Cambodiana

I think Peaches and Herb said it best with the line of their song "Reunited"... Tonia would probably agree with me that being reunited with more of our adventurers for dinner this week certainly did "feel so good". Although I suppose Peaches and Herb were implying a bit of a different feeling toward each other in that song than my friends and I intend for each other... Nonetheless, it was wonderful to see Samer and Todd at Cambodiana for this week's stop, and, adding to the fun was our friend, Jon.

"We both are so excited 'cause we're reunited hey, hey..."

While this was my first time eating at Cambodiana, my fellow adventurers have visited before - though it has certainly been some time. I was excited to visit as I have heard lots of positive things, and everyone else was happy to return.  Situated on Brock Street, Cambodiana is close to a lot of other downtown destinations, so it certainly isn't out of the way if you are someone who frequents the downtown core. In fact, if you ride the city bus, you'll be happy to know that there is a major bus stop right out front.

Serving "exotic and delightful fine Cambodian and Thai cuisine" to it's patrons, Cambodiana is a small restaurant with 2 eating areas, each with a few small tables. What it lacks in size, however, it definitely makes up for in a lot of other ways. Staff are attentive and timely. The restaurant is clean and tidy. Art on the walls is comprised of beautiful paintings that highlight the culture of the restaurant. Overall, it's a pretty great little spot - and I haven't even started talking about the food!

The menu at Cambodiana is a decent size. A lot of variety without being overwhelming. And for anyone who can't decide what to eat based on the descriptions - have a look at the wall by the door - a poster with pictures of each dish is available for your perusal. I don't know about you, but I am much more drawn to things that not only sound good, but look good. Hmmm... I swear - no matter how that came out, this really is about food. Er... Moving on... You will either see on the poster or on your plate when it arrives that each dish is gorgeous. You can just tell by looking at the bright colours and well plated dishes that things will be delicious. Be sure to pay close attention to ingredients - especially chilies - so that you don't get something too hot or too mild. Staff are happy to  take special requests to make sure that things are enjoyable for you. 

Here's what we were drawn to and ordered:

Carrie: Spring rolls (duh) and #9 - Pineapple Beef: stir fried beef, vegetable, tomato, coriander, green chili with rice (I ordered my dish mild). 

Tonia: Spring rolls and #5 - Stir fried chicken: lemon grass, peanut, onion, green chili, bell pepper with rice. 

Jon: #6 - Golden Chicken: spicy hot and sour chicken, peanut, green bean, lemon grass, green chili with rice.

Todd: Spring rolls and #31 - Devil Chicken: chicken, red curry, coconut milk, sweet potato, bamboo shoots, carrots, with rice.

Samer: Fresh rolls and #17 - Cashew Chicken: stir fried chicken with oyster sauce, bell pepper, julienne carrot and onion with rice.

As I described above, everything arrived looking absolutely delicious, and from the moment our forks hit the food, we were happy. Certainly, this isn't an odd trend for us given how much we enjoy eating, but in all seriousness, kudos are well deserved here. All of that said, I'm not sure if I'm more impressed by the food itself, or by the fact that Todd ate Devil Chicken and barely broke a sweat. If there is ever something worth seeing, it is the rest of us putting a bit of sauce from Todd's plate on our forks and coughing from the heat while Todd happily munches away, barely phased. Impressive, my good friend. Impressive. 

And... without further ado, here are our thoughts overall:

Carrie: 4 forks. The spring rolls weren't my favourite - not very flavourful, but my main dish was pretty darn good. The beef was pounded into thin pieces, and the sauce was made exactly the way I like it - not too spicy. The only thing I wished had been different was the thickness of the sauce (or, as I said in the restaurant, the "viscosity")... it was a bit too watery for my liking.

Tonia: 4.5 forks. Tonia said that everything "smelled good and tasted good". She thought that her dish was spicy, but quickly added that it clearly wasn't as spicy as Todd's. Much like me, she wasn't ecstatic about the spring rolls.

Jon: 4 forks. Jon liked his dish and specifically mentioned that he liked the food here better than Phnom Pehn. His score was lacking one fork only because Jon felt a little "ripped off" of chicken and rice based on what he was seeing on our plates.

Todd: 4 forks. Todd said that had he only ordered an entree, his score would have been a 5 for sure, but sadly, he wasn't a fan of the spring rolls. 

Samer: 4.75 forks. Samer said, and I feel it is necessary to quote directly here, "Everything was pretty damn good. The fresh rolls were the best in town so far". That final statement is HUGE from Samer. Seriously - huge. 

Overall score: 4.25 forks. 

So... in the end, Peaches and Herb really were right... being reunited at Cambodiana did feel good. Oh - and if you want a blast from the past, check out this video. Pay close attention to how Herb is standing behind Peaches and holding his microphone at the start of the video. Nice moves, Herb. Nice moves.

Next week, my fellow adventurers and I are off to The Iron Duke on Wellington.