Malis

When my parents and I first got to Phnom Penh, I didn't do my homework and research restaurants for us to visit. Luckily we found Malis in a travel book and we loved it! I don't have photos from our first visit but this was from my last lunch in Phnom Penh with A. It was the perfect farewell lunch and the food was once again very enjoyable. Malis is set in a beautiful location with a lovely garden and fountain outside. It is known in Phnom Penh to serve high class Khmer cuisine.

Golden Chicken Wings - Boneless Wings Stuffed with Peanuts, Chili, and Lemongrass
I thought this was a really cute idea and these did not disappoint. I wouldn't say they were a MUST order but they were very juicy and popping with flavor. The chicken was juicy and the filling was tasty and crunchy. The skin was also not overly fatty and was nice and crisp.

Green Papaya with Prawns - Spicy and Sour Green Papaya with Marinated Tiger Prawns
This may be a personal issue but I really disliked a specific flavor in this dish. This flavor was also prominent in vietnamese fresh rolls that I've had this another restaurant. I feel like it must be a specific herb but it reminds me of musty socks... like an old unwashed taste. The salad does seem fresh though and apart from the strange taste it was flavored well. The prawns were also well seasoned and crunchy. 

Green Beans - Long Green Beans Stir-fried with Shallots and Garlic
These were really good! Nothing special just regular green beans but they were perfectly crisp and very enjoyable in its simple preparation.

Vegetable Fried Rice - Fried Rice with Carrots and Scallions
A is a vegetarian so we asked them to prepare a vegetarian fried rice for us. Once again nothing special but it was executed very well. It was tasty while maintaining a fresh and clean profile. The rice was also not too wet which can be an amateur mistake.

I think I enjoyed the dishes I had with my parents more (the pork knuckle was DELISH), but this was still very enjoyable and I would definitely recommend Malis to friends who are visiting Phnom Penh. 

Malis

136 Street 41 Norodom Blvd

Phnom Penh

Cambodia

Friends the Restaurant

Friends is one of the most famous and popular restaurants in Phnom Penh. It is also started by Mith Samlanh and is a training restaurant for Phnom Penh's marginalized youth, similar to Romdeng. It is rated #2 of restaurants in Phnom Phnom by Tripadvisor so I clearly had a certain level of expectation for the. As much as I wanted to support this restaurant due to its good cause the food was simply a huge disappointment. I understand that the food is not cooked by famous chefs but it was just not enjoyable! The atmosphere was cute and was filled to the brim with tourists and expats, the service was also friendly. You could tell that there was a lot of effort put into the plating and the servers were also very sweet, but the food just did not taste good which was a shame.

Crispy Zucchini and Cheddar Fritters
This was a good start to the meal. The fritters were hearty and well flavored. The outside was nice and crispy. Unfortunately the rest of the dishes did not fare as well.

Sun-dried Tomato Hummus with Crispy Wonton Wrappers
I did not try this as K who is vegetarian was very hungry and we did not want to eat her food :)

Honey Garlic Pork and Beef Meatballs on Pandan Noodles
This was probably the worst dish of the night, and sadly one of the dishes that I was most looking forward to. The meatballs were heavily glazed with this sickeningly sweet and gloopey sauce and the pandan noodles were soft and tasteless. The flavors just did not work and it was a major disappointment.

Romdeng's Yummy Stir-fried Red Tree Ants with Beef Filet and Holy Basil
J and I decided to be adventurous and try the tree ants! It is my first time eating ants and it was quite interesting. The ants were rather large as you may be able to see in the picture below. After we got over the initial thrill of eating ants... we were then forced to try and eat the rest of this pile of food. The amount of beef was actually quite shocking and the amount of herbs was also overwhelming. This may be a personal preference but I really didn't enjoy the flavor profile of this dish and could only take a few bites of it. The beef was also very lean (quite typical of Cambodian beef).

