A few months ago I started hearing about Kampuchea, a Cambodian place on the Lower East Side. I don’t know how many Cambodian restaurants there are here, but the Village Voice recently voted it the best Cambodian restaurant in the city. I checked out the menu on-line, and was happily surprised to see a lot of vegetarian options.
My appetizer, seen above, was not on the on-line menu, but I’m glad I ordered it. The grilled sweet corn was slathered in a spicy mayo, fresh lime, and sprinkled not with cheese, like you see at Red Hook, but with coconut flakes. Coconut flakes. It’s a stroke of genius, because the flakes are slightly sweet and the corn ends up a blend of salty, sweet, sour and spicy. I was glad that the dish came with wet naps, they were definitely needed.
The tofu katiev was a little less spectacular, though it was pretty good. It reminded me a lot of pho, especially when I mixed in the fresh lime juice, herbs, and sriracha (at every table, in a ceramic jar). The grilled eggplant was almost charred, and it was a wonderful note among the sourness of the soup, but there was not enough of it. As in any noodle soup, the broth got stronger and more flavorful as I got to the bottom of the bowl. It felt to me like the Cambodian equivalent of chicken noodle soup.
I have to say, the only aspect of the restaurant I didn’t really like were the high, backless stools that made sitting incredibly uncomfortable. I do plan on returning to Kampuchea, they have several more vegetarian dishes I would like to sample. I don’t know how authentic the food is, but it’s definitely good.
Kampuchea — 78 Rivington St.
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