Bong
Cambodian restaurant · Crown Heights ·
Bold Khmer homestyle cooking like lobster & whole fried fish
Bold Khmer homestyle cooking like lobster & whole fried fish
"A visit right after we named it one of our Best New Restaurants in America confirmed the hype: plates land with fiery, pungent Khmer flavors. The fall menu overhaul shines in the Crabbage ($25), sauteed napa cabbage in a roux‑like sauce that reminded me of the Chinese cooking I grew up with, studded with loads of crab meat and Sichuan peppercorn for an extra punch; while Mama Kim’s lobster remains, I wouldn’t sleep on these newer additions." - Nadia Chaudhury
"In a tiny, unfussy lime-green space lively with chatter and indie-sleaze throwbacks, the pair behind a beloved pop-up is turning out some of the city’s most exciting — and hardest to find — Khmer dishes. While soups and stews are staples of Khmer cuisine, the menu leans summery to start: don’t skip the crispy head-on shrimp, more about the spicy, herbaceous mango dressing than the crunch; the whole fried fish ($44), flanked by a rainbow of accompaniments, shows off a coating perfumed with ground lime leaves that gives each bite a citric zap; and for a splurge, the saucy, stir-fried lobster ($95) delivers. More of a turf fan? The bone-in pork chop, bejeweled with almost-bursting sungold tomatoes, is a must-order, though it contains fish sauce, and the restaurant is currently unable to accommodate vegan diets or seafood allergies. Some of the best dishes here — the lobster, whole fish, and the wings when they pop up — practically demand eating with your hands; consider it a pretext to check out the bathroom mural painted by owners Chakriya Un and Alexander Chaparro when you wash up after. If you’re lucky, there may be sweets from Mina Park of the elusive dessert studio 99 — don’t skip her cakes. Despite the immediate buzz, the restaurant is open just three days a week for now, with tables available by reservation only (Crown Heights locals might try their luck with a walk-in)." - Bettina Makalintal
"Still just in soft-open mode, Bong is already one of the year’s most exciting new restaurants. Formerly a pop-up, the Cambodian spot in Crown Heights releases limited reservations while they find their footing. That shouldn’t take too long, considering the menu is already stacked with hits. For a big feast in a tiny room, order most of the menu: fried shrimp in tart mango sauce, lightly battered squid in velvety salted egg yolk, a delightfully fatty pork chop soaking in tuk trey ping poh, and a crisp whole fried fish. The Tierra Whack/A$AP Rocky playlist makes it feel like a party, as do the couple who run this place: one butchers lobster in the open kitchen, while the other can recommend a fun wine." - Bryan Kim, Molly Fitzpatrick, Willa Moore, Will Hartman, Sonal Shah
"A thing to know about me: I love using my hands to dig into food and embrace the mess, which made the lobster ($95) at this impossible-to-book Cambodian restaurant perfect for a solo bar meal after a friend graciously offered me her reservation. I cracked and pulled the flavorful, chewy meat from the shell to mix with rice; the recipe comes from chef Chakriya Un’s mother, Mama Kim. On my server’s recommendation, I added the n’gom ($20), a beautiful mess of cabbage, peppers, cucumbers, radishes, fried peanuts, and crispy shallots soaked in a vinegary fish sauce condiment, plus light wine and a magical Paris-Brest with corn and peaches ($16). The vibes were impeccable — I bopped to early-aughts Beyoncé and Destiny’s Child — and even the blacklight-lit muraled bathroom charmed me; I can’t wait to return for more food, especially that squid." - Nat Belkov
"Having visited twice in the past month, I can easily say it’s one of my favorite new openings in the city. The tiny restaurant that started as the Kreung Cambodia pop-up won me over with the clams machew: clams, water spinach, and celery in a sour tamarind broth that’s restorative and craveably savory — and you should get an order of rice to sop up every bit." - Bettina Makalintal
