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Angkor Borei Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Cambodian Cambodian [Edit]
3471 Mission St(between Kingston St & Cortland Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94110
Neighborhood: Bernal Heights
(415) 550-8417
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Romantic, Casual, Intimate
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
303 reviews for Angkor Borei Restaurant
Review Highlights
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"Try the pumpkin curry and marinated beefs kabobs." In 38 reviews -
"The spinach leaf appetizer is amazing." In 16 reviews -
"The fish mousse is soemthing different and wonderful." In 25 reviews
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- A Yelpy Insight: Vegetarians go nuts for this spot. See more places they like.
303 reviews in English
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Review from Adrienne G.
San Francisco, CA
5/11/2012
Pumpkin Curry....nuff said
Over at a Buddy 1's for take out & movie night. Buddy 2 mentions that he & Buddy 3 were at this FAB Cambodian place just that past Friday so I'm already intrigued to try somewhere new
They loved it so much they were willing to have it again 2 days later.....thank goodness!!
Found out from them that the Pumpkin Curry is not on their regular menu but has been on the Specials Board for forever & that was all it took
BF & I decided to get Pumpkin Curry w/ Tofu.....it's delivered w/ 1 container of veggies (al dente green beans - which were outstanding! - red peppers, zucchini, tofu) in a delightfully spicy yet coconutty curry sauce then a separate container of this tender, whole, steamed squash - SO flavorful & when cut up / mashed up in the curry mixture, it added a taste of richness & creaminess & all kind of goooooood!
This is now my alltime fav Pumpkin Curry!!
Another Pumpkin Curry for Buddies 2 & 3 - with chicken. Nice cubes of tender chicken go w/ the same deliciousness described above.....and Buddy 2 claimed that those green beans reminded him of the Haricot Verdes he used to get while living in Paris & he's had nothing to compare to their delish factor until now. THAT'S a compliment if I ever heard one!
Buddy 1 got the Sweet & Sour Chicken & said it hit the spot. She thought there was a fishy taste for a couple of bites (must use fish sauce?) but she didn't notice anymore after that & easily polished off her plate
ANNNND - what's dinner w/out dessert?! Their Mango & Sticky Rice is out of this world! Sweet & sticky rice, tender, ripe mango & a generous drizzling of coconut milk - it's heaven on a plate!
Total winner of a suggestion & a new spot to add to the rotation!Listed in: Ode to Pumpkin - the Savory…
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Review from A J.
San Francisco, CA
5/20/2012
Seriously disappointing food.
We had the green papaya salad, the pumpkin curry (a yellow curry of sorts), vegetarian "mock duck" with asparagus, and a fried fish fillet buried under bean thread noodles, mushrooms, and some other vegetables.
These might not have been the most authentically Cambodian dishes on the menu but menu is huge and they make no effort to segment it (and maybe separate out the more Thai dishes?).
There was no heat or acid in the green papaya salad, the mock duck was majorly over-salted (and with very little other flavor in the dish), and the pumpkin curry was fairly thin and flavorless. The fish itself was reasonably done, but the rest of the dish just felt like somebody threw a bunch of unrelated ingredients on a plate. Not particularly interesting. Where were the salty hints of fish sauce, the spicy bits of chile, or even the sour tamarind that usually come with Cambodian food?
As someone who has lived in Cambodia previously and traveled throughout Southeast Asia, it was disappointing to come to the only Cambodian place in the city and find just mostly bland generic Asian food. -
Review from Raina B.
5/10/2012
Really a 3.5.
We ordered:
Pumpkin Curry - AWESOME. Recommend this highly as it served in a pumpkin and the curry is really tasty .
Chili Chicken - pretty bland and unexciting
Spinach Leaves - great picking food. Tasty little bites but really just for taste, didn't help my noisy tummy one bit
Coconut water - yum as always but $5 (way too expensive), the straw wrapper was folded as a flower which was a nice touch
This place is not much for the ambiance and clearly one where the food should do all the talking. While good, I think we'll have to go again and try a few more dishes to say anything decisive. -
Review from Rebekah T.
