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Chez Sovan
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 11:30 am - 8:30 pm
Fri-Sat 11:30 am - 9:30 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
184 reviews for Chez Sovan
Review Highlights
"Catfish Amok flavor was great & texture was soft."
(in 46 reviews)
"I especially loved it with the spicy papaya salad."
(in 15 reviews)
"...the flavors of the banana leaf infused with all the other..."
(in 28 reviews)
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184 reviews in English
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Review from Jesselynn S.
San Jose, CA
12/16/2011
I've eaten here about a total of 5 times now, including bringing a group of our friends.. and I like this place a lot. Being married to a Cambodian guy for a long time, my kids and I have learned to enjoy, appreciate, and love Cambodian/Thai food, and we found some authentic dishes here.
I am particularly a fan of their catfish amok, papaya salad, and beef larb (larb sp?). The only thing missing from this place is the use of pahok in their dishes esp. the papaya salad, but I still enjoy it. The last time we came here with friends, it was a bit empty.. probably only 3 other parties besides ourselves. Maybe it might've just been that day/evening, but it would have been nice to hear some sort of background or the usual karaoke music you'd hear in many asian restaurants instead of awkward silence along with a huge family of about 15 people behind us discussing aloud while telling their kids to settle down.
But like I said, I'm a fan of this place. I wouldn't mind going back soon. :) -
Review from Kim R.
11/21/2011
We came here on a sunday night, restaurant was somewhat empty.
Here's what we tried:
Catfish amok - which was like a steamed fish egg-loaf wrapped in a banana leaf. It was a bit of a lemongrass overkill for me, but it was okay.
some beef basil bellpepper thing? - ehh nothing special about the dish
chicken pumpkin curry? - a bit too watery to my liking. I like my curries with a little bit of a thick consistency. Overall taste was okay.
Thai tea was good. You can never go wrong with thai iced tea.
Prices were moderate. Service was friendly and attentive. I wouldn't say their entire menu is filled with cambodian dishes, there's quite a handful that have a mixture of chinese and thai cuisine.
For cambodian food I think i'll stick to the ones in oakland :P -
Review from Bob R.
Atherton, CA
11/5/2011
They have a really good 36. Best in town. This is not an easy dish. So many factors go into a proper 36. They are usually hit or miss. In most restaraunts you go in and say "ill take a 36" and you don't know what you're getting. Literally. Not here though.
In all seriousness. This is a GREAT family restaraunt. Kind service, reasonable priced. Best Asian food I found in san Jose by far!
Bob. Ross- -
Review from Crystal D.
San Jose, CA
2/3/2012
this is the first Cambodian restaurant that I've been to and it made me wonder why it took me so long to eat at one! I've tried a lot of dishes here but my all time favorite which I order every single time is the catfish amok ... yummmmm! I can probably eat a whole order to myself :) Its great to go with a group so that you have an excuse to order a lot of different dishes. The curry dishes are delicious, they're not heavy like other asian curries
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Review from Brian D.
Campbell, CA
1/20/2012
3.5 *** The catfish is the ticket here.Traditional hot pot style and the sauce is fabulosso!
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Review from Irene L.
12/14/2011
Came here for a work group lunch. The food is ok. I had their signature salad (cabbage, green bell peppers and a lime dressing w/ chopped peanuts), my boss had the amok (steamed? catfish), and some coworkers had their flat rice noodle plate (looked like pad see ew or chow fun). The service is slow and the food came out even slower. I may or may not come back. It was a little empty on a Weds lunchtime...
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Review from Tomomi S.
Updated - 9/4/2011
This time I was determined to try some new dishes, except for Amok. How could I not order Amok if I were there? Catfish Amok never fails, it was very delicious. Fluffy fish, juicy and sweet.
So we tried Cha Eark and it was very very very spicy. I don't speak Cambodian but does Cha or Eark mean either "hot" "spicy" "idiot" or "burn"? Oh my gosh, it was super spicy.
