PORTLAND, Ore. — Chef Earl Ninsom, whose Northwest Portland restaurant recently won a James Beard Award, knew he wanted to make it big in the restaurant world after he tried the upscale French restaurant Le Pigeon back in 2009.
His best friend was a sous chef at the time and told him that restaurants recognized by the James Beard Awards were the ones to follow.
“Back then, I didn’t know who James Beard was," Ninsom confessed. "I was just curious why all these people were getting nominated for this one award, so I started trying to learn from all those that have paved the way.”
He had been back and forth between the U.S. and his hometown Bangkok, Thailand, where he first learned to cook after his mother fell ill.
When he opened his first Portland restaurant Paadee in 2009, he knew he wanted to introduce those foods from his childhood to a completely new audience.
“I wanted guests to feel good when they come to the restaurant and enjoy their time here with us," Ninsom told KGW. "That's all of our goals. The food may not be perfect, but it is sincere and authentic.”
This mentality has taken Ninsom far, now owning six successful restaurants in the Rose City that all serve Thai cuisine — but it's the tiniest one, Langbaan, that snagged this year's James Beard Award for "Outstanding Restaurant" in the U.S.
Ninsom shared it wouldn’t be possible without all the amazing people he met here in Portland, and most importantly, his Thai roots.
“Our cuisine is so diverse; there are so many underrepresented communities that no one outside of Thailand or not many people outside of Thailand know about," said Ninsom, "so we are honored to represent all those communities.”
Gregory Gourdet, who owns the Haitian restaurant Kann in Southeast Portland, also won his third James Beard Award Monday night. This year, he took home the title of "Best Chef in the Northwest and Pacific."