San Francisco, CA
My mom is a huge fan of Angkor Borei, so when I mentioned that I was in need of some spicy soup to sooth my sore throat she suggested the Spicy Cambodian Seafood Soup. It was past the dinner hour and didn't feel like cooking myself, so we decided to go.
We arrived and we seated right away. I ordered hot tea for two and the crispy spring rolls as a appetizer. http://www.yelp.com/bi...
For my main, I ordered the Spicy Cambodian Seafood Soup. http://www.yelp.com/bi... It looked like a lot, but I ate the whole thing. I felt like it helped a little, the heat and great tasting broth.
My mom ordered the Chicken Larb Salad. It's one of her favorites to order and make at home. http://www.yelp.com/bi...
I enjoyed my dinner a lot and now I'm a big fan of Angkor Borei too. Sometimes you just have to listen to your Mom and do what is right for you. When you can't have homemade, you should probably find the best soup you can.Listed in: Soup's On
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Review from Frankie T.
Lakewood, CA
4/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
My family and I went to this place last night. It was our first time there and I am sold on Cambodian food. It is somewhat like Thai Food and just as great.
Great service, nice staff and all around good stuff.
Go eat! -
Review from jennifer k.
Los Angeles, CA
My cousins have been coming here for years and recommended it immediately when we said we wanted somewhere delicious that we could walk to for dinner. When we asked "what's Camodian food?" they answered "it's like the best Thai food you've ever eaten plus some great stuff you can't get at Thai."
We had spinach wrap thingies, pumpkin curry, soup and the crepe/wrap thing -- all awesome. The meat-eater enjoyed that Pra Hok which is some sort of meat dip with veggies.
Loved it! -
Review from Virginia T.
San Francisco, CA
5/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
I had the gingered beef, definitely order it medium. We also had the shredded green papaya and the chili chicken. It was all good and the service was attentive. I'll be back.
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Review from Loon E.
Seattle, WA
5/2/2012 2 photos
3.5 overall. 4 for food. The crepe I split and the pra hok were both very good. 3 for service. Very slow, but lady did come out at the end to apologize. Meals came out far apart, not sure if this is a common thing here.
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Review from Melody T.
1/24/2012
Definitely added to the list of "delivery" options. First time having Cambodian, definitely a mix of Southeast Asian cuisines (that I've tried) - Burmese, Thai.
FAST service. We were impressed! Food arrived on a Sat night under 20 mins.
FOOD REVIEW:
- pumpkin curry, yes.
- charboiled beef skewers, yes.
-pad thai, ok
-spinach leaf salad, ok. their version of burmese "tea leaf salad" i think? -
Review from Tina A.
2/6/2012
Homestyle Cambodian food. Not salty or greasy at all, it definitly has that authentic taste like my mother's cooking.
We were recommended the fish mouse (ahmok) excitedly by the waitress, so we ordered it. it was flavorful and tender, however i did come across a huge brocolli filler at the bottom and laughed at their attempt to save on the cost of fish. you would probably have to be southeast asian to enjoy this dish though, my lighter skinned friends did not appreciate the fish-saucey taste.
pumpkin curry was very safe.. pumpkin was cooked just right, and they add your choice of meat in there. the flavor was not as shocking as ler ros or thai house express. not salty, sweet, nor spicy. however it does taste like something very home made and not daring.
stir fried mixed veggies was good and they fried generous amounts of garlic with it. i
minus a star for the lack of kick in the food, and the dead baby flies we found on our plates -
Review from Pani P.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 2/12/2012
Since I was in desperate need of Cambodian Food like my mother's kitchen. I came back here. I'm thankful to know what I need to order, usually I just go into the kitchen and talk to Auntie about the food and she surprises me all the time.
My ex-boyfriend loves this place too, and he is white as white can be but love his Pra Hok, thank you auntie for making good Pra Hok for us!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/13/2011
Great Cambodian Food, but you must ask the cook to make authentic Khmer Food, if not, then you are… Read more »
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Review from Benjamin B.