Description of this dish says "stir fried with lemongrass, spices & peanuts" - nothing indicating this dish was that spicy, so maybe we got a special order...? Either way it was tasty dish but we just needed to eat a lot more rice and drink tons of water. I am looking forward to other people's review on this dish.
We also tried Nuoum, signature salad. It was just a simple salad with shredded cabbage, vermicelli, bell peepers and peanuts (with choices of shrimp, chicken, beef, squid or tofu). I liked the dressing. I have no idea what it was but it was sweet and hint of sourness. Now I found another favorite dish from Chez Sovan =)1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/5/2010
You gotta try Chez Sovan's catfish Amok. Chunks of catfish and coconut milk, lemon glass, spinach,… Read more »
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Review from Theresa A.
Campbell, CA
1/1/2012
This is our new favorite restaurant. The ginger chicken was our first discovery. Next was a string bean, tamarind dish with choice of meat or tofu. Another created dish is sauted mixed vegetables which we request in a spicy sauce. We have tried other dishes but love these so much, it is hard to venture beyond these three. The brown rice is an added benefit. The wait staff is friendly. There is always plenty of room. We would take any group of people there. It would be a great place for a large party. The wine selection is modest. I would bring my own and happily pay a corkage fee if there is one.
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Review from David S.
Mountain View, CA
9/29/2011 2 Check-ins Here
This is the stereotypical 'looks like a dump on the outside, but is surprisingly nice on the inside, and has awesome food' story. It's not fine dining by any stretch, so don't feel like you have to dress up, but it's a nice place. It's date-worthy.
Fantastic food. Not sure I can name exactly what we had (the person who brought us there ordered for the table), but there was fish wrapped in a leaf, a cabbage soup, curry stew, and a mixture of beef and chicken dishes. They were all very, very good. -
Review from Bruce G.
Seattle, WA
11/16/2011 4 Check-ins Here
I started eating here in the 90s when it was owned by a different family. The family who owns it now has maintained the quality and added many new delicious dishes.
I wasn't familiar with Cambodian food when I started here. I would describe it as similar to Thai food, but with a simpler flavor profile. If you haven't tried Cambodian food, you owe it to yourself. We are very fortunate to have such an excellent example of it in San Jose.
I recommend the following dishes:
Samlaw Curry (I like it with chicken)
Ginger Chicken
Cha Kroeng (beef)
Cha Trop (pork)
Amok (traditional Cambodian dish that I find a little boring)
Bie Moin (a bit boring, but good for kids)
This is one of those places you will never find on your own. The inside of the restaurant is nice, but the location is terrible. If you are bored afterward, go to the biker karaoke bar next door. -
Review from Clif C.
Fremont, CA
11/22/2011
Love this place! The food is really good! Curry chicken is the bomb!
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Review from Lisa C.
San Jose, CA
11/3/2011
FAIL!! Food is nasty, nasty.... Please go somewhere else. Dump on the outside and after eating here you will be dumping some more...Need I say anymore?
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Review from K G.
Sunnyvale, CA
9/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
This restaurant has fantastic tasting food. I've never been disappointed with anything I have ordered. I especially love the nuoum salad (shredded cabbage, bell pepper, silver noodle and peanuts mixed with galangal sauce) and the samlaw curry stew (with big chunks of boneless dark meat chicken, carrots and potatoes). Oh and the eggrolls are AMAZINGLY good.
I really want to try something different next time and since there are so many great comments on the Catfish, I think I'll try the Catfish Amok.
Ambiance isn't the best but the food is so worth it. I really wish they were closer to Sunnyvale so I could go there more often. -
Review from Peter L.
Daly City, CA
8/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
Cambodian food in the south bay. I can't say that I ever had authentic food before, maybe a dish her and there so I did not know what to expect. Thankfully I came here with a Cambodian friend, so they can tell me it was good or not. Started off with Angel Wing, which was meat taken out of chicken wing, minced, mix with lemon grass and spices, then stuff back in the wing and fried. The wing was good, no complain there. Entree we ordered several items (I don't remember the name of it), fish steamed in banana leaves, beef stew, stir fried chicken bits, and stir fried noodles. All of the food was average, nothing really wow me. Even my Cambodian friend said food here was just ok, her momma made better dishes.
