Awesome awesome spot! I rarely review anything at all, but this spot was so great that I had to write something.
Just know four Philly guys walked into this spot not thinking much of it, but we each walked out with a phenomenal experience thanks to Hillary (with her food selections for us) and Francis (with them awesome cocktails). There was also another awesome dude at the bar area that we chatted up with too, but I forgot his name (sorry dude, just know Angelo's has the best cheesesteak and I recommend Pizzeria Beddia). Overall, everyone here was truly awesome, which made our time at the restaurant that much better. But let's break it down...
Ambience: This place very much reminds me of a lot of restaurants in NYC. As soon as I walked in, it took me straight back to my times in NYC, which I loved. It's well lit, but not overly bright. The lighting definitely created a really chill vibe, with the tables all nicely spread apart. I love the bar setup--there's a front and rear bar (right in front of the kitchen).
Service: Amazing service! We came in and were greeted immediately. Was told that there was a wait (best to make a reservation) and was offered to receive a text when we were up next. This is a nice feature that would've allowed us to leave and explore the area. The kitchen was busy, but our food came out in a timely manner. In addition, each time our dish came out, the waiter or hostess described what it was and how to eat it.
Drinks: First, you know this is a legit Cambodian spot when you see some type of cocktail with Henny and TWO Heineken on taps (iykyk). I had the Long Beach, and my friends had the Yuzu Snooze Yuzu Lose. Both tasted great, but the Yuzu one had a taste that reminded me of home. Not sure what it was, but I ended up switching to the Yuzu. I will be back to try the other cocktails and hopefully any off-menu ones.
Food: If it's your first time to the restaurant and you don't mind splurging a little, just ask the hostess to put in the order for you. That's what we did, and "no ragrets". So thank you Hillary and the kitchen! Food was so good that my ass had to look through their menu to name the dishes we had.
-WASABI SHRIMP CEVICHE: Has a really heavy but nice hit of wasabi taste. Even with the strong taste of wasabi, you can still taste the sweetness of the shrimp. Combine the garnish on top with the shrimp; this dish was executed very well. Would order again.
-STUFFED CHICKEN WINGS: Another really good dish that we would order again! I don't exactly remember the taste of this dish, but don't let the little to no details in this review make it seem like we didn't enjoy it. We would order this again.
-PRAHOK KTISS: Two words, "FLAVOR BOMB"! I'm not sure how to describe this dish besides using those two words. It's on the salty side due to the paste, but it's damn good. It goes very well with the raw veggies, but the intense flavor from the shrimp paste and Prahok can make it a little overwhelming for some. However, we loved it and would order it again. This dish with white rice would be killer!
-PHNOM PENH STYLE BONE MARROW: So damn good that my friends and I talked about it the next day. If we hadn't had a flight to catch today, we would've come back for more. The marrow is eaten with Chinese fried dough (surprisingly, it wasn't oily at all) and is extremely flavorful. Something about the hoisin sauce and whatever else was on it made it taste even better. Best bone marrow I've ever had. The side of soup was a nice addition to level out the extreme richness of the marrow. If you're into bone marrow (even if you're not), I highly highly recommend. Would order again!
-LAMB CHOPS: not your typical lamb chop. This reminded me of Vietnamese Porkchop com tam. It tasted great! Whatever marinade they used, good fucking job! I did not taste much of the gamey flavor of lambchop at all. My one friend, who isn't a big fan of lambchop due to its gameiness, said he didn't taste it at all. We all really liked this dish too. Would recommend.
-FISH WITH AMOK SAUCE: This dish was good but did not stand out like the rest of the dishes we had. The fish is really light, especially the batter, and the sauce is not overpowering. It just felt like something was missing. If this dish came after the Wasabi Shrimp Ceviche and before all of the other dishes above, then I don't think I would make such a comment. It's just that the other dishes we had before this were so flavorful that I was probably expecting the same.
-CHHAA LOC LAC: Just like Vietnamese Bo Loc Lac, this dish definitely reminded me of home. But at this point, the group was pretty stuffed, but we thought it was really good too. Another would order dish for us.
Overall: I highly recommend this spot if anyone wants elevated Cambodian food or food that reminds you of SE Asia. But one thing I regret is that I wish we had bought Hillary and the chef/owner a shot for making our night. This spot hits all of its mark, and my friends wi read more