San Francisco, CA
2/15/2012
Hit up this place last night and I need to come back for more.
In the mission so parking wasnt horrible but not easy to find.
The place was clean, and i Would give this spot a 5 but i did find some creepy crawlers walking around. Still didnt look like no slum or anything of that nature.
Service was an A +. For such a busy night these girls worked hard and are so nice and polite.
We ordered the seafood combo soup with fish shrimp and squid. This had a nice kick to it and was delightful.
Then we ordered pan fried fish with fish garlic sauce and the sauteed chicken. The sauteed chicken was our least favorite item as it didnt come with enough vegis and enough chicken. I asked for it extra spicy but i still had to add chili to it. The fish was great and had some good flavors going on.
I definitely would come here again and cant wait to! -
Review from Sergi A.
San Francisco, CA
3/31/2012
I had to review them today. I ordered food delivery from Angkor and I got it twenty minutes after I ordered it. And it was delicious. I don't know how they did that. I think they might be time travelers.
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Review from Seema H.
San Francisco, CA
3/21/2012
Decided to try this restaurant as it came highly recommended on Yelp. We ordered the cold noodles and crepe to start, followed by grilled pork, shrimp curry claypot and chili chicken. The food and service were both great. My favorite was the grilled pork ribs and clay pot. It wasn't very crowded on a Tuesday night - good place if you would like to have a conversation. The neighborhood may not be the fanciest and parking was not tough to find. Good find, will go back or order take out.
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Review from Lolia S.
San Francisco, CA
11/30/2011 3 photos
There aren't many Cambodian restaurants around. In fact, this is the only one in SF. Angkor Borei is a charming, cozy spot with red walls, Cambodian art and small tables. The food is artfully presented and someone spends a lot of time and effort carving vegetables into shapes. Taste wise, it's similar to Thai cuisine.
* Prahok/stewed ground pork ($10.95) cooked in coconut milk, spices and anchovies, served with raw vegetables (broccoli, carrots, celery, eggplant, etc.), it's a strange dish, the pork serves as the dip and it's ground into small bits, the dip is salty and doesn't complement the raw vegetables
* Chicken curry - presented in a cooked whole kabocha, the kabocha was sweet and tender, the red curry as very good, full of flavor, not too much coconut milk, with boneless, skinless chicken, bell peppers, green beans and zucchini
There are daily lunch specials and an extensive vegetarian menu.Listed in: Lunch in Bernal…
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Review from AJ H.
3/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
interesting place in the middle of a mexican area that had nice authentic cambodian decor. the pork,beef,shrimp salad was probably the best dish we had there, it was very tasty and unique. the fried fish fillet with noodles, baby corn, mushrooms was simple, tasty and fried really well. the pumpkin curry was fresh and cooked well but wasnt necessarily the best tasting curry that we've had.
overall, i think if you like your food simple and homey(home-cooked, not too much msg), i think this is a good place. -
Review from Marco C.
San Francisco, CA
1/8/2012
Disclaimer: not familiar with authentic Cambodian. But overall pretty flavourful, prices comprable or slightly higher than similar class SE Asian, attentive service. Came for Sunday dinner with one friend, not terribly busy, 4-5 tables of folks.
Dishes:
- cold Cambodian noodles
- pan fried fish fillet with three flavour spicy sauce
- vegetable red curry with mock chicken
Pros:
- service: everything happened quickly without feeling rushed, refilled water and served our rice, extremely polite, warm demeanour
- strong flavours in the fish: I happen to like my food on the intense side, so that was great, went well with brown rice
- ambiance: quiet, subdued, perfect for dinner with a friend or two when you actually want to chat and not have to shout, or a date :)
Cons:
- portions on the small side compared to most SE Asian places
- cold noodles were...meh. The ground fish didn't have a distinctive or particularly noteworthy taste
Would come back, if a friend drove me again, haha. -
Review from Jenna K.
