Kampuchea

4/4/2009
Lower East Side: 78 Rivington St (at Allen St) - (212) 529-3901
Price: Mid-Range
Rating (1-10): 8

Full Review:
Kampuchea is an unpretentious corner restaurant serving thoughtful, soulful Cambodian cuisine with service to match. In New York, there’s no ceiling to the price you can pay for a meal but Kampuchea is proof that you don’t need a huge budget for a memorable night out. For a modest and fair price, you’ll get tasty, interesting food with a touch of the upscale flair in a setting that encourages you to relax and enjoy both company and food. For small to medium-sized groups, it’s a great bet.

Kampuchea is in the Lower East Side, slightly off the madhouse of Ludlow Street bars and restaurants, Kampuchea blends well with the hip vibe of the neighborhood but doesn’t feel overrun or like a “place to be seen.” The restaurant maintains a your-favorite-hole-in-the-wall-feel and friendliness, but with contemporary, tasteful décor. The rows of communal tables work well in a shop of this variety, and enhance the warm, convivial environment.

Upon first glance, you might think that this is a noodle shop. Indeed, you’ll see big steaming bowls of noodles and steam rising from the boiling water in the open kitchen. But there’s a lot more to the restaurant than meets the eye. Perhaps the most wow-ing dish was the tamarind baby back ribs appetizer with a cilantro and lime dipping sauce. It’s not easy to differentiate yourself with something like ribs, which are ubiquitous at this point, and usually delicious wherever you try them. However, these ribs are truly outstanding and some of the best I’ve had. The meat is firmly on the bone at presentation but gives way instantly upon first bite. The flavor is tangy and unconventional and the outside is crisp. It’s the kind of dish where you’ll hear the people at your table involuntarily muttering, “Oh my God.” By contrast, grilled corn is another now commoditized dish and Kampuchea’s is good but not particularly remarkable.

The restaurant also features mouthwatering sandwiches (Cambodian Num Pang) served on delicious crispy baguettes. They come with a chili mayonnaise that, even for the mayo hesitant folk, is tasty, indulgent, and delightful. In these sandwiches, the mayo isn’t just slapped on there as a matter of course because it’s a sandwich – rather it was consciously put there to work in conjunction with the other elements of the sandwich.

That seems to be a feature of the dishes at this restaurant in general: careful thought and ingredients with purpose. I asked Chef Ratha Chau for his personal recommendation on what to pick – he replied, in all sincerity, that he couldn’t say because he was so proud of each item on the menu. And when you look at the menu, it is indeed difficult to find an item that doesn’t sound awesome. Whether you speak to Chef Chau or you simply observe his restaurant, it’s clear that he treats his food seriously and has put his heart and soul behind his operation.

We tasted the tiger shrimp with coconut, ginger rubbed catfish, and roasted pork sandwiches – all are juicy and have you craving the next bite even as you work on taking down the one you just took. They come with some pickled red cabbage condiment to cool off your mouth and provide a nice acidic contrast to the savory flavors of the sandwiches. These are sandwiches at a premium but they offer a satisfaction that makes them a bargain.

Service at Kampuchea is personable and accommodating and since it’s a casual feel to the restaurant, the staff is circling about but not in your face. And thankfully, unlike many noodle shops, they’re also not trying to force you along. The host vastly undershot our wait time but luckily, we weren’t pressed for time. I can imagine this place getting packed in, especially on a weekend, so leave enough time for a wait.

Noodle dishes and sandwiches do come cheaper, but for the quality and experience, Kampuchea is hard to beat. In any other city, this restaurant is a star. And in New York City, it’s still a gem, even if you don’t see it in the food sections of papers and magazines everyday.