Not a whole lot of choices out here in south bay, so "I eats what I gots" -
Review from Stephanie L.
San Francisco, CA
6/29/2011 2 Check-ins Here
There aren't many Cambodian places around, so I'm really glad that Chez Sovan exists! This place doesn't usually get too busy, maybe not many people know about this hidden gem? I would definitely come here more often if it was closer to where I live, but occasional visits will have to do as I bring more friends to come and try.
We were going to get the samlaw curry - large, which is chicken, potatoes, carrots, coconut milk, and curry spices for $11.95. But, we were advised to just order the small since there was only 3 of us and we were ordering 2 other dishes along with rice. Their Catfish Amok is amazing! I love the presentation of it and being able to open it up like it's a gift :P We got a tofu dish also which was good but my friend thought it had too much of a fishy taste for her, it was pretty saucey though. I also ordered a Lychee drink, but it just tasted like it was straight from the canned ones.. ugh not worth it, I wished they put real lychee inside the drink. -
Review from Sandy S.
Campbell, CA
4/14/2011
I never had Cambodian food before until today. My friend Dina told me this place is great and it's similar to Thai food which I like. She was right, it was similar to Thai food as the food we got had that sweet and mildly spicy flavor to it. The interior of the place is nice but casual. There are colorful murals on the walls and fake orchids everywhere that look real from a distance.
For the appetizer, we got the shrimp eggrolls with sweet potato which were like regular fried Chinese eggrolls with just those ingredients in them served with a sweet chili sauce. I think that was $5.95. We also got some soup which I really liked which had tender pieces of chicken in it with lime and cliantro. I can't recall the name of it, but it reminded me of eating one of those Mexican chicken tacos in liquid form minus the corn tortilla. It was really good!
For the entree, we both split a fried fish dish with ground chicken and ginger on top. I think it had some lemongrass in it too. I could taste the spices in the chicken which is always a good thing! The fish was just OK. It wasn't as tender as I hoped it would be. The second entree we split was a noodle dish with beef. It tasted like a sweeter version of Pad Thai only the noodles are thinner. Most dishes are between $12.95-$15.95 The service was fairly attentive and good. The parking lot is small, so try to avoid coming here during the lunch or dinner rush. -
Review from Bea Y.
San Jose, CA
11/20/2011
Been here several times for lunch. Service was pretty fast.
Lunch special was good...and big portions.
Definitely would go back! -
Review from John N.
San Jose, CA
7/19/2011
I've been coming this to place a number of times after being introduced by an industry colleague. I have to say, this place really earns high marks for a number of reasons.
Firstly, the service is exceptional. You don't have to wait long for anything most of the time (getting seated right away is a plus). The staff is attentive and pleasant to work with.
Next, the food (of course) is fantastic. Always get the tasty chicken kabob, or you can try the curry meat, baked salmon with mango or one of the delicious soups. The ginger beef is excellent too.
They also have a selection of non-caffeinated 'smoothie/frappucino' type drinks - I recommend the cookies n cream one for a nice dessert to cool you off after any spicy dishes.
Note, when you drive along Bascom don't go too fast when you approach Dry Creek Rd, you might miss this place because its off on the side. -
Review from RACHEL M.
San Jose, CA
11/5/2011
Yummy!! I'll be back for more!!!
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Review from libra h.
San Jose, CA
6/17/2011
I love their chicken curry and their catfish Amok.. people here are the friendliest bunch ever! We wanted some pictures taken at the end of the night and the girl who served us took about a million shots for to get us the perfect picture :) Thank you!
The only thing I would complain about is the freshness of their food. Sometimes you can taste the staleness in some of the produce and meats they use but I cannot complain about the way they flavor their dishes - all to perfection! One of the tastiest joints in SJ hands down! -
Review from Thuy H.