Bernal Heights, San Francisco, CA
2/18/2012
Skip it. It's not good.
My friend and I ordered takeout here the other night. I came here once last year in the summer and had a great meal. This time I had a very different experience. I'll keep it short because I hate how people sometimes drag on. Basically we called for delivery. Twenty minutes later the food arrived, which seemed a little too fast and leads me to question the freshness. Once we opened everything (wee got three dishes, and sweet and sour chicken dish, a cashew chicken dish, and a tofu vegetable curry), there seemed to be literally half the cashew chicken dish missing (an $11 dish). We just said whatever and started eating because we were starving. Basically the whole meal was awful. The chicken was so overdone it was tough and hard to chew. Half of the sweet and sour dish was onions. Nothing tasted that great, and the quality was nonexistent. We paid $40 for a terrible meal.
Definitely don't bother with this place. -
Review from Miguel V.
12/5/2011
This is a really painful one because I really wanted to love this place for so many reasons. Not the least of which is my love for Cambodian culture and food. It was my favorite country that I visited in SE Asia. The staff definitely convey that same vibe that I got for the people in Cambodia. Some of the most genuine, friendly, soulful, and warm people that I have ever met. Unfortunately, the food just did not really deliver here.
We had the prahok, ahmok (Cambodia's "national dish"), and the loc lac, which was not on the menu, but they said that the chef would make it for us anyway (so sweet of them!!!). Prahok was sort of a staple that I ate while there. It is essentially ground pork in this spicy, curry-ish sauce. I would get it in these little sandwich bags from street vendors and try to find a spoon to eat it with. Great little snack. This version was much more mild, less of the bold and oily flavors that I had in Cambodia. Not much in terms of chilies either. They served it with a plate of raw veggies as a dip, which was somewhat different that when I had it previously, but it was alright. Wifey was not a fan.
Ahmok is interesting because it is supposed to be the national dish, but we were hard-pressed to find it served anywhere we went in Cambodia. In fact, I have talked to Cambodian Americans that have never had it before and were unfamiliar with the dish. We finally found a place to make it for us and it was delicious. It is basically a red curry fish, but with a more coconut cream, making it a little thicker and richer. It comes in a banana leaf. This version was just very, very mild. It was not bad, but it was a very small portion and just lacked that flavor depth we hoped for.
Finally, the loc lac was the best of the dishes. It was very different than the previous versions that I have had. It was served over lettuce, very similar to a Thai beef salad. Previous versions I have had were served sizzling, stir-fried with onions and some other veggies, but this one was more of a salad. I liked it a lot anyway, but it was not what I had expected.
Overall, we ordered a very authentic Cambodian meal, which I love them for having. Many Cambodian restaurants in SoCal are Chinese and claim that Cambodian and Chinese foods are difficult to differentiate. Dishes like these, however, that are native to Camobodia (as far as I know) are not served there. They definitely get props for that as well as the amazing service and recreating a Cambodian vibe all the way over here. However, the food just was not amazing. It was good, but just not impressive enough to draw us back. Also, the portions were really small, especially considering the prices. We were hungry again later that evening. This was my first chance to really impress the wifey with the amazing food that I experienced over there and it just really didn't do the trick. I think it did enough though to convince her to come with me on a return visit. -
Review from Cassandra F.
Brooklyn, NY
9/30/2011
This was my first time having Cambodia food and I enjoyed it. It was generally similar to other Southeast Asian dishes (rice, noodles, stirfried veggies and tofu), but several of the dishes we ordered had distinct flavors.
I found the spinach leaves appetizer to be particularly interesting. I don't think I'd order it again because it's something I could easily make at home but I am happy to have tried it, particularly because the raw, fresh dish balanced out all the other heavier cooked food we went with. The spinach leaves dish comes with a bowl of raw spinach leaves, then a series of smaller bowls of raw chopped onions, ginger, mango, peanuts, limes, jalapenos, and fried onions. It also comes with a bowl of shrimp so just ask to omit that.
