Viral TikTok star gives Portland restaurant 10-star review
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A beloved TikTok creator known for his food content is bringing his reviews to the Rose City.
Keith Lee, who now has 17.2 million followers on the social media app, recently announced that Portland would be his next stop on the “Familee Food Tour.”
“Portland, Oregon, here we come, and I’m extremely excited,” Lee said in a video. “I’ve heard great things about the food scene there. I’ve always heard they have an amazing food truck scene and I can’t wait to see it.”
To choose which restaurants he will try on the tour, the former Mixed Martial Arts athlete asks locals for their favorite mom-and-pop shops in their respective cities. He has previously visited places including Raleigh, N.C., Baton Rouge, La. and Toronto, Canada.
In Portland, Lee’s first stop was at the James-Beard-nominated Gado Gado. He ordered the Roti Canai, Oma’s Clove Scented Rice, English Pea & Asparagus Green Curry and Charcoal Grilled Chicken Satay, according to the TikTok he posted on Wednesday.
The 28-year-old food influencer gave the Indonesian restaurant a 10-star rating, highlighting its customer service and flavorful dishes.
“That might be one of the first 10s I’ve given out in months. That is one of the most balanced flavored meals I’ve ever had in my life because the curry is spicy, it's buttery from the roti. The chicken is chargrilled, super smoky. That rice is super fragrant… That’s incredible,” he said.
Over the years, his videos have resulted in a surge of customers for several small businesses — a surge dubbed the "Keith Lee effect." The Gado Gado review currently has more than two million views and 350,000 likes.
In addition to the food, Lee purchased a $2000 gift card to cover meals for other diners. In an Instagram post, the restaurant said he also left a 25% tip on the gift card purchase.
The influencer also shared a positive review of Kee's Loaded Kitchen, a soul food cart on 3625 NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd. He ordered a "loaded plate," stacked with several dishes like fried catfish, beef ribs and mac and cheese.
"Overall, it don't taste like we're in Portland. This tastes like we in the country somewhere, but I absolutely see why people told us to come here — without a doubt," Lee said.
He later stopped by the Cheese & Crack Snack Shop to order soft-serve ice cream with espresso and matcha "dust," giving the dessert a rating of nine out of 10.
It’s unclear how many local eateries Lee will visit. Some of his followers have advised him to try businesses like GrindWitTryz, Tokyo Sando and Hat Yai.