YummY! - Nom Pang (Cambodian Baguette) @ Street Side, Phnom Penh

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NOM PANG (CAMBODIAN BAGUETTE) STREET FARE

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

On my third night of my business trip to Phnom Penh, Cambodia I was wandering the streets looking for something to eat when I noticed some well-patronized street stalls at a junction of Monivong Boulevard.

There were three stalls there, from right - a stall selling Nom Pang (Cambodian Baguette), second one was selling fried noodles, whilst the third one was selling blended fruit juices. Very often, in major Cambodian cities, one will find the combination of these three types of stall at street corners, or at the least the Nom Pang and fruit juice stalls.

These stalls were comparatively clean by Cambodian standards. The operators and servers even had orange T-shirts uniforms. The servers were friendly and chatty. And I was able to converse with them in my limited Cambodian, and they in their limited English.

I started off with the Nom Pang stall. Mai the operator was had a charming smile, and explained to me the way to order. Either a set or ala carte.

Nom Pang basically is a baguette sandwich, filled with minced pork lathered with the Cambodian version of kaya (coconut/egg jam) and served with pickles, fresh salad and slices of ham, and luncheon meat (Cambodian flavored, of course).

I ordered the standard set, and Mai was quick in whipping it up.

To go with the food, I went over to the juice stall to get some drinks. They had a wide array of fruits to choose from. A couple of blenders were there for alternate blending to provide faster service. There is even a gizmos to seal the caps onto the plastic cups for take-aways.

The fruits available were surprisingly many - durians, mangos, egg-plants, cikus, yam, honey-dews, papayas, jack-fruits, longans, oranges, apples, avocados, etc. What fruit to add to the mix is up to one's selection and individual taste. These are blended with ice and milk. I went for a mix of nangka, cikus and yam.

The Nom Pang set came, it was half a baguette, served with a few slices of meat, some fresh salad & pickles. The salad consisst of cucumber strips, spring onion and tomato slices. The pickles were a few mini cucumbers and shredded radish & carrot. 

Underneath the Nom Pang, were four slices of meat - a slice of processed ham, one slice of meat cake and two slices of luncheon meat. They were a bit tough and fairly tasteless, I think that some flour were mixed in when making them.

I peeled opened the Nom Pang proper, inside were a fair helping of minced pork buttered up with the kaya. The minced pork was salty and together with the sweet kaya made the combination what Asians would refer to as "1/2 salty - 1/2 sweet taste". The baguette itself was nice, soft on the inside with a thin layer of crispy crust.

The blended juice came in a medium-tall glass. The taste of the nangka (jack-fruit) and cikus (Manilkara zapota) were strong, and I could taste a hint of the yam. The yam however made the mix consistency thicker. Overall a superb drink!

Finishing the first set, I was still hungry. The amount of food from the set was more like a quantity for snacks or for tea-time repast. I ordered a couple more of the Nom Pangs - just the sandwiches without the extras.

Even after wolfing down three Nom Pangs, I was still slightly hungry. So I popped over to the noodles stall to see what they have to offer. They have fried noodles, this would be a bit to heavy for me as a top-up meal. Fortunately, they also sell sell pork broth. Not the normal pork, but what aficionados will term spare parts pork - broth with large intestines, etc. This is one of my favorites, so I ordered a bowl.

The broth came & it looks YummY! Inside were some deep-fried  soy-seasoned large pig's intestines, cubes of cooked coagulated pig's blood and slices of black Chinese mushrooms. Fried garlic and spring onion garnished the dish. I asked for more garlic and powdered pepper as I like my broth peppery hot. A delicious dish to complete my meal.

Prices :
- Nom Pang Set : 3,000 riels
- Nom Pang (x2) : 4,000 riels
- Pork Broth         : 6,000 riels
- Blended Juice  : 3,500 riels
                  Total : 16,500 riels  or USD 4-10 (at exchange rate 1USD = 4,000 riels)

Nom Pang Baquette Sandwiches Location Map (Google Map Link)

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YummY! - Orrusey Noodle Restaurant, Phnom Penh

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ORRUSEY NOODLE RESTAURANT

Phnom Penh, Cambodia

On my second day of my business trip to Phnom Penh, Cambodia I had lunch at the Orrusey Noodle Restaurant nearby to the hotel I was staying in. It is a coffee shop with a stall selling noodles of various kinds. They do serve bread, steamed buns, etc. But most of the patrons go there for the noodles.