For our entrees, we went with the tofu clay pot, mango soy chicken, and the mixed vegetable soup. I didn't care for the soft tofu in the clay pot (I'm not a fan of soft tofu), but I thought the broth and veggies were delicious. The mango soy chicken also had a good flavor but it didn't strike me as being any different from vegan mango chicken dishes I've had in Chinese, Thai, and generic vegetarian "Asian fusion" restaurants. The vegetable soup was probably my favorite just because I really love soup and the veggies were really fresh.
For dessert, we went with the mango sticky rice, which is a very common vegan dessert in many Asian restaurants. What I really liked about this one was that it was made with black rice, which made it a little different and gave it a deeper flavor.
The service was very prompt, friendly, and accommodating, and the ambiance was warm and relaxed. I must mention that there was a really odd smell by our table, which was right next to the door. It smelled like cat and was really off-putting but I'm wondering if it was coming from outside, as I didn't smell it in the middle or back of the restaurant when I went to use the restaurant. Assuming this smell isn't a regular occurrence, I would definitely return! -
Review from Mike F.
San Francisco, CA
10/11/2011
We've lived near this restaurant for 5 years but never ordered from it or went there. I'm annoyed with myself for having waited so long. It was delicious. The order came really quickly (20 minutes when they said 35) which is always welcome when you're hungry for takeout.
We had the Three Angkor Salad which is a warm salad (ala the Thai dish Larb) with a lime dressing and shallots. Small piece of grilled beef and pork and four shrimp. It was sour and slightly salty and delicious.
We also had the cashew chicken which was lovely and spicy but could've had a few more cashews, as well as the Duck Prik King. That was my favorite. It was a generous amount of roasted duck on the bone in a red curry sauce (very lightly sauced) with really nice thin green beans and basil. Absolutely delicious.
The two entrees were spicy but not overwhelming, and nicely balanced. All in all, I really enjoyed this meal. -
Review from peggi j.
San Francisco, CA
1/27/2012
Seriously not impressed.
The Hot&Sour Soup was so thin and watery, it was inedible. Also ordered the Sauteed Seafood Combo, which was full of seafood , as advertised, but lacked flavor and had mussels that tasted way past their serve by date.
The Larb Salad was good, but the Sticky Rice was incredibly dry.
Very disappointing. -
Review from Susanna W.
Palo Alto, CA
8/22/2011
Toey Mouie, Jasus Wi, Pacy Chalo and Colen Stain (!!) had a fun dinner here Sunday night.
AMBIANCE: SUPER small resto. When we arrived @ ~6pm there was only one other table there, but the space still felt incredibly tiny. It became even more cramped after our group of 8 sat down.
SERVICE: Friendly and attentive. Maybe a little too attentive? They took away a few dishes before we were completely finished with them.
FOOD: ehhh...
- Spinach salad: Not really sure what the draw is. The sauce was pretty good but everything else was just... meh.
- Cambodian crepe: Basically a banh xeo. I'd skip this as there are other places that make it way better... and its not even really Cambodian.
- Pumpkin curry: Very flavorful with huge chunks of pumpkin. Could've been saucier.
- Stewed pork: Not what we expected. More of a dip (with raw veggies) than a curry dish.
- Whole fried tilapia: Not meaty enough and a little too salty.
- Ahmok: Tastiest dish of the night, but small portion. The fish (and tofu?) was super tender, the curry mousse was delicious.
- Claypot shrimp: A steamed pot of shrimp. Also not what we expected. The shrimp itself was deveined and not overcooked, but was a little bland.
- Pad thai: Why this is being offered at a Cambodian restaurant is beyond me. It was your typical pad thai.
OVERALL: Grand total for 8 including tax and tip was $116. CHEAP! Not sure I'd be back, but it was nice to try. -
Review from Rox B.
San Francisco, CA
2/27/2012
I'd never had Cambodian food before I came here so I won't claim to be any sort of expert, but it's one of my new favorite types of food now. The pumpkin curry is fantastic. As is the crispy tofu. I've heard their Basil Eggplant dish is delicious as well. Go!
