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| - My understanding was that this restaurant was originally owned by the same people who used to own Cuisine du Cambodge, which has since splintered off on its own. The menu is VERY similar, even to the numbers associated with the entrées, so I think this is probably the case. Throughout most of the latter nineties, I'd heard this place was take-out only, so we never tried it. But earlier this month we were passing by and it certainly looked like a full-service place, so we gave it a try.
We're happy we did. The decor is fresh and the layout of the place relaxed. The interior is actually quite large, so you're not bumping elbows with people at the next table over. There's the obligatory Asian ting ting music, which either adds to the experience or drives you nuts, depending on who you are. The service was excellent, as attentive as you'd want without anything more. All three times we've been here the restaurant was basically empty, however. Twice at dinnertime during the week, once on a weekend, late afternoon.
The food is outstanding. The Asian Basil Fried Rice (with your choice of meat) is perfect AND they were willing to make it as spicy as I wanted, something I always struggle with here in Cleveland.
For those who, like me, prefer things ridiculously hot, there seem to be some 'code words' required at this establishment. "Thai hot" is the top of the 'normal' curve, but then there's "Extra hot" and finally "Dragon hot". I got Dragon hot my first time in, and it was everything I could've wanted (for calibration, I can actually eat a Trinidad scorpion pepper raw. I pay for it, but I can do it). Most places, when I ask for maximum heat, I get food with all the zip of Dentyne gum. Phnom Penh delivers.
And best of all, the #8 soup. Long a favorite of ours at Cuisine du Cambodge, in recent months the flavor has changed for the worse, which was HUGELY disappointing to us. The waitress at Cuisine du Cambodge told us the local Asian groceries stopped carrying a vital ingredient and that's why the flavor changed. Well, apparently Phnom Penh knows where to get that ingredient. It's AWESOME here. Exactly like we remembered it. This soup is SO GOOD, with a flavor that defies description, and it's what keeps bringing us back. We'll be driving down the road and then a craving for that flavor strikes us and the car seems to drive itself right to the restaurant...
So those are the plusses. The minuses? Pretty minor, really. The parking is behind the building and, while plentiful, is difficult to get to from Lorain, which is extremely busy here. And getting out can be a real nightmare if you're trying to go east on Lorain.
The prices are high compared to Cuisine du Cambodge, and the portions smaller. We generally get two meals out of an entrée, but there's none of that here. On the other hand, you *could* look at this as a plus....at Cuisine du Cambodge, we always have to rely on our own self-restraint not to wolf down the entire meal, while here it's guilt-free eating, as long as you don't mind the lack of frugality.
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