Pok Pok, Portland, Oregon,USA

This restaurant is unlike any other Thai place in the U.S. First of all, you can't get pad Thai here. Second, the chef is not Thai; he's a white guy named Andy Ricker. Third, the restaurant is in Ricker's house and yard. More important, the food at Pok Pok is unforgettable. Ricker has spent years traveling and learning to cook in Thailand and loves northern Thai–style grilled street foods.