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Review from Ty T.
9/13/2011
Angkor is family-run restaurant, with very friendly service, complimented by very savory dishes.. The lady that owns this restaurant was especially hospitable and welcoming, it was if she had prepared the meal especially for us, like eating in Mama's restaurant.
We shared all the menu items family-style, because it just seemed very appropriate for the mood. Starting with a very lovely Lemon Grass salad, absolutely refreshing with a bit of spice. I love harvest squash, especially Pumpkin and I would probably have to admit that I find it more-so appealing than the ever popular taste of Butter-Nut. I was in a very agreeable mood for it as soon as I spotted the Pumpkin Curry on the menu. And, wow! It was just an absolutely delicious combination of flavors, and not too heavily seasoned like my experience with other South-East Asian cuisine.
There was a continuous theme of mint sprigs infused into all of the dishes, adding a revitalizing burst fresh flavor to an already spectacular jubilee of flavors. I will definitely have to recommend this place to everyone I know, I am finding it a bit hard to conclude this review because my mouth is watering so heavily just thinking about it.Listed in: Places That Make Me WHET
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Review from Adrienne P.
Culver City, CA
9/28/2011
Spinach leaf appetizer was delicious. It was the first time I had ever had it though, so perhaps I am a bit biased; I mean how hard is it to chop up the veggies and put everything on a tray?
Clay pot mock chicken was fabulous as well, no strange textures or anything with the faux meat. My mom loved the mussels (I HATE mussels, so I didn't try them). She said they were fresh and that the sauce was perfect.
Good prices...I would frequent this place if I lived nearby. -
Review from Mike W.
San Francisco, CA
10/9/2011
Outer mission place with no parking, a place i won't usually go to out of convenience, but the food is worth the headache of heading into the city. The place is a hole, but a clean hole. Staff is friendly, food is awesome.
Red Curry Chicken Stew - 3.5 - good stew
BBQ Chicken with Veggies - 3.5 - yums
Yellow Curry Beef with Peanut Sauce and Spinach - 4 - the bomb
Curry Fish in a bannana leaf basket - 4 - the bomb
Lam - Salad with Beef - 3.5 - good
Sour Soup - 4 - Sour goodness
Thai Coffee - 5 - Best Thai coffee I've ever had.
Come here for the food. Most dishes are in the 4 star range.
4 stars for the food alone. -
Review from S R.
San Francisco, CA
relaxing, dark, inviting atmosphere.
i dont know authentic cambodian food but this place seems good. pumpkin curry was sweet, which i like, but taste is a little too subtle. ahmok (fish baked in a leaf) was flavorful and melted in your mouth.
i would go back. -
Review from Tara H.
5/6/2011
High-five, Bernal Heights, for the many mid-range food options and for Angkor Borei. It's a good walk on a nice night, and just the right *length* of walk after stuffing yourself in a Cambodian restaurant, for example.
The food was very similar to a lot of my Thai favorites. We started with an appetizer of larb -- a Lao specialty, they say -- with pork, which was delicious. "Meat salad" with kick is a good way to describe it. We got entrees of Pumpkin curry with shrimp, and a chicken and veggies dish, and washed it down with two glasses of white wine. It came out to a bit more than $50 with tax and tip.
The surrounds were somehow nondescript but also very cute, with a fake outside-looking area that feels a bit like vacation. If that makes *any* sense.
I'd definitely come back for a casual dinner. -
Review from Ravi C.
San Francisco, CA
8/10/2011
Yumm! We had the Yelp Special - the faves on Yelp -
Spinach leaf Appetizer
Pumpkin Curry with Chicken
Ahmok fish mousse
Totally satisfying and pleasing to the senses. The waitress was very sweet and friendly, too! Definitely a SF Neighborhood Gem. -
Review from Seila K.
