Akkapong Ninsom

Signature

Akkapong's signature dishes include Peking Duck, foie gras tart, fish skin chips, oxtail dumplings, and gai tod Hat Yai. Read together, they show range without losing control of contrast: crisp against supple, rich against bright, and ornate work set beside more direct, rustic forms.

In Their Words “Most of Thailand, the dishes they serve in restaurants are the same dishes. Hat Yai—it's different.” “There are always these four stalls next to each other.”

The Recognition The clearest recognition comes through the food itself: chef and partner at Hat Yai in Portland, Oregon. Ninsom draws a line between restaurant Thai cooking that stays on familiar ground and Hat Yai, which takes a different route. That difference is carried in the seasoning, the coriander seed, the fried shallots, and the chili vinegar, each part doing a specific job in the final balance. His own words frame that distinction in plain terms. “Most of Thailand, the dishes they serve in restaurants are the same dishes. Hat Yai—it's different.” The point is not theory; it is a practical reading of regional cooking, where small choices tell you where a dish comes from. “There are always these four stalls next to each other.” The image places the food in a working street context, where identity is built through repetition, proximity, and use.

The Work

Behind It At Hat Yai, gai tod Hat Yai is the central craft note. Coriander seed gives fragrance, fried shallots add crunch and savory weight, and chili vinegar supplies the lift that keeps the dish from sitting heavy. The result is fried chicken with a clear regional address, not just a name attached to a familiar format. Ninsom’s former work at Decoy in New York City moved through a different set of forms. There, Peking Duck was the centerpiece dish, and the menu was built around Chinese duck. Other dishes associated with that former venue included foie gras tart, fish skin chips, and oxtail dumplings. The two chapters sit in clear contrast: one organized around duck, the other around the sharp, compact logic of South Thai fried chicken.

The Road Ninsom was born in Bangkok, Thailand. His nationality is American, and his current public association is with Portland through Hat Yai. Decoy in New York City belongs to the past tense, and it should stay there as a former chapter of his career. Across both restaurants, the through-line is specificity. One side is Peking Duck within a menu centered on Chinese duck; the other is gai tod Hat Yai, tied to South Thailand and built from coriander, shallots, and chili vinegar. The work is defined by how clearly it names its sources.