In 2003, Nong’s founder Nong Poonsukwattana left Bangkok and arrived in Portland, Oregon, with just $70 in her pocket and two suitcases in her hands.
And a few years later, she shared some of Bangkok with her new home by opening a food cart selling one traditional dish she spent ages mastering: khao man gai. Related to a dish rooted in Chinese and Malaysian cuisine, Thai khao man gai—a comforting boiled chicken and rice plate—is accompanied by a delicious soy-based sauce. Poonsukwattana makes hers using a recipe passed down from her mother.