Phnom Penh: Experince the food, not your surroundings
Phnom Penh may distract or even confuse you with its quirky interior, but its friendly service and mouth watering cuisine make up for all of that.
It’s late spring; Summer is on the verge of taking over, but it’s not apparent today. Though the temperature is mild, rain has been pounding down in erratic spurts throughout the morning.
The restaurant is located on King St. East just off of Princess St. It is away from the bustling vehicles, but still close enough to feel the excitement radiating from “the Heart of Kingston.”
I escape the daggers of rain and duck into the rustic building.
I am greeted promptly and warmly by a waiter and given a table. I’m impressed with the service at this point.
Once at my table, I take a look around.
The walls are splashed with deep reds and greens and large landscapes hang delicately around the room. It feels quaint at first glance, but then I’m slightly confused.
They are offering me Thai and Cambodian cuisine, but the paintings are clearly from all different cultures and there are paper lanterns and Christmas lights decorating the restaurant. Maybe it isn’t just me who’s confused about ethnicity.
The waiter returns in a mere moment with water and menus. Again, I am impressed.
That is until the glass draws my attention to the small and slightly sticky table in front of me.
Owner and chef, Lay Soleak, emerges from the kitchen for a light conversation. Though this may seem over the top, he repeats his actions when the next group comes in. It isn’t special treatment for a critic; it’s just the way he is.
During the conversation, I learn that Soleak took over the restaurant in November of last year. Phnom Penh is his first venture.
He has no official training in cuisine, but comes from Cambodia where he learned about the food. The last owners also showed him a thing or two before they left. I’ll see if it’s enough.
I order Thai Curry ($10)—this price reflects the rest of the menu—and wait only minutes until the food is brought to me.
The plate is placed in front of me and I am overwhelmed by the sheer size of the helping. But quality trumps quantity.
On my dish are a number of items: strips of chicken, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, green beans and a side of rice. This is all smothered in red curry sauce. Though not exactly a pretty presentation, I am very tempted by this meal.
The spices of the curry sauce bounce in the air around me, pulling the envious stares of my fellow diners toward my plate.
Without another second of hesitation, I jump into my first ever experience with Thai food.
At first, all I can taste is the sauce; it is an explosion of flavour. Though it has a kick, it is not completely overwhelming like the green curry sauce—an option that is offered with this dish.
The broccoli and cauliflower are cooked to perfection and soaked in the hot curry sauce. My teeth grind down, crumbling them to nothing but flavour.
The white rice is cold and lacks all aspects of life, especially colour. Though it cannot stand on its own, a splash of the fiery sauce changes all of that.
The chicken is tantalizingly slippery with sauce. And unlike other places, they are not skimpy with their meat. There is more than enough on my plate.
Individually, these ingredients are not so special, but together, the succulent vegetables, mild chicken, plain rice and red curry sauce, create a sublime puzzle of food, fitting together deliciously.
Though the interior with its mismatched themes and objects is somewhat tacky, there are many upsides to eating at Phnom Penh.
The quality of the cuisine is as large as the quality, but the price isn’t. The amount of food you receive for $10 is unreal; it’s sure to fill anyone.
And it’s anyone that eats here. All different people come to this restaurant when they do, they are sure to find exactly what the menu offers: “exotic and delightful Thai and Cambodian cuisine.”
It’s good food at a good pric
Best spicy green curry ever, to have it separate the tough from the wimps!!!
Best authentic green curry I have ever had, that being said it is not for the faint of heart. You will find out if you can handle spicy when you eat this dish. Now if Momma is cooking the heat is even higher. So if you want a milder version find out when Pappa is cooking (family run as you can guess).
I've been to Phnom-Penh many times, and have tried probably at least half of the items on their menu. They give you a good sized serving at a reasonable price.
The food itself is great and they offer a lot of dishes that I regularly alternate between depending on my day's palate. If you ask the staff, they usually give you good recommendations; most dishes can be customized in order to accommodate customers who prefer more mild/spicy foods, and substitutions aren't a problem.
In my experience the service is good; the servers know the menus well and are accommodating and polite; the food is always delivered quickly. The only exception is on busy weekend nights at peak hours when you might have to wait a little bit longer for your meal, but this is understandable and the wait is worth it. To other reviewers: remember that this is a fun family restaurant and not a place to go for more formal fine dining; the level of service is good and appropriate for the style of restaurant; customers pay at the bar at the end of their meal.
If I could recommend a few dishes, I'd suggest trying their #1/11/19 (same red curry dish w/ different chicken/shrimp/tofu), 5, 6, 9 (or 2 if you like pineapples), 12 (get it with red curry if you don't like spicy food, or get 23 instead if you want the same thing without meat), 15, 21 (get 'firm' tofu), 27 (love this one), 28 (add hot sauce -- love the flavour), 30/31, 36. Also 17/Sp#1 and Sp#4 are great noodle dishes and a little lighter. Oh and their soups are decent, but the portions are HUGE so always share them or treat them as entrees.
Oh and this is a Cambodian/Thai restaurant, NOT Vietnamese (as it says above).
Walked in, unimpressed with unauthentic decor. Fairly friendly waiter. All waiters/waitresses looked like university students and white. Prompt service. When food arrived we were astounded at its presentation. Food was literally falling off the plate, sloppily piled on, excess sauce. Runny and watery appearance. Looked like a greasy spoon thai restaurant. Food was so bad, wife went outside and vomited once outside restaurant, and 3 times heading back to car. And yet again once in the car. Food was not over spicy, but of poor quality. Nothing special about the food
the pad thai that i had was not orange or even red in colour, they used soya sauce or black bean sauce and it looked black. It tasted alright but something fishy about it. The soup wasn't even clear, it was entirely something else other than what it's supposed to be.
To top it off, it lead to an undesirable GI episode.
Frankly, this is a place to avoid.