Creepy crawliessss 

Taro and Sweet Potato Fries with Tom Yum Mayonnaise
Ugh, once again something that I was looking forward to but which totally disappointed me. You all know I love fries to death, and these were horrible. They were not crispy at all and the insides were in this awkward state of half cooked/powdery. Meh.

Sandan's Grilled Fish Filet with Green Mango and Red Onion Salad
This dish was decent. The fish was nice and tender and the mango and onion salad was refreshing. Nothing to rave about though. 

Overall, Friends was a big disappointment. I really admire the charitable work that the restaurant is doing, but unfortunately the food just did not live up to expectations. If someone REALLY wanted to come back, I would probably be hesitant but I could try other dishes. But if it were up to me I would not come again. 

Friends Restaurant

#215 

Street 13

Phnom Penh

Cambodia

Ninja

Ninja is located on the bustling and tourist hotspot BKK1 which is also a short walk from my office. I went the first time with my colleague C and he ordered a spicy miso ramen which looked amazing! I had a spoonful of the broth and I must say that was some solid broth. It looked absolutely huge though and my colleague who is a 200+ male could not even finish half of it so I knew I had to get it on a hungry day. Shockingly (or maybe not) I actually ate the entire thing when I came for a loner lunch one day and felt so very satisfied after. I will definitely be returning again to sample it's other lunch sets.

Spicy Miso Ramen
The noodles were chewy and delicious, the soup was incredibly rich and flavorful, the cha siu was also tender and fatty, and the addition of sprouts, spring onions, and onions added the right amount of crunch. A delicious bowl of ramen! The only complaint is the overcooked egg. 

Ninja

#14B

St 278

BKK1

Phnom Penh

Cambodia

Sesame Noodle Bar

We were going to the Russian Market today and Sesame Noodle Bar was only 3 streets away so we decided to do lunch here. The food was very yummy but I was stuffed to my eyeballs and felt like a sea slug for the rest of the day. I was surprised though because the noodle salad was mostly salad but it really filled me up like no other. The place is a cute small space and service was friendly. It is not a must visit if you are visiting Phnom Penh but if you are here for a extended period it is worth a visit!

Thor Buns
These were like your regular pork belly buns that have been super popular for a little bit in the states and now Hong Kong. They were not bad, but definitely not the best I've had. The bun was nice and soft, and it had all the regular components but the pork could be thicker and more tender. Ippudo and Momofuku versions are definitely better :)

Sesame House Noodles
This was really yummy and refreshing! I really liked how it's mostly salad and the ramen noodles were cooked to a perfect al dente. The salad was fresh and crisp and the pork was a perfect balance of sweet and savory. The sesame sauce was also very yummy and blended everything into a yummy mess that was perfect for a DAMN HOT DAY (I was sweating like a pig).

Sesame Noodle Bar 

House #9 

Street 460 

Phnom Penh 

Cambodia

Bloom Cakes

Bloom Cakes serves super cute cupcakes in Phnom Penh in a comfortable environment. It's a great place to visit after lunch since we get two hour lunch breaks (woohoo!). On their website, it says that Bloom is a non-profit that aims to empower Cambodian women by equipping them with skills. The cupcakes at Bloom are a bit too dense for my tastes but the flavors are always very interesting and yummy. The decoration is also extremely pretty and it's always a treat for the eyes.

Bloom Cakes

#40

Street 222

Phnom Penh

Cambodia

Beirut

Beirut is a lebanese restaurant located in the bustling riverside area in Phnom Penh. The restaurant has a second floor which was nice as it was much more spacious upstairs. The one thing though was that the waiters did not come up often enough and we always had to wait for a while before one would pop up to check on us or bring us food. However, the food was delicious and I would be happy to return. The classic appetizer platter had all the usual yummy offerings such as hummus, babaganoush, falafel, etc. The falafel was very good and I LOVED the grilled lamb. It was flavored simply and the flavor was excellent.