4/25/2011
I yelped Cambodian food last Friday and came up with the location on Oakland Rd. I was excited to try something new and was disappointed to read that it was only opened during lunch. So you could only imagine how I felt when I discovered that there was another location that opened for dinner time!
There was no wait when my friend and I arrived at 6:30p on Friday night. It was rather dead actually....
Anywho, the outer appearance of this restaurant didn't seem so bad. It definitely wasn't in the ghetto or did it look like a hole in the wall. The inside decor was quite simple and plain.
Now, for the food:
Ordered the infamous Amok and was a little disappointed. I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but it just wasn't fantastic for me. It was like a baked fish and egg thing. The texture was like "cha" if any of my fellow peers know what that is. The first bite was good, then after the 3rd and 4th, I was ready to stop eating it.
The chicken egg rolls were good, but nothing really "special" about it compared to chinese or vietnamese egg rolls or even lumpia.
We ordered this beef stew with lemongrass and I thought it was good. All the food we ordered tasted like a good home cooked meal, and I'll definitely try this place again because the customer service was great and only because the food was mediocre but not bad. -
Review from Sarah L.
San Jose, CA
10/8/2011
Great beef lab and amok! The amok was rich in lemongrass and coconut flavors. The beef laab had just enough flavors of cilantro and spice. I liked that it was not ground beef but finely minced. Next time we will try the mango sticky rice for dessert.
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Review from Rita V.
2/20/2011
Yum, Chez Sovan makes the best Cambodian food!!
I came here with a group of friends for dinner.
We ordered the following dishes:
1. Cambodian egg rolls - hot and crispy, very tasty with sweet and sour sauce
2. Signature salad with beef - the beef was very tender and flavor. There was a lot of cabbage and other veggies. This was very good.
3. Chicken curry - the chicken was tender and the curry sauce was really good on rice.
4. Amok - We ordered the fish, and it was very good! I loved how there were no bones and the lemongrass made it taste really good.
5. Beef with String Beans - The String Beans was crunchy and the beef was very tender.
6. Chicken, bamboo shoots, and basil - There was not a lot of chicken, but the bamboo shoots was definitely fresh. Another great dish.
7. Fried Bananas with mango ice cream - The bananas tasted more like potatoes. The batter was really thick, too. The mango ice cream was really good.
The service was really good. Every time our teapot was empty, the server would fill it with hot water again. Our dishes came out fairly fast, too. I can't wait to come back to try other great dishes! -
Review from Susan M.
Campbell, CA
10/17/2011
The monk cat fish is awesome. We are always happy with the food and the friendly service. We have introduced many people to this wonderful
special restaurant. -
Review from Chris O.
4/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
My first Cambodian food experience. Seemed close to Thai more than Vietnamese if I had to compare. The service was a little slow and the ambience isn't much but the food is very good and the prices are fair so I'll round up a 3.5 here.
I had the Lap dish (much like Thai Larb salad, this was very tasty) and my friend had something very much like pad se ew. -
Review from I.Like.Toast O.
San Francisco, CA
2/15/2011
I wanted to like Chez Sovan-- I really did. I dined here with my fiance with the bubbling anticipation of, "Ooh, I can't wait to try Cambodian food for the first time!" We ordered the catfish amok (like most everyone here recommended), as well as the chicken with tamarind, which had the consistency of a soup. For appetizers, we got the 6 piece chicken egg rolls.
When we got to the restaurant there was a VERY large party (probably 15-25 people) in the middle of the restaurant with 3-4 kids playing and yelling. **Side note to parents: If your kids are old enough to know how to read and feed themselves, they should know NOT to horse-play inside a restaurant, screaming and throwing things. Seriously... no one thinks it's cute. Your kids are being a pest and you are ruining everyone's dinner. So GET CONTROL OF YOUR KIDS.
Back to the food... we waited over 20 minutes for our appetizers (blame it on the large party of irritating parents and their equally annoying spawn), and then our food arrived shortly thereafter. My fiance excitedly (and hungrily) opened up the catfish amok-- