TOP Tables

Rob Savage reveals cambodia’s restaurant revolution and the pocket guide’s pick Of the top 10 openings

EXCITING THINGS ARE afoot on the Cambodian food scene and there’s no doubt the country is serving up some fabulous quality fare. The sheer gusto of the chefs and new restaurant owners – combined with astounding value for money – has meant that the two principal cities of Cambodia, Siem Reap and Phnom Penh are well on their way to carving out a regional reputation.

The lure of Angkor Wat and its promise of an exciting new destination have seen the total number of tourists to Cambodia increasing at an exponential rate, with travellers arriving hungry for both cultural thrills and new eating experiences.

The number of international visitors is further bolstered by an emerging Khmer elite whose experience of global travel has created an appetite for the high life. These days, when heading out to one of the country’s cool new restaurants, you may find yourself vying for a table with the capital’s sophisticates, politicians, stars of the screen and stage, and even the occasional Royal.

In recent years, the ever-expanding restaurant scene has quickly outdated the staple guidebooks by international publishers. Now, once on the ground, a copy of a local guide and a careful ear to the grapevine are needed to navigate to the latest happening restaurant or bar. This lack of the latest information did not go unnoticed by Tim Gibbons, co-founder of the Cambodia Pocket Guide.

“Things were changing so fast,” he explains. “Restaurants, hotels, bars and guesthouses were springing up at such a rate that the western published travel guide market just couldn’t keep up.”

Hence, Tim and his partner Dean Lennox decided to step forward and bridge the gap with the start-up of a quarterly publication, beginning with Drinking & Dining in Phnom Penh, and more recently, Out & About titles for both the capital and Siem Reap. Listings, features and reviews of hundreds of Cambodian restaurants, hotels, shops and bars fill each pocket-sized booklet, making it the “must have” up-to-the-minute guide to the country’s food and entertainment scene.

“Since we started the Pocket Guide two years ago, things have just exploded,” says Tim. “There are new restaurants opening all the time, and the quality of the establishments and their menus keep on improving. It’s an exciting time to eat out in Cambodia.”

Here, he reveals his top 10 recommendations – from indulgent Italian fare to contemporary Khmer cuisine – among the more recent additions to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap’s dining scene.

PHNOM PENH

1. PACHARAN TAPAS & BODEGA

An interior of hammered copper, stained glass and original artwork by Asian-based artist Jerry Swaffield; lovely romantic views of Phnom Penh’s Royal Palace and the Mekong; and the Spanish Pacharan liquor theme, all come together to make Pacharan one of the most popular new restaurants in the capital – and perhaps the region as well.

“It’s all about Barcelona – tapas, sharing and passing time with friends,” explains co-founder and president of Cambodia’s long-established Foreign Correspondents Club, Steve Haywood.

The classic tapas – marinated Catalonian anchovies and savoury meatballs, for example – and mains that include roast suckling pig, draw in a discerning crowd. Reservations are recommended for dinner.

Andres Arias, former manager for Robert De Niro’s Nobu, and Barcelonan head chef Fernando Ballesteros labour together to make this as close to an experience of being transported to a summer evening in the Catalan capital as you could hope to find in Asia. Pacharan’s reputation is so good that it even sees staff carrying platters across the park to the nearby Royal Palace.

2. LE DUO

Le Duo is all about character – from its villa setting and open pizza oven to its ebullient patron and host, Luigi Savarino. Best of all, this Italian favourite boasts a menu that runs the gamut of the nation’s cuisine.

Antipasti misti features mortadella and parmesan stuffed risotto cakes and Sicilian sun-dried tomatoes dressed with anchovy and caper. A house speciality of duck, ricotta and spinach cannelloni is backed up by a comprehensive wine list with classic regional Italian wines thrown in for good measure. Topped off by over 15 homemade desserts that are freshly prepared every day, the overall combination makes this one of Phnom Penh’s most popular eateries.

3. METRO

Strictly no rattan is the rule here. With its curving glass frontage and polychromic lighting subtly mirroring the fleeting lights of evening traffic, Metro’s look has set a design trend for the future development of Phnom Penh’s riverfront. A minimalist, modern interior is softened by Chinese fabrics to make this one of the coolest dining environments in the country.

Former Australian junior chef of the year, Tom O’Connor fills his menu with contemporary Asian dishes that reflect his eight years in Cambodia and many years of working across Southeast Asia. Vietnamese spring rolls with naxi pear and steamed shitake pork dumplings with soy juxtapose with colonial-influenced steak au poivre and English entrecote with pepper sauce.

4. MALIS

As one of the kingdom’s first generation of international chefs, Malis’s Luu Meng is regarded as Cambodia’s top Khmer chef, having trained with leading hotel groups throughout Asia.

But now, Meng has returned home and to his culinary roots. “There is a demand for a refined version of the dishes our grandmothers used to cook,” he explains.

Meng’s updated Khmer classics have drawn a growing crowd of both Khmer and Western diners to his chic Asian garden restaurant in Phnom Penh. Contemporised dishes are exemplified by Malis’s popular scallops with mango salad and bamboo-roasted beef with palm sugar and bell peppers. All his creations are confident new twists on age-old Khmer classics.

5. RED HIBISCUS

The recently-refurbished Red Hibiscus turns away from its predominantly European sister restaurant Bougainvillier, also in Phnom Penh, to face the New World.

Argentinean steaks and quality New World wines crowd the menu, while brochettes and homemade foie gras terrine betray the French roots of owner Bernard Matter and chef Guillaume Martin.

Imported duck livers are smoked to order in the capital, and beef carpaccio with parmesan proves a popular entree. Trout tartare blended with the light acidity of Battambang oranges helps to balance a meat lover’s menu while paying homage to the restaurant’s Asian location – refl ected by the interior’s Angkorian carvings.

6. ROMDENG

Mith Samlanh’s original Friends – the Restaurant and training school for street kids has long been a firm favourite in the capital, with its range of simple tapas-like Khmer and western dishes. However, at Romdeng – Friends’ new venture in the southern part of town known locally as NGO-land – the focus has shifted to solely concentrate on traditional Khmer cuisine.

Fast becoming a top destination for Phnom Penh residents, the new eatery’s regional delicacies are carefully prepared and artfully presented. Traditional prohok (fish paste) and green mango salad with smoked fish and dried shrimp sit alongside the classic fish amok in banana leaf.

If you’re a visitor to the country and looking for a photo opportunity, look no further than Romdeng’s crispy tarantulas served with lime and pepper sauce!

SIEM REAP

7. MERIC

Meric’s executive chef Joannes Riviere has spent the last three and a half years studying Khmer cuisine. He has travelled frequently to the provinces, visiting local restaurants, pagodas and family kitchens in search of unique culinary delights. So even with its lauded five-star European menu, the emphasis at Hotel de la Paix’s über-trendy eatery is on the Khmer speciality menu.

Dried fish features heavily in Joannes’s degustation entree. “Fish is to Cambodia what milk is to Europe. We preserve milk by making cheese; in Cambodia, it’s the curing, drying or fermenting of fish,” he explains.

Those who may not previously have been enamoured with Khmer cuisine should expect to have their opinion changed. Joannes’s dishes, such as ambarella and dried snake salad, watermelon and dried fish salad, and smoked fish rillettes are a humbling and educational delight.

8. OASI ITALIANA

Tucked snugly away on Siem Reap’s eastern riverside, Oasi Italiana is truly an oasis of Italian food. ~ e passion of owner and chef Roberto drives him to grow his own basil to ensure that only the most tender young leaves make it into his sublime pesto, and lugging bags of pine nuts back from his native Tuscany, Roberto’s attention to his ingredients is all-consuming.

Homemade pastas and sauces, quality cured meats, a wide selection of pizza and real tiramisu entice those who enjoy a quality meal and make this homely garden restaurant a regular meeting spot for the town’s small Italian community.

9. KAMA SUTRA

People come from all corners of the globe to see the famed Angkorian temple – no wonder Siem Reap’s restaurants reflect the international tastes of its many visitors. With its very cool minimalist interior of exposed brickwork, wooden tables and aluminium lamps, Pub Street’s Kama Sutra is the brainchild of local resident Alex Sutherland.

“I’m British, so naturally, I love Indian food,” he explains with a laugh. “I went out, found the best Indian chef I could, and set about designing a modern Indian eating place.”

Keralan crab curry reveals chef Deepak Kollara’s South Indian roots; while the succulent tandoori chicken and spicy massalas that accompany a range of vegetarian dishes are guaranteed to satisfy the curry craving of even the most ardent sub-continent food fan.

10. L’ESCALE DES ARTS & DES SENS

Hospitality gurus Jam Nsouli and Bertrand Prestaut came together with AAHS International Chef of the Year 2006, Didier Corlou, to create L’Escale. Set in an airy colonial-style building, replete with hardwood shutters and decorative antique bronzes, the emphasis is on refined pan-Asian cuisine.

Degustation entrees allow diners to sample Khmer classics such as spiced duck with pineapple and fish sour soup; while the speciality of seven flavours of beef, originally prepared with tiger meat for Khmer Kings, is an enticing main.

There is also a tempting cocktail menu that includes Mr Long’s Singapore Sling (probably the best in town), accompanied by soothing jazz in the background.

CONTACT DETAILS

PHNOM PENH: Le Duo, 41 Street 322, tel+855 (0)23 991906; Malis, 136 Norodom Boulevard, tel +855 (0) 23 221022; Metro, 271 Sisowath Quay (at Street 148), tel +855 (0)23 222275; Pacharan Tapas & Bodega, 389E1 Sisowath Quay (entrance on Street 184), tel +855 (0)23 224394, http://pacharan.fcccambodia.com; Red Hibiscus, 277C Sisowath Quay, tel +855 (0)23 990691, www.redhibiscus.biz; Romdeng, 21 Street 278, tel +855 (0)92 219565 SIEM REAP: L’Escale des Arts & des Sens, Oum Khum Street, Mondul 1, tel +855 (0)63 761442, www.escale-arts-sens.com; Meric, Hotel de la Paix, Sivutha Boulevard, tel +855 (0)63 966000, www.hoteldelapaixangkor.com; Oasi Italiana, East River Road, tel +855 (0)12 833985; Kama Sutra, Pub Street, tel +855 (0)12 182-4474

Cambodia Pocket Guides are available at restaurants, hotels and public spaces throughout Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. For more information, visit www.cambodiapocketguide.com