Beirut

117 Preah Sisowath Quay
Phnom Penh
Cambodia

Rikitikitavi

A bunch of us went to Kampot and Kep for a weekend getaway and like always I was super excited to research all the places that we should visit. Kampot is very famous for its pepper and I made sure to buy a big bag for my parents! To be honest there really isn't much to do at all in Kampot, it is a very sleepy town so it's nice to come relax and get away from Phnom Penh as a short weekend trip. We only stayed for the morning and went to Kep which is a beach town in the afternoon. Rikitikitavi had good reviews and we were initially thinking of going here for lunch but we were FAMISHED after our car ride and the noodle/dumpling place that we were initially planning to have breakfast at was closed so we came here instead! The place was super cute! It had a open terrace/seating area with a great view to the river. Apparently it has killer sunset views but we didn't get to see that this time.

Haha ok so it was like 9 am but it's the weekend... TREAT YOSELF

Beef Lok Lak
Beef lok lak is a traditional Cambodian dish but I've seen several different ways to do it. Overall its chunks of beef sautéed in a rich sauce. The other time I had it there were peppers and I think pineapple added to it also. This was quite yummy! It was a very hearty dish and the sauce was robust and peppery. The egg as you can see was almost too perfect, it looked like a cartoon egg or something. I rather it be a bit more rustic because the egg white was a bit too plasticy textured.

I would definitely return again if I am ever in Kampot (probably not thought haha), it was a very enjoyable environment and the food was nicely made.

Rikitikitavi

Riverside Road (Next to the Post Office)

Kampot

Cambodia

Chinese Noodle House

I had a massive craving for dumplings and so I was super excited when I heard that there was a authentic Chinese shop near our office. The lady there also smoke mandarin which I was super excited about as I have barely practiced my mando skillssince my Tsinghua days so I was super eager to show her some what my Chinese program taught me (and years and years in HKIS haha...). Unfortunately the dumplings were only ok but the noodles were actually really good! I should be smart next time and get the noodles since the name of the place is Chinese Noodles House... either way, the dumplings weren't bad and it was a comforting meal at a crazy cheap price. They have people hand-pulling the noodles at the front which is also a tourist favorite (although I am not sure how many tourists come here). I got the water booked and the deep fried dumplings. I realized that many places here only deep fry dumplings and don't pan fry them like places usually do. I suspect that it may be because it is faster and requires less effort?

Fried Noodle with Pork and Egg
I had a small bite of this because it was my friends and I really enjoyed it! The noodles were chewy and had a great bite to them. The egg was also super yummy as it was smothered in the sauce and te amount of veggie and meat was also good. I will definitely get this next time.

Water-cooked Dumplings
As you can see, the dumplings are slightly messy and they definitely contained much more veggie than pork. I usually don't mind that there is a higher ratio of veggie to pork but this was to the next level. The skin was a bit too thin as I like to have a bit of a chew to my dumpling. They were not bad, but I think I will order the noodles next time! 

A must visit when you are in Phnom Penh? Definitely not, but if you are here for a longer stay and you are craving some yummy noodles and average dumplings for cheap, definitely hits the spot. 

Chinese Noodle House

No. 551 Monivong Blvd

Phnom Penh

Cambodia

ARTillery

One thing that I've been very surprised about Phnom Penh is it's amount of healthy and organic eateries. I initially was a bit unsure about going to Artillery because I usually am not the most keen about these healthy places that place special emphasis on organic healthy produce because I am not a huge fan of salad and that also usually means meat free (oh no). BUT it has actually become one of my favorite places to do lunch in Phnom Penh and I'm really glad that I tried out this place. The menu actually does contain some meat options but I actually prefer the vegetarian dishes. The falafel and hummus is DELICIOUS and the bruschetta is also very yummy. The atmosphere is super cute and bright and I always have a good time here.