5/30/2011
I would give it normally 3 1/2 stars, but I'm bumping it up to 4 stars to give support to a fellow Cambodian business. It's a pretty standard Cambodian restaurant in the Bay Area, if you've been to some of the ones in Oakland and San Jose. Small restaurant and typically catered towards non-Cambodian tongues. That being said, it was pretty tasty and we found ourselves definitely satisfied after this meal.
Sour soup with chicken - This is a standard dish that I order when I go out. A dish that I grew up eating and something my mom always cooks when I return to Seattle. I do wish there was a catfish option and I wish there was some more flavor it in, meaning more of the tamarind flavor. The version at Phnom Penh House in Oakland is much better.
Amok - Another friend of mine mentioned that it was probably the best amok she's ever had before, even in Cambodia. I'm not sure I would go that far, but it was definitely cooked very well. The fish was nice and tender; however I'm used to a little more custard to fish ratio. That being said, you're getting your money's worth with how much fish they give you in that little banana leaf.
Pumpkin curry - We really enjoyed this dish as the curry was nicely flavored but it came on a pumpkin shell that you could eat. That part really added to the dish as we were able to scoop delicious chunks of pumpkin with our curry. Yum.
Prahok - A Cambodian staple, converted a bit to suit non native tongues. If you don't know what prahok is, it's a fermented fish paste that leaves a very pungent smell. It was mixed with ground pork and some coconut milk to reduce the pungency and used to dip various vegetables with it. Still pretty tasty!
Overall, I do live in San Jose and would I return? I do prefer Phnom Penh House in Oakland (the one in Chinatown), but if I found myself in SF, craving Cambodian food I would definitely make a return visit. -
Review from Pearl L.
San Francisco, CA
4/5/2011
The food here regularly exceed my expectations. The restaurant is very cozy, and dishes are well-presented. Delivery is also super speedy.
While technically a Cambodian restaurant, the food tastes similar to most Thai food, but is way more awesome. A friend of mine that lived in Thailand describes it as her favorite Thai restaurant in the city.
We've had the vegetarian crepe pancake, clay pot w/ tofu and w/ mock chicken, veggie pad thai, green curry, hot and sour soup, and spicy tofu. The crepe pancake was surprisingly flavorful even though stuffed with bean sprouts. It came with a delicate, tasty fish-based sauce that was just delicious. I love the clay pot, which includes silver noodles and all sorts of yummy veggies in a hot, savory broth. The spicy tofu is possibly the best tofu preparation I've ever eaten with strong spice and basil flavors in perfect balance. Everything is solid and very reasonably priced. -
Review from Willa K.
San Francisco, CA
9/19/2011
Amazingly tasty, affordable Cambodian food... cheap beer, nice people working there, and (my favorite part) you can always get a table!
5 stars. It's our go-to place on the weekend when the Mission gets mobbed and all the fancier places take forever to get into and are rendered miserable. -
Review from Michael C.
San Francisco, CA
2/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
I wanted to come here for a long time because I heard that it was one of the only good strictly Cambodian restaurants in San Francisco. I was actually craving some Cambodian dishes and the chef did not disappoint.
I really liked the environment of the restaurant, it felt more Buddhist or Zen, with a lot of earthy reds. One thing to recognize is that the restaurant might be somewhat of a hole in wall, but it does represent some of the Cambodian dishes I have had in the past from my friend's family.
You really can try anything that sounds interesting here, and you will come away fulfilled. The dishes are large and reasonable. I think its important to support one of the few sit down Cambodian restaurants in SF.
I would definitely come here again, although it is rather deeep in the Mission so you will have to drive to get there. Otherwise, I don't think you will come away disappointed. You could always consider going to Oakland as well for Cambodian food. -
Review from Reena B.
San Francisco, CA
2/23/2011
The BEST delivery food. So excited to find this gem that delivers to Noe.
We are vegetarian and we ordered:
Pumpkin curry
Veg. Crepe
Chili Mock Chicken
All three were great. I would order them spicy next time (medium wasn't spicy enough) -
Review from Marlis T.
