatballs. The fun, fruity cocktails are a good match for some of the aggressively spicy dishes. 

6 SE 28th Ave, Portland, OR 97214
(503) 360-1453
(503) 360-1453
Ba mhee pitsanulok
Nick Woo/EPDX

Langbaan

6 SE 28th Ave, Portland, OR 97214

Hidden behind a bookshelf in the back of Paadee, reservation-only Langbaan serves a multi-course tasting menu that changes seasonally. Chef de cuisine Brandon Hirahara complements a variety of regional Thai flavors with wild pink sea bream, ramps, fried scales, and nasturtium, while pastry chef Maya Erickson sweetens the deal with carrot cake, white chocolate coconut mousse, and rhubarb with a black sesame sauce. Try the kanom krok, which features scallops, coconut cream, galangal, and lemongrass in a crispy-rice cup, but be warned: This is one of the hardest reservations to get in all of Portland.

6 SE 28th Ave, Portland, OR 97214
(971) 344-2564
(971) 344-2564
Kanom krok at Langbaan
Nick Woo/EPDX

Nong's Khao Man Gai

609 SE Ankeny St C, Portland, OR 97214

Nong Poonsukwattana arrived in the U.S. in 2003 with two suitcases and $70. A few years later she’d saved up just enough to buy a food cart, and went into business preparing and serving her signature dish every day until it sold out. She eventually raised enough to open a brick-and-mortar location on each side of the river. Nong’s Khao Man Gai specializes in the Thai version of chicken and rice. Poonsukwattana poaches free-range chicken in water, ginger, pandan leaves, and garlic; chicken fat gets rendered with shallot, galangal, pandan leaves, and garlic; jasmine rice is cooked in the aromatic fat and broth. The care put into each step is palpable in the final product. Go early and ask for a bag of fried chicken skins, which are almost always sold out within hours of opening.

609 SE Ankeny St C, Portland, OR 97214
(503) 740-2907
(503) 740-2907
Khao Man Gai
Nick Woo/EPDX

Rose VL

6424 SE Powell Blvd, Portland, OR 97206

The family behind Rose VL and its sister restaurant Ha VL have been perfecting Vietnamese noodle soups and sandwiches since 2006. The daily rotating soups — like Saturday’s turmeric mi Quang and Sunday’s crab flake soup — are complex, concentrated masterpieces. Cau lầu, a noodle dish from the central Vietnamese city of  Hội An, features thick noodles, fresh herbs, sliced pork, bone-in chicken, peanuts, fried shallots, and wontons. The heady stew of wonderfully contrasting textures and flavors has earned this place many regulars.

6424 SE Powell Blvd, Portland, OR 97206
(503) 206-4344
(503) 206-4344
Cao lau
Nick Woo/EPDX

An Xuyen Bakery

5345 SE Foster Rd, Portland, OR 97206

While An Xuyen Bakery is home to excellent pastries, macarons, and baguettes, the place is most beloved for its $2.99 bahn mi. It all starts with a crispy, fluffy loaf that is so good, other restaurants like Foster Burger and Lardo use it, too. Pickled carrots and daikon, cilantro, and cucumber top fillings like sweet barbecue pork, savory lemongrass chicken, or tender vegetarian “meat.” Finish off with a bag of guava cookies, durian cakes, and jelly rolls to go.

5345 SE Foster Rd, Portland, OR 97206
(503) 788-0866
(503) 788-0866
BBQ pork banh mi
Nick Woo/EPDX

Bun Bo Hue Restaurant

7002 SE 82nd Ave, Portland, OR 97266

From the outside, this corner spot with barred windows is less than beckoning, but Bun Bo Hue’s namesake beef noodle soup is a standout among the many versions in this part of town. Chile-spiked broth and bouncy Vietnamese vermicelli rice noodles join tender sliced beef and pork, sausage, pork knuckles, and blood cubes in a perfectly balanced bowl. 

7002 SE 82nd Ave, Portland, OR 97266
(503) 771-1141
(503) 771-1141
Bun bo hue
Nick Woo/EPDX

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