In 2003, the story goes, 23-year-old Nong Poonsukwattana arrived in Portland, Oregon, from Bangkok, nothing but $70 and two suitcases to her name. She waited tables and worked in the kitchens of the city’s Thai restaurants — often the only Thai on staff — saving, saving all the while. A few years later, taking advantage of a newly forming street-food scene, she opened a stall serving one of her homeland’s beloved dishes. Nong’s Khao Man Gai (it simply means “rice fat chicken”) was the first target in my crosshairs when I headed to Portland in 2012, its fame spreading to us food nerds across oceans. I was fascinated by the whole idea: she sold only that one dish, opening when it was ready and closing

Source: The Times February 25, 2021 16:52 UTC