Andy Ricker’s Laab Shaak at Dessous

Andy Ricker is the founder of Pok Pok, a restaurant that began life in Portland, Oregon and expanded, at various stages of its timeline, to include other establishments in Portland and New York, such as Whiskey Soda Lounge, Pok Pok Wing, Pok Pok Noi, Michelin Starred Pok Pok Ny, charcoal company Thaan and a drinking vinegar company called Pok Pok Som.

You might also recognise him from his appearances on Anthony Bourdain’s TV shows, where he showed Bourdain around Chiang Mai, the city he now calls home. Tony, in turn, described Ricker’s first book, Pok Pok, as an argument ender. “When Andy says ‘make som tam lao like this,’” he wrote, “it's like Jacques Pépin telling you how to make an omelette. The matter is settled.” He termed Ricker’s 2017 treatise The Drinking Food of Thailand, meanwhile, “an outstanding, authoritative, and integral work... Essential”.

Ricker is a particular fan of the food of northern Thailand (where he lives) of food that involves ferments, and of the fine art of making laab. For Festival 2026 he has teamed up with Dessous chef Dan Sawansak to create the Laab Shaak, a celebration of everyone’s favourite northern Thai/Lao minced meat and rice salad.

This is a party, friends, not a tasting menu. The set-up is shorter bookings, a concise menu, and plenty of punchy flavour and funk, all designed to pair well with cold drinks and hot nights. There’ll be bev options aplenty, Dan and Andy will be throwing around more than a few specials as the mood takes them. Grilled meats and sticky rice ahoy!

Ticket includes an oyster, laab, two snacks, and a sweet snack. Additional dishes will be available to purchase à la carte, and beverages will be charged on consumption.