Heads Up: Keith Lee’s Portland Restaurant Tour Has Begun

Former MMA fighter and TikTok food critic Keith Lee has entered Portland’s restaurant scene stage left. The online reviewer, who mainly focuses on mom-and-pop operations and typically eats in his car, has been called a “voice of a generation.” His sway over his 17.2 million followers is such that a positive review of a restaurant can lead to a swelling in sales, while a negative one can cause serious problems. Last year when his fans claimed there might have been a worm in a piece of sushi Lee ate in Seattle, the controversy was so intense the restaurant temporarily closed.

So Portland restaurant owners are surely waiting with baited breath to see where he’ll appear. His first stop: Gado Gado. The Indonesian-inspired restaurant isn’t quite a hole-in-the-wall affair — it’s been nominated fof James Beard Awards and was a semifinalist this year. Chef Thomas Pisha-Duffly and Mariah Pisha-Duffly’s restaurant boasts an $89 prix fixe menu and its lauded dishes like roti canai, rendang, and curries spun into second restaurant Oma’s Hideaway.

Lee visited on Wednesday, July 30 and ordered a slew of dishes including blistered tomato curry, chicken satay, English peas on rice, and a side of roti. Across the board, he was a big fan. “That curry has so much flavor in it,” Lee said of the order. “That is ridiculous.”

Lee begins his video admitting that while he’s heard the place is good, the restaurant was slow when he arrived: So after the meal, he bought $2,000 in gift cards for the customers after him to use and left a $500 tip. “SCREAMING, CRYING, THROWING UP!!!!!!! ,” begins Gado Gado’s Instagram post recap of the event. “Holy shit I am overwhelmed with gratitude.”

Lee dines anonymously, or he attempts to by sending his kids in to get his orders. His priority is often Black-owned businesses, and what’s been called the “Keith Lee Effect” cannot be overstated: myriad testimonials from restaurant owners show just how powerful a visit from Lee can be. In late 2024, the then Las Vegas resident moved his family to Texas, but he travels the country often.

Where else should Lee go in Portland now that he’s started with such a powerhouse? Let Eater know through our tipline.