6/9/2011
Cambodian? Wow, I have no idea how Cambodian food is like. To be honest, after the visit I still have no idea what Cambodian food is about. My experience taught me that Cambodian food is very similar to Thai food. I can't really tell you how authentic this place is. But most importantly, they have GOOD food! Like really really good food!
I came with another friend. With only two stomach, we could only try few things. So I decided to try the top three things mentioned on YELP: Spinach leaves appetizer, pumpkin curry with chicken, and AHMOK (fish mousse). I also tried sticky rice, and fresh young coconut drink.
My housemate in high school came from Hatyai, and she often made me ahmok and the spinach leaves appetizer. They are not unusual for me. But you don't see it all the time in Thai restaurants. I am guessing that these are more Southern Thai food, and it's very close to Cambodia. Makes sense. I am Indonesian, I love finger food. We eat with our fingers, not fork and spoon. So it was a great start.
The pumpkin curry is served in a pumpkin! Unlike other places, the pumpkin bowl carved from a pumpkin is edible. It's soft, and hard enough to hold the chicken, string beans, and asparagus. Love Love.
Then is the fresh young coconut. Well nothing much to say about this drink. But I love how they fold a little rose on the paper that covers the straw. Little details like this impressed me.
Service is good. Our server didn't give us much recommendation. But everyone in this restaurant is friendly, I feel welcomed.
Ambiance is great. Low lighting, small little place, clean utensils. -
Review from Misha T.
10/9/2011
their lunch deals are super cheap! like so cheap that if they were located downtown they'd be ridonkulously popular. instead they're in bernal heights and people still know about them.
I got this cold noodle thing that the woman told me was the khmer version of bun and it was pretty good, lots of citrus, good herbs, 6 dollars. -
Review from Jennifer L.
San Francisco, CA
11/15/2011
this was the firs time i tried cambodian food... similar to thai from what i can tell!
i wish i could have tried everything on the menu. it had a decent selection to choose from! we ordered some appetizer that i don't know the name of, but it was kind of fried and had stuff inside... well, whatever it was, it was good!
i got the boneless chicken curry, which was delicious. i was trying my best to finish it all, but i was too full.
wish i could come back here again but i don't live nearby and parking is not the easiest :( -
Review from F. P.
San Francisco, CA
2/17/2011
This is your typical, dime a dozen Cambodian restaurant. ;-)
Seriously speaking, this place is great. It's authentic, family-run and a nice change of cuisine from your typical Mexican/Italian/Chinese/Thai fare that are a dime a dozen.
Came for dinner on what happened to be Valentine's Day (of course, looking around it didn't look as if anyone was really celebrating V Day. Not that surprising as it's casual and not really the type of place you'd think of for a fancy or romantic dinner).
Still, our hostess and server (who, by the way, was waiting on all the tables and quite efficiently, I might add) was dressed festively in red and went around lighting candles. Sweet.
Even sweeter was the food. Loved the spinach leaves appetizer: individual spinach leaves served with little bowls of chopped lime, nuts, spices and dried shrimp. You can literally taste every flavor and texture in this dish. Amazing.
Also loved the Cambodian crepe appetizer: spiced meat and veggies wrapped in a light, flaky crust that soaked up all the juices.
The spicy hot and sour soup with shrimp was also delicious with just the right amount of tanginess from the lemongrass.
Finally, we had the pumpkin curry. This one here was one of the nicely presented versions I had ever seen. The serve the curry inside a half a peeled pumpkin bowl so that you can literally carve the pumpkin and have it gush out onto a larger bowl. Beautiful and the curry was really good as well.
Reasonably priced and now a neighborhood favorite. Can't wait to go back. -
Review from Mei C.
San Francisco, CA
3/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
Had 1500 calories worth of food. Calories calculated courtesy of my fitness pal - an android app. Food was delicious. Had:
the CRISPY CAMBODIAN CREPE,
the SOUR SOUP,
the SWEET AND SOUR PRAWNS IN THE SHELL,
the FRIED BANANA & COCONUT ICE CREAM and
jasmine rice.
the lime drink was light and sweet. it was cold inside the restaurant though.
