Meet the Women Behind Two of Portland's Buzziest Restaurants

Full warning: a train comes barreling through the live recording of our podcast at the Feast Portland food festival earlier this month. But it hardly stopped us from chatting with Megan Sanchez, chef and co-owner of Güero, and Nong Poonsukwattana, owner and chef at Nong's Khao Man Gai—two of our favorite women in food right now. The two chefs, who both started with food carts next to each other in Portland, each bring their very different life experiences to the table. Megan's parents' Mexican and Egyptian heritage plays a major role in her menu (nothing brings mezze to mind like a slew of salsa pots, right?). And Nong, who moved to the U.S. in the early 2000s from Bangkok, specializes in the Thai dish she wishes she could have eaten growing up in Thailand: khao man gai, poached chicken served in its broth. Listen in as we talk about what authenticity really means, where they find inspiration in travel, and about women supporting women. (And just ignored aforementioned the train.) Read a full transcription of the episode and more here: