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Foodly Goodness Abounding
May. 7th, 2003 01:24 pmOut last night to Cambodiana's on University in Berkeley for an utterly satisfying, magnificently sumptuous meal.
Started with veggie spring rolls that were quite solidly packed, crisp without being brittle or crumbly, with one of those light chili sauces, plus a serving of warm, crunchy bread topped with a coconut milk and scallions sauce; lovely. Cambodian food is much subtler than Thai or Laotian, as far as I can tell. It is definitely less sweet than Thai; it can be hotter but doesn't start out that way. All of the sauces we had were distinct from each other and very well suited to the dish at hand. Many of the sauces differed by only one or two ingredients (out of 6-8) yet all were wholly different in flavor, color, and texture.
The menu is arranged by the sauces, mainly, so we spread our choices around. The mixed grilled vegetable dish in Ginger Blossom Sauce (" A light brown sauce of ground ginger root, garlic shallots, lemon juice, soya bean & coconut milk") was very well prepared; firm, still slightly crispy carrots, cucumbers, broccoli, and tofu chunks, in a sauce that had a good bit of heat to it but never took over the dish. I enjoyed the pan fried catfish in Mekong House Boat Sauce ("shallots, garlic, lime juice and chili") immensely. The sauce was the lightest we encountered after the appetizer, but also the hottest thanks to the chilis. It can be made nuclear, I feel certain, although we weren't feeling that adventurous. The high point, though, was undoubtedly the "Best Dish in the House" lamb chops. Lamb chops? In an Asian restaurant? Oh yes. Lamb marinated and served with a sauce composed of lemongrass, lemon leaf, galanga, chili, tumeric, sugar and garlic. The chops are tender beyond all reason, and the sauce, predictably now, is rich without clobbering the flavor of the meat. This is the dish that gets the place all of its good press and reputation, and deservedly so.
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canetoad remarks "You know what I like? I like it when I say 'mmmmm' throughout my meal. I like it when food does that." Just so.
Entrees are $8-12 bucks. Service was superb; not intrusive, but not slack in any way. The wine list is brief, but thorough; I have forgotten the name of the cabernet that I enjoyed. About the only negative was noticing that all restaurants around town these days are frightfully empty. We already lost Xanadu to low traffic, and Raja opened up under new owners with a similar menu and a 50% increase in price...it's a bad trend. Cambodiana's appears to have opened in 1990, and the economy was similarly fuxored then, so hopefully there is no real risk here. Still, dear Bay Area reader, you want to go eat there RIGHT NOW.
Started with veggie spring rolls that were quite solidly packed, crisp without being brittle or crumbly, with one of those light chili sauces, plus a serving of warm, crunchy bread topped with a coconut milk and scallions sauce; lovely. Cambodian food is much subtler than Thai or Laotian, as far as I can tell. It is definitely less sweet than Thai; it can be hotter but doesn't start out that way. All of the sauces we had were distinct from each other and very well suited to the dish at hand. Many of the sauces differed by only one or two ingredients (out of 6-8) yet all were wholly different in flavor, color, and texture.
The menu is arranged by the sauces, mainly, so we spread our choices around. The mixed grilled vegetable dish in Ginger Blossom Sauce (" A light brown sauce of ground ginger root, garlic shallots, lemon juice, soya bean & coconut milk") was very well prepared; firm, still slightly crispy carrots, cucumbers, broccoli, and tofu chunks, in a sauce that had a good bit of heat to it but never took over the dish. I enjoyed the pan fried catfish in Mekong House Boat Sauce ("shallots, garlic, lime juice and chili") immensely. The sauce was the lightest we encountered after the appetizer, but also the hottest thanks to the chilis. It can be made nuclear, I feel certain, although we weren't feeling that adventurous. The high point, though, was undoubtedly the "Best Dish in the House" lamb chops. Lamb chops? In an Asian restaurant? Oh yes. Lamb marinated and served with a sauce composed of lemongrass, lemon leaf, galanga, chili, tumeric, sugar and garlic. The chops are tender beyond all reason, and the sauce, predictably now, is rich without clobbering the flavor of the meat. This is the dish that gets the place all of its good press and reputation, and deservedly so.
canetoad remarks "You know what I like? I like it when I say 'mmmmm' throughout my meal. I like it when food does that." Just so.Entrees are $8-12 bucks. Service was superb; not intrusive, but not slack in any way. The wine list is brief, but thorough; I have forgotten the name of the cabernet that I enjoyed. About the only negative was noticing that all restaurants around town these days are frightfully empty. We already lost Xanadu to low traffic, and Raja opened up under new owners with a similar menu and a 50% increase in price...it's a bad trend. Cambodiana's appears to have opened in 1990, and the economy was similarly fuxored then, so hopefully there is no real risk here. Still, dear Bay Area reader, you want to go eat there RIGHT NOW.
