We have been producing our food show, Munchies, for four years now. As much as we love it, it only gives us a few hours with chefs that we find extremely intriguing. So we thought, “Fuck it, why don’t we make a full-on documentary?” That leads us to our first feature, Farang, with none other than chef Andy Ricker. “Farang,” the Thai word for “white foreigner” is Andy’s nickname around Thailand. When Andy opened his first Portland-based Thai restaurant, Pok Pok, it was unlike any other in the United States. Today, he’s chef and owner of seven restaurants nationwide, with a massive cult following.
Farang explores Andy’s relentless 25-year-old obsession with a country, its culture, and food practices, an obsession that’s bridged the gap between regional Thai cuisine and Western palates, the issues within the American Thai restaurant community, and how authenticity is at the core value system of Andy’s craft.
We traveled with Andy from Thailand, to Portland, and also watched him open his noodle shop, Sen Yai.
Farang, the story of Andy Ricker, will be released in 2014.
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