They serve noodles soup and not fried noodles. Different type of noodles are there for the choosing :
- Chinese yellow round noodles
- Wantan mee round or flat noodles
- Vemicelli
- Hor Fun (Flat rice noodles of wide variety)
- Keow Teow (Flat rice noodles of narrow variety)
- Instant noodles

To go with the noodles, one can select a variety of meat :
- Beef
- Pork (breast meat from somewhere near the heart)
- Chicken or Duck
- Chinese pork balls
- Siow Kau Wantans

And for the more adventurous :
- Pork liver
- Pig's Tongue
- Pig's Stomach
- Small or Large Pig's Intestine
- Pork Trotters
- Pig's Blood

I took a seat inside the shop. It was still fairly early and the place was quite empty, because of this the place looks clean. Later with more patrons, the place will be much dirtier as the locals have a habit of throwing tissues and even spitting out food onto the floor. One just have to hold in one's stomach and bear with it.

My order was hor fun with breast pork, large instestines, pig liver and pig blood. But when the noodle was brought over, it was wrong. They had included pork trotters, which I didn't quite like as the meat & skin is rather tough. In replacement, I had asked for more pig's blood - a favorite of mine. So they took it back.

The right mix was brought back, and it does look delicious indeed, with the soup stock just rightfully tasty. The breast pork was tender and slightly juicy, while the pre-cooked large intestines were soft and not too rubbery. The pig's blood was not too hard and a soft bite will cut  through it. But the pork liver was a bit overcooked and dry. Overall the dish was good and I slowly savored it. Free warm or iced teas is given.

Served with the noodles are a small plate of boiled bean sprouts to be added into the soup, and also a slice of lime to be squeeze in. I skipped the lime, but the locals love it.

They also served sweet sauce with grounded chili. For the extra zing, dip the ingredients into this. Or just pour it into the soup to make it tastier.

Extra condiment like soy sauce, grounded black & white pepper, pickle chillis and sugar are available for adding to cater to individual palates. The Cambodians like their food sweeter and would normally add a good dose of sugar.

Address:  No. 68Eo, Street 217 (Monireth Blvd), Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Tel: 

Email : 

Cost : 

USD 3-75 : for 1 bowl of noodles, price will vary depends on number of ingredients added.

Free : Warm or Iced Chinese Tea

Orrusey Restaurant Location Map (Google Map Link)

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YummY! - Cafe Malaya, Phnom Penh

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                                 YummY!                                   Jotaro's Food Review     
CAFE MALAYA (HALAL) (RATED - 7.25/10)

Phnom Penh, Cambodia - July 2012

I was in Phnom Penh, Cambodia recently on one of my business trips and popped into Cafe Malaya for lunch.
Cafe Malaya is one of the few places in Phnom Penh that serves Halal Malay fare. Among its many patrons are Malaysian tourists looking for Halal food or those who just miss nice Malay rice & dishes.
It is operated by Suhamie, a Malaysian who hails from Kedah, and his family. The cooking is done by his wife, a Cambodian, who surprisingly have a penchant for Malay cooking as evident by the delicious food they serve.

Suhamie has created a cozy atmosphere in his shop and his tag-line is "........ where friends congregrate......" is indeed appropriate as many patrons linger on even after finishing their meal - just to chat with one another, trading stories or discussing business plans.

Cafe Malaya serve food buffet style, self-service for the food and one gets to eat as much as one can. Their main fare typically consists of three meat dishes (chicken & beef), a fish dish (either curry or fried), and one or two vegetable dishes. To complement these, there is a "ulam" salad, soup and dessert. Drinks ordered are separately charged. It is up to the individual to choose any of these to go with their white rice. Different dishes and desserts are served on separate days.

To kick of the meal, one can have this "ulam", i.e. Malay raw salad, that consists of kacang botol, long beans  & cucumbers. This can be eaten as a separate course or all together with the main rice course.

The ulam is traditionally eaten with sambal belachan, i.e. red chilli pounded together with belacan (dried shrimp paste).

Today there are two chicken dishes, the first one being this Ginger Fried Chicken. The ginger is pre-fried until crispy and the residual oil (smelling good of ginger) is used to stir-fry the chicken. Soy sauce is added. The ginger oil has permeated well into the chicken meat, making this dish unique in taste.

The beef dish for today is Spicy Beef, it's not a curry. The beef is cooked with chilli and thick soy sauce and some other spices. The combination just makes this a well balanced-in-taste dish. Cafe Malaya also ensured that the beef used are daily fresh and real tender. On other days they serve Beef Rendang Curry, etc.

For today, curry fish is served. The fish used is Toman "Snake-head Fish" (sometime they use Patin, river silver cat-fish) cooked in coconut milk with lady-fingers, tomatos and other spices added. The curry is of the thicker variety. I found this a tasty fare and the lady-fingers used are the younger ones, cooked till slightly soft. On other days fried fish is offered.

The second chicken dish is Chicken Rendang Curry - a heady curry cooked with large chunks of potatoes in thick coconut milk. I always love this dish and the potatoes are good too.

Today's vegetable dish is fried cabbage garnished with chilli and spring onions. A simple dish to ease off the strong curries.

