Khao Moo Dang

"This simply adorned counter service spot combines thinly sliced five spice pork, crispy belly, boiled egg, rice, and Chinese sausage, topping them with a fragrant sauce. The result is savory and sweet, tender and crunchy, all while being satisfyingly comforting. Since it opened, its menu has expanded to include a wide variety of stellar soups, from wonton tom yum to tom kha loaded with pork loin and belly. It’s incredibly difficult to go wrong here." - Krista Garcia

"This sibling restaurant of Thai Peacock specializes in its namesake Thai dish of pork cooked two ways, served over rice with sweet red gravy, Chinese sausage, and soft-boiled egg (also the name of the adorably plump pygmy hippo of internet fame). It’s a meal that’s otherwise hard to come by in Portland, and the dynamic duo of shatteringly crisp pork belly and melt-in-your-mouth tenderloin is a delight to traverse. Other menu highlights include khao soi with egg noodles, dumplings with yu-choy and vinegar, and the lychee hibiscus iced tea. Online ordering is available for pick up and delivery." - Katherine Chew Hamilton

"While the namesake pork-and-rice dish at this Hawthorne restaurant is always a stunner, Khao Moo Dang’s wide swath of noodle soups can steal the show on any given visit. The ba mhee tom yum, in particular, is the best of several different worlds in a single bowl — it has the sour-sweetness of a tom yum base, the thinly sliced pork loin and crispy pork belly of the khao moo dang, and the thin, squiggly egg noodles of a wonton soup. For something a little more coconut-y, the ba mhee tom kha is another fun alternative." - Rebecca Roland, Nick Woo, Brooke Jackson-Glidden

"It’s counter service, you go at your own pace, you can’t really go wrong with anything on the menu. I get the number 2.1 (garlic rice, sliced pork loin, crispy pork belly, Chinese sausage, soft boiled egg, and pork broth), and add spicy vinegar and jalapenos." - Thom Hilton

"While the namesake pork-and-rice dish at this Hawthorne restaurant is always a stunner, Khao Moo Dang’s wide swath of noodle soups can steal the show on any given visit. The ba mhee tom yum, in particular, is the best of several different worlds in a single bowl — it has the sour-sweetness of a tom yum base, the thinly sliced pork loin and crispy pork belly of the khao moo dang, and the thin, squiggly egg noodles of a wonton soup. For something a little more coconut-y, the ba mhee tom kha is another fun alternative." - Nick Woo, Brooke Jackson-Glidden