Nong's Khao Man Gai

The eponymous dish served at much-loved Portland cart Nong’s Kaho Man Gai is a seemingly simple plate: a scoop of white rice crowned with sliced poached chicken and accompanied by green onion-garnished broth and a small bowl of pungently garlicky dipping sauce. But Nong Poonsukwattana, a Bangkok native and Chopped champion, elevates the dish to transcendence, rendering each component perfectly and adding super-flavorful touches including nuggets of crispy fried chicken skin and a bowl of creamy chicken livers. Her sauce—so addictive that Poonsukwattana bottles it for retail sale—is an exceptionally balanced mix featuring fermented soybeans, Thai chilis, and mountains of ginger and garlic.