Soup of the day is red tomyam soup with quail eggs, extra hot with more chillis thrown in. Dessert for today was black glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk.

Taking a decent helping of white rice, I went for all the dishes with the ulam thrown in all together. It was a delicious combination, offering me a taste of Malaysia while in Cambodia. Of course I went for seconds. Understandably, I skipped the dessert.

For drinks I took iced Teh Tarik (pulled milk-tea). It was okay only as the ice had diluted the tea somewhat. So it would be better to take the tea hot.
They also serve coffee, carbonated drinks, mineral water.

The place is of average size, with seating arrangements for groups of four  or up to eight pax. On busier days additional fold-able tables are placed on to the covered porch. Other than the buffet lunch, one can order fried noodle, fried rice ala carte.

Suhamie has lived up to his promise and offering a place for resident & visiting Malaysians, locals, and other tourists a friendly place with good food to remind them of home.

Address:  No. 65, Street 118, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Tel: (0855)097-612-8476

Email : 

Cost : 

USD 4-00 : for Buffet Rice Set per pax
USD 0-90 : Ice Milk Tea

Cafe Malaya Location Map (Google Map Link)

Review / Rating :

Overall Rating : 7.25/10
Recommendation : Good Food, Good Value & To meet friends too.

1. Taste :  
(Rated 37/50) - Good Malay curries complemented by "ulam" salad & unique Malay dessert.

2. Location : 
(Rated 7.5/10) - Located just adjacent to the Phsar Thmei (New Central Market), and within walking distance from nearby hotels. Some parking is available at front of shop.

3. Cleanliness : 
(Rated 7.5/10) - Clean floors, tables and overall nice ambiance.

4. Service: 
(Rated 7/10) - Self-service for buffet set. Ala carte delivered quite fast.

5. Presentation : 
(Rated 6/10) - Average as food is served buffet style.

6. Value For Money : 
(Rated 7.5/10) - Very reasonable by Cambodian standard considering one can eat as much as one can.

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YummY! Cambodian & Thai Food Reviews

You are at - Jotaro's Blog / Footsteps / YummY! / Cambodian & Thai Food

                                                           YummY!                                                           
     Jotaro's Food Review     

Reviews of Cambodian Food.

Click on relevant photo to view.

Cambodian Lunch @ Oudong Temple
A lunch for two at the foothills of the Oudong Temple, the old capital of Cambodia.

Cambodian Pancakes @ the Riverside Bistro
A simple fare in a cozy setting by the Mekong Riverside, Phnom Penh.

Curry Laksa Noodles @ Phnom Penh International Airport
Suprisinlgy pretty good curry laksa noodles and not too pricey by airport standards. Taste Of Asia Restuarant, Phnom Penh International Airport, Phnom Penh.

Home-cooked Style Curries @ Cafe Malaya 
Halal Malay fare, a delicious find in Phnom Penh.

Noodle Soup @ Orrusey Restaurant
Cambodian Noodles house, for those with a more daring iron stomach, but it was really good - Phnom Penh.

Nom Phang @ Street Side, Monivong Blvd.
A quaint sensational Cambodian Street fare baguette sandwiches and also good pork porridge, Phnom Penh.

Reviews of Thai Food.

Click on relevant photo to view.

A Beautiful Lunch At Sathing Phra

Can a lunch be beautiful? Yes it can if it is in Sathing Phra, Thailand.

Best Tomyam @ Rainbow Herbs Kudat

A surprising find in Kudat, one of the best Tomyam I have tried. They serve good Fish Head Bee Hoon too - Kudat, Sabah, Malaysia.

Thai Boat Noodles @ Ah Keat's (บริษัท อิงลิช โพรเกรซ จำกัด)

Try the real deal Thai boat noodles without having to go all the way to Bangkok or even stepping onto a boat - Hat Yai, Thailand.

Thai Curry Noodles @ One City

An interesting combo noodles that came with both red and green Thai curry - One City, Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.

Thailand Four Regions Food @ Barn Thai Plaza 33

Attending a promotion of food from the four regions of Thailand was a tasty and educating affair - Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.

Thai Food @ Thai Base Restaurant

Good & reasonably priced Thai Food - Bandar Sri Damansara, Selangor, Malaysia.

Thai Stewed Pork Trotters & Tripe @ Pratunam

A not to be missed dish of tender, soft & succulent trotters & tripe - Pratunam, Bangkok, Thailand.

Thai Street Food @ Go Thai SS2

Almost authentic Isan Thai street food from North East Thailand - Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.

Thai Temptations @ Barn Thai Plaza 33

Let the delicious and beautiful food of Barn Thai tempt you - Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.

Thai Wantan Noodles @ Pratunam

Very good noodles with chili powder thrown in to spice things up - Pratunam, Bangkok, Thailand.

You are at - Jotaro's Blog / Footsteps / YummY! / Cambodian & Thai Food
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