During our 3 day trip to Siem Reap, we ate at Chong Phov twice; once for lunch and once for dinner. We really enjoyed everything about our meals here; the atmosphere, the staff, the food, and the experience.
While we enjoyed our lunch, eating dinner here was very special and nice as in the evening the lighting showcases the unique design and decor of the restaurant. The staff were kind and considerate to offer us mosquito repellent and to give us another table at lunch when the sun started beating down on us.
The overall service was attentive without being intrusive. While you need to leave the well beaten path (it’s close to everything and safe; we took a tuk tuk for $1 from the Park Hyatt and walked back to the hotel in 20 minutes after as the rain had stopped.), Chong Pov Khmer is a very low-key but upscale place with outstanding food. service, and quality. Prior to starting his own restaurant, the owner/chef used to work at a larger and very popular restaurant in town.
We enjoyed every dish we ordered and were very impressed by the presentation. We had the papaya salad, the stir fried frog with lemongrass, and the fish amok for lunch. For dinner, we had the sour beef soup, the prahok ki-tih and the whole fish. The prahok ki-tih is a fermented fish and pork dip and whole it may sound strange it was very delicious and was not overly fishy. I would love to go back and eat it all again, and the saraman curry if they make it again. As a Canadian who eats very basic food, I did find it a little difficult to eat the frogs but I think there must be a trick to it and don’t let having to fight with your food discourage you from enjoying this. I am googling how to eat frog like a pro as I type this!
We chose to eat here because of how they use local ingredients in season to create more traditional local dishes and to support this farm-to-table style restaurant. We were not disappointed and recommend that you check it out.
- Quality: 5 – Excellent: Everything tasted fresh and was well presented.
- Quantity: 5 – Excellent: Portions were just right.
- Service: 5 – Excellent: The staff speak limited English but this was not negative in any way.
- Atmosphere/Location: 5 – Excellent: It is s small restaurant but well appointed and decorated, and it is very clean.
- Overall Score: We would visit again 20/20
More information: http://www.chongphovkhmerrestaurant.com/
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