Exciting Restaurants to Try in San Jose 2025 | Eater

"Chef Channy Laux worked as an engineer for more than 30 years before moving into the food industry to open Angkor Chef in 2023. Her downtown restaurant is a showcase of Khmer cuisine with bright and umami-packed dishes. Housemade Twah Ko sausage and fresh pickles enliven fried rice; vegan Angkor noodles are sweetened with the nectar of thnot flowers. Many visit for tuk prahok, a sauce made with fermented fish sauce and fresh herbs — an ideal complement for lok lak steak. Don’t leave without trying amok, which is steamed in a banana leaf bowl with catfish, coconut milk, and kroeung spice paste on a base of creamy spinach." - Christina Marie Mueller