E-San Thai Downtown - Portland, OR

Thais from the Northeast section of Thailand, Issan (or Esan), consider themselves Lao, and historically this part of Thailand and Laos have very close connections reflected in the music, dress and of course the food. E-San's chef, Ting Pathammavong, was raised there, and now she blends her own variations of recipes from her traditional land.

For over 10 years, Ting worked in the kitchen of just about every Thai restaurant in Portland before a friend suggested that she and her husband, Mao, open up their own. That was over 6 years ago, and if asked about it, Mao smiles and says he still loves it, and would rather be at work than at home. He jokingly says that when he is at home, his twin daughters play with each other, leaving him nothing to do.

When asked what makes his restaurant voted "Portland's Best," he simply says, "We use only fresh ingredients. We can't be open for breakfast, because we spend the morning buying the food for that day."

He also says he has a wonderful staff, and says, "We're really happy here. And a happy staff makes a happy customer. Some have even been with me from the beginning." It's true, his bartender, Raphael Rodriguez, was working the downtown restaurant when Mao bought the place. It is difficult to stump Raphael with even obscure drinks. (from http://www.e-santhai.com)