Herb Falafel - Served with Hummus, Babaganoush, Salsa Verde, Pita Bread and Salad 
The falafel is different than the ones most people are used to, they are much more pureed and lack that grainy and robust flavor. However, I still really like Artillery's rendition and the hummus, salsa, and babaganoush are all excellent. The falafels taste like little hummus croquettes, they have a soft smooth center and a thin crispy outside layer. Some may prefer the more authentic version where it is more dense and bolder in flavor, but I still really enjoy the falafel here! Some people who are extra careful has also chosen not to eat the salad but since I have trained my tummy with years and years of street food nomming I eat everything in sight and have not been sick at all :D

Live Bruschetta - Fresh Bruschetta with Raw Tomatoes, Shallot, Lime, Basil, and Himalayan Pink Rock Salt. Served on Toasted Bread rubbed with Garlic 
I don't really know why they call the bruschetta live... maybe to hype up how very fresh it is? But either way this is SO fresh and bursting with bright flavors that I don't really care about the silly name. You are presented with perfectly toasted bread and a mountain of tomatoes that are all cut up into perfect little pieces with just the right amount of seasoning. Of course being the graceful person that I am I accidentally flipped the entire bread upside down onto the table after a few bites..... 

You can add homemade sweet potato and taro chips! Super yummy

Basil and Garlic Hummus - with vegetable dipping sticks and warm pita bread 
Mmmmmmmm the hummus is soooo good here. I usually hate carrot sticks but these were actually quite agreeable with me. 

Raw Carrot Cake
This was very interesting but probably not something I will order again. It was a very very dense carrot patty with intense spices. I appreciate the creativity, but I much prefer real carrot cake with an obscene amount of cream cheese frosting! 

Overall I think Artillery is a lovely place for a healthy and delicious lunch. I have been there maybe 4-5 times already and I will definitely be returning! There are two locations in Phnom Penh and I have been going to the BKK1 outlet. 

ARTillery 

Street 278
#13B

BKK1

Phnom Penh

Cambodia

Piccola Italia Da Luigi

After some old posts, let's go back to Phnom Penh! I was a bit skeptical when I was told that the pizza was Luigi's was amazing but it really really is! The crust is so thin and crunchy and the toppings were also delicious and generous. The one tiny tiny complain was the middle got a little soggy but it was really not an issue at all. Only if I wanted to be super picky and I think this also had to do with the fact that mine was a pesto pizza and they were quite generous with that delicious sauce. The pizza was SO good, and not just for Cambodia standards, for any standard! I have only been once but I am already yearning to return. I got the pesto pizza and added italian sausage. My friends got the pizza with the fried eggplant and that was also super good! A medium pizza (which I ate for lunch, then dinner, and had some for breakfast also) costs around $7! I've also heard that their antipasto is really good so I will definitely try that next time! The next pizza that I have my eye on is one with cream sauce, bacon, and onions (oink oink).

Piccola Italia Da Luigi

Street 308

Phnom Penh

Cambodia

UPDATE: I went to Luigi's again and was disappointed to find that the crust was much softer than before. It was much more "typical asian pizza crust" if you know what I mean. It was definitely not baked enough and lacked that great crunch and lightness that I experienced the first time. I talked to my colleague and he said that he also noticed the lack of consistency at Luigi's. The toppings and service was still very good and this wouldn't make me cross off Luigi's from my list, but it is slightly disappointing!

The Sushi Bar

As you all know, sushi is one of my favorite things to eat ever and I was unsure whether there would be a good selection here. There is another place called Suzume that is right across my office that I want to try but I hear that it is more well known for its cooked items. The Sushi Bar was another option that I read about and therefore I jumped at the chance when M invited me to lunch with her and some other colleagues. The Sushi Bar is a popular chain from Vietnam and is a modern two story restaurant with aircon (YAY). I also trusted the safety of the fish here because M is from Japan so I had faith in her selection of Japanese restaurant. This is by no means the best sushi I've tasted but it is a great choice for Cambodia. The fish tasted fresh and the rice to fish ratio was also good. The prices are also unbeatable! I also quite enjoyed the tempura that we ordered. And while I prefer regular sized sushi, the massive roll was also so much fun and I was definitely shocked by how huge it was. I will definitely be returning!

