Pok Pok is a gentrified, yuppified version of TAC, with "small plates"-sized servings. The menu is intriguing, though the food lacks the multi-dimensionality of TAC

I don’t think that Pok Pok is really ‘gentrified’ or ‘yuppified’ or whatever. What’s gentrified about it? The fact that they serve cocktails? The space? Certainly not the food, in my experience. The flavors are not watered-down at all, and they certainly don’t cater to people seeking fancy-pants Thai “fusion” cuisine or whatever (which is what I would imagine from your description.) A lot of people don’t like it because the food is too funky/spicy and you can’t get stuff like pad thai there. I dunno. I really like the place personally.

1) They're not doing "small plates" or Thai tapas. They're doing dishes in quantities similar to what you'd actually get in Thailand. They're not trying to supersize us.

2) While TAC's Thai menu is great and I love the food, unless they've changed things, their standard menu is pretty typical and in that sense, I'd say they're making a greater attempt than Pok Pok to placate American tastes. Pok Pok's menu is seasonal and rather regional. And it's the only menu. I see that LionRock just said the same things I was going to. I echo him that it sounds to me like you saw a cocktail list and white waiters and translated that as "yuppified".

Yeah, as another Portland native and frequent eater at Pok Pok I'd say it's anything but "gentrified." Andy certainly isn't the type of guy to promote whitebread, milquetoast flavors and I've actually been able to trade punk records for food there.

I haven't eaten at TAC (or any of the other Chicago Thai joints), so I can't compare. Looking forward to comparing though.

I've been to Pok Pok at least 1/2 a dozen times and enjoyed excellent food with out a yuppie in sight. As Nick stated, it's more like TAC's special board, more so than TAC's menu. And even if that were the case, yuppies need to eat too, even if they're not as hip as you may think you are. I'll bet your money is the same color as well (shudder the thought). The very hands on owner has a good thing going, does it well and is appreciated by his customers. Pok Pok was voted the best restaurant in Portland this year. Could you see TAC, as deserved as some may think, getting the same accolades here? Not likely.

Actually, there's a movement in Portland that would do well to be exported, of certain fanatics doing very authentic solid food. Whether they're of the incorrect social or racial profile would be your problem and loss.

The place is funky at best, in fact, most of Portland is.

If I had said 'scruffy', signaling both slapdash charm and the prevalance of facial hair on Portlanders, would that have been better?

Portland Maine maybe. In case you didn't notice, Portland Oregon has more tats and pierces. Personally, I don't care for any of it but the makeup of the crowd wouldn't stop me from eating good chow anywhere.

Well, that was never really my point, anyway. The food was good; I'd go back.

Portlanders are very very very nice, by the way. It's hard not to notice how personable many are.