Leang E.
Yelp
This was our last meal, and one of the most memorable for me. It was off the beaten path, but worth coming to. I am Chinese Cambodian, and was born in Cambodia but raised in the US. My mom cooks both Chinese and Khmer food so I grew up eating both, and have been to both China and Cambodia and am a food lover to the nth degree. There's not really any Cambodian restaurants in the Midwest or in the US in general. I knew that with the French occupation and influence in Cambodia that I would have to find one in Paris, and this was a great selection. I have to say that this place isn't authentic in the sense that someone who is used to food being cooked a certain way by others - but doesn't necessarily make it right or good. I see that vermicelli noodles are used for the nam chau and the nom pecheuk, but I am not sure if it's a result on the limitations and type of imports the France makes for these kinds of products. I actually appreciated the choice on this as it did seem to soak in the flavor of sauces pretty well and is used in bang hoy anyways. My fiance and I were one of the firsts to be seated at 7pm or so, which might be early in European standards for dinner. We did not make reservations, but I hear it might be worth it as the place can get busy. Our waitress took us to a seat outdoors based on our preference, and I set us down with some menus. They are working on an English version, but I asked if there was also someone here that is Cambodian that might also be helpful to translate. She said just a little old lady who is the owner and hard of hearing. I started with the Cambodian beer. I got the spring roll with shrimp and the nom pecheuk and my fiance got the lok lak without vegetables. So let me just say that my fiance doesn't really eat Asian food at all (I know quite the opposite from me) and he ate all the rice and beef - which is pretty amazing. I have to say that my parents are the best cooks I know, but this nom pecheuk was actually better than my mom's and this is saying a lot. The flavors were well thought of complex and bold - just when I thought she might have forgotten the sweet sauce I tasted it in there. I felt like the dish was taken to another level where the traditional dish got a new makeover, and was made even better. The little old lady came out to meet me and we spoke Khmer for a little bit, and she is the sweetest thing. I can only imagine years of her cooking and the recipes she has. The presentation of the food was awesome I wished I could have fit in dessert, but I ended the meal with a picture with her instead. The prices were reasonable and the service was great. I would LOVE to come back here, and highly recommend it.