Sushi Selection 

The Sushi Bar Roll 

The Sushi Bar 

No. 2D, St. 302

Boeung Keng Kang 1

Phnom Penh

Cambodia

Tom Yum Kung Restaurant

I have passed by Tom Yum Kung Restaurant a few times in my first week but did not make plans to eat there yet. My first dining experience here was actually quite unplanned and happened because J and I were looking for a specific type of noodle after our saturday excursion to Oudong Mountain. I found an article on Serious Eats and there was a specific type of noodle that we wanted to try in Cambodia. We kept asking our Tuktuk driver and he took us to a Chinese restaurant. Clearly this was not what we wanted so he then dropped us off here... at a Thai restaurant. We were unable to find the dish we wanted initially but I was glad that we stopped by here because the food was very good and cheap! The restaurant serves both Thai and Khmer cuisine.

Thai Sweet Basil, Chili, and Pork / Phat Kaprao
This dish was very tasty and I always enjoy an egg on top of anything. I do wish that the egg was a bit more runny though. The pork was flavored well and the sweet basil added a lovely flavor. I think there could have been more chili but that's because I love spicy things! I wouldn't say this is my favorite dish but it was enjoyable. 

Pad See Ew with Tofu 
Ahhhh this was so yummy! The noodles were very chewy and soft at the same time, I also loved how wide they were. The sauce was sweet and savory and a good amount of egg covered the noodles and the vegetables. I wish the tofu wasn't as hard though but I would definitely order this again. This was also only 2.5 USD! 

This restaurant is really close to my office for the summer so I would definitely be down to come back and try their other dishes. The pad see ew was super yummy and I will have to control myself to not order that every time! 

Tom Yum Kung Restaurant

#10 

Street 278

BKK1

Khan Chamkarmorn
Phnom Penh
Cambodia

Romdeng

Hello! This will be the first time I've ever posted about food in Cambodia! My supervisor Dr. Y treated the entire team to lunch today and we decided to visit Romdeng. Romdeng is set in a charming building with a lot of character and is extra special because it operates for a great cause. The restaurant is run by Mith Sanlanh whose has dedicated her work in helping improve the lives of street children. The restaurant therefore employs former street children who have been properly trained to allow them to have a chance for a better life. I was so impressed by the service and attentiveness of the servers and it was very touching to see how these children have been given a chance to make a life for themselves. The food was also quite good therefore I would definitely recommend others to pay Romdeng a visit because it also supports a great cause!

Oh! They are also famous for their deep fried tarantulas. I would actually be down to try but no one wanted them for lunch so maybe next time.

Roasted Spicy Eggplant Dip with Bread
I quire enjoyed this dip. The eggplant tasted very fresh and was seasoned simply so that we could really appreciate the taste of the eggplant. The little kick of spice was also nice. I think it would have been even better if the bread was toasted. 

Crispy Noodle Salad with Sweet Potato and Coriander Spring Rolls 
My colleague M ordered this and she seemed to enjoy it. I tried one of her spring rolls and they were yummy and crunchy. I may try this next time if I come here as I've seen it on tripadvisor before. 

Assorted Seafood and Vegetable in a Tamarind Gravy
The server recommended this dish and it was not bad. I don't think I would order it again as the flavors were not particularly special or robust but it was certainly not bad either. The seafood tasted fresh and the vegetables were also enjoyable. The sauce was like a light curry sauce and went well with the rice. 

Overall, I would not say that Romdeng is a MUST visit if you are in Phnom Penh, but the food was very decent and you can tell that a lot of care have been put into preparing these dishes and ingredients are fresh. I would be happy to return and try other choices and I also really appreciate the great cause that it supports.

Romdeng

#74 

Street 174

Phnom Penh

Cambodia