Andy Ricker (born 1963) is an American chef,

restaurateur A restaurateur is a person who opens and runs restaurants professionally. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who owns a restaurant, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspec ...

and cookery writer, known for his skill and expertise in northern

Thai cuisine Thai cuisine ( th, อาหารไทย, , ) is the national cuisine of Thailand. Thai cooking places emphasis on lightly prepared dishes with strong aromatic components and a spicy edge. Australian chef David Thompson, an expert on Th ...

Career

Beginning his working life as a dishwasher in Vermont when he was a teenager, he accumulated culinary knowledge whilst backpacking and working and staging in restaurants in countries such as

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 List of islands of New Zealand, smaller islands. It is the ...

, Australia and

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

, and at Raymond Blanc's

Michelin star The Michelin Guides ( ) are a series of guide books that have been published by the French tyre company Michelin since 1900. The Guide awards up to three Michelin star (classification), stars for excellence to a select few establishments. The ac ...

restaurant ''Le Manoir aux Quat' Saisons'' near

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the Un ...

, England. His first visit to Thailand was in 1987. From 1992 onward, he continued his travels to Thailand, staying there for several months each year to study Thai food culture.

Restaurants and bars

* Pok Pok, Portland (November 2005) * Ping (2009–2012; 2020–2021) *

Whiskey Soda Lounge Whiskey Soda Lounge was a bar and Thai restaurant by Andy Ricker in Portland, Oregon's Richmond neighborhood, in the United States. Located across the street from Ricker's Pok Pok restaurant, the whiskey-centric bar closed in 2020, during the ...

, Portland (December, 2009) * Pok Pok Noi (March 2011) * Pok Pok Wing (renamed: Pok Pok Phat Thai) (January 2012) * Pok Pok Ny, New York (April 2012) * Sen Yai, Portland (May 2013) * Whiskey Soda Lounge Ny, New York (August 2013) * Pok Pok Phat Thai, LA (November 2014) * Pok Pok LA (October 2015) * Pok Pok NW (Spring 2017)

Awards

* 2007: "Restaurant of the Year" by

The Oregonian ''The Oregonian'' is a daily newspaper based in Portland, Oregon, United States, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 18 ...

for Pok Pok in Portland * 2009: GQ Magazine's "Top Ten Best New Restaurants in America" * 2011:

James Beard Foundation Award The James Beard Foundation Awards are annual awards presented by the James Beard Foundation to recognize chefs, restaurateurs, authors and journalists in the United States. They are scheduled around James Beard's May 5 birthday. The media awar ...

: Best Chef, Northwest for his restaurant Pok Pok in Portland in 2011 * 2014: James Beard Foundation's annual Book, Broadcast and Journal Awards, in the category "cooking, recipes or instruction" for the article "The Star of Siam: Thai Curries" in

Saveur ''Saveur'' is an online gourmet, food, wine, and travel magazine that publishes essays about various world cuisines. The publication was co-founded by Dorothy Kalins, Michael Grossman, Christopher Hirsheimer, and Colman Andrews, who was also ...

magazine * 2014: IACP Award in the category "Instructional Culinary Writing" for the article "The Star of Siam: Thai Curries" in Saveur magazine * 2014: Pok Pok Ny receives a star in the 2015

Michelin Guide The Michelin Guides ( ) are a series of guide books that have been published by the French tyre company Michelin since 1900. The Guide awards up to three Michelin stars for excellence to a select few establishments. The acquisition or loss of ...

for New York City

Books

* ''Pok Pok: Food and Stories from the Streets, Homes, and Roadside Restaurants of Thailand'' (co-author J.J. Goode, photographer Austin Bush, foreword by chef David Thompson, 2013)

Television

* '' Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, Brooklyn'', November 2012 * '' Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, Thailand'', June 2014 * ''Farang, the story of chef Andy Ricker'' by VICE Films, July 2014 * '' The Taste, Bring the Heat'', January 2015

References

External links

Official website of Andy Ricker's restaurants and bars
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ricker, Andy Living people 1964 births American chefs American food writers American male chefs American cookbook writers James Beard Foundation Award winners Thai cuisine Thai-American culture