How to Be Certain What You Order Is Cambodian

On a Cambodian menu it may be hard to distinguish the Cambodian dishes from the Chinese . Here is a crib sheet of dishes not reviewed to help you make authentic choices by the number.

Battambang Restaurant

a la carte dishes on table-top Khmer menu:

Number 1: green papaya salad

Number 2: rice noodles with green sauce, nom ban chok , or with red curry sauce, nom ban chok nam ya

Number 3: eel fried with lemon grass

Number 4: banh chay , a rice pancake stuffed with shrimp, pork and vegetables

The regular printed menu also lists some excellent Cambodian dishes scattered among the Chinese. Rather vaguely described in English, they are listed under Specialties (numbers 70 through 76, plus 82 and 84) and Soups (numbers 57 through 62 and 64 through 66).

Monorom Restaurant

Dishes listed in Khmer section of the menu:

Number 10: beef salad

Number 12: Cambodian-style sates with shredded papaya and carrot salad

Number 15: samlaw kaw co , a thick catfish soup with julienned green mango, green papaya and Asian pumpkin.

Pei Lin

Dishes listed on table-top Khmer menu:

Number 1: samlaw machou , a sour beef soup

Number 3: “student noodles”--rice noodles sauteed with fish sauce and little bits of scrambled egg and green onion

Number 4: spicy shredded green papaya salad

Number 7: sate sandwich in a French roll

Number 8: banh-mi , a Vietnamese-style cold cut sandwich

(On the printed menu, dishes numbered 53, 57, 64, 68, 79, 88, 99 and 122 are also Cambodian.)

Royal Palace

Dishes listed, but not numbered, on the wall menu (ask owner Sophy Ngann for help):

Trey aing , barbecued fish with tamarind dipping sauce

Frogs’ legs pan-fried with lemon grass and garlic

Green papaya salad

Crab soup

Catfish soup with poh ‘ohw.