Phnom Penh Noodle House
Cambodian restaurant · International District ·
Traditional Cambodian noodle soups, grilled meats & spicy salads
Traditional Cambodian noodle soups, grilled meats & spicy salads
"Ever since Phnom Penh reopened in 2020, it’s been in our group dinner and takeout rotation whenever we’re in the mood for delicious Cambodian dishes—especially bowls of foursome beef noodle packed with silky broth, tripe, and meatballs. And we can always count on their platter of grilled pork chops, chicken, and short ribs to give us the same joy we feel at a summer BBQ, even when it’s cold out. The boneless chicken thighs pack a great lemongrass-y punch, and both the pork chop and short ribs have a sweet and sticky marinade that clings to every char mark." - aimee rizzo, carlo mantuano, kayla sager riley
"Founder Sam Ung has died from a heart attack at the age of 70. Ung began in the restaurant business as a child in Battambang, chopping meat and vegetables in his parents’ restaurant when he was just 14 years old; after the Khmer Rouge came to power he and his pregnant wife, Kim, fled first to a refugee camp and eventually to Seattle. In 1987 he opened the restaurant — one of the city’s early Cambodian-owned businesses — and his daughter Dianne told the Met, “I remember him saying how many people didn’t believe in him. He set out to prove them all wrong.” The spot became a hub for Seattle’s Cambodian community; Ung passed the business to his daughters in 2013, later retired and returned to Cambodia, but continued cooking for and feeding neighbors there: “You would see photos of probably 50 to 100 people,” his daughter Diane said. “He would just feed them and send them off with a little bit of money in a red envelope to bless them.” The restaurant temporarily closed after a family health tragedy and reopened in 2020 thanks to a crowdfunding campaign and a grant from the city (there’s a noted photo of Ung with then–Mayor Jenny Durkan). His daughters are expected to plan a celebration of his life and are posting updates on the restaurant’s Instagram." - Harry Cheadle
"This long-revered Cambodian restaurant has enjoyed a revival in a slick new space after a two-year closure. Longtime staples, including the honey-black pepper chicken wings, mee katang (wide rice noodles in gravy), and beef lok lac (wok-tossed marinated steak cubes), satisfy old and new diners alike. Soothingly porky bone soup is available in limited quantity, along with plenty of freezes and shakes for a cool finish." - Jay Friedman
"Phnom Penh Noodle House dates back decades. Owner Sam Ung arrived in Seattle as a refugee in 1980 after fleeing the Khmer Rouge and opened the first version of the restaurant in the International District in 1987. Many iterations later, Phnom Penh Noodle House remains a family-run International District staple that specializes in noodle dishes and Cambodian classics like fish amok, a dish of steamed white fish in a coconut lemongrass red curry. Your most difficult decision might be deciding between the many noodle dishes. You can’t go wrong with the house special: a bowl of thin rice noodles topped with prawns, calamari, fish cakes, cilantro, and garlic." - Alicia Erickson
"This long-revered Cambodian restaurant reopened in 2020 in a slick new International District location after a two-year closure. For something special, try the goy chup noodle soup with slippery wide rice noodles and slow-cooked pork tripe and intestines. It’s also available as a dry noodle dish, served with broth on the side. Battambang’s Favorite is another exceptional option. It features thin rice noodles infused with sweet soy sauce and roasted garlic, and comes with the kitchen sink: ground shrimp, roasted ground peanuts, salted radish, pickled cucumbers, steamed bean sprouts, a hard-boiled egg, green onion, and cilantro." - Jay Friedman
