How a Shift to Cambodian Food for Seattle Bar Oliver’s Twist Became a Hit | Eater Seattle

"A beloved Phinney Ridge neighborhood bar purchased by Karuna Long in 2017, it was known for solid cocktails and a snacky menu — the community even insisted he keep the garlic truffle popcorn — but the March COVID-19 shutdown forced Long to pivot. After a therapeutic meeting with longtime regulars and staff, three months later he shifted to serving food from his Cambodian heritage, and neighbors began swooning over kroeung, a mortar-and-pestle spice mix he builds from lemongrass, galangal, lime leaves and peels, Kampot pepper, raw honey, palm sugar, and shallots, then tweaks per application (for example, adding red chilies similar to guajillo for beef short ribs served over rice). The new Khmer menu features spring rolls, rice bowls with kroeung-marinated proteins, curries, and vermicelli noodle bowls, and has proven a better fit for doing scheduled pick-ups than trying to survive on takeout bar snacks. Long navigated a tricky, small kitchen with structural limits by sequencing tasks without diners waiting, expanded his purveyors and deliveries, and leaned on family — his mother’s recipes drive the menu, she helps make twa-ko (fermented sausage), and his brother Routhana serves as sous chef. Long frames Khmer food as related to Vietnamese and Thai but more robust and bright (with citrus and ginger), influenced by Indian spices like cardamom, cloves, nutmeg, and turmeric, and rustic and hearty thanks to dried fish, dried shrimp, and pungent pastes like prahok; he plans to add more personal dishes slowly to educate diners, keep Khmer food on the menu when dining rooms reopen, possibly expand to give his mother her own kitchen, and share recipes and stories via a blog/Instagram called Cooking With Karuna — a move that has given him the gratification of seeing his family’s food represented and his mother quietly proud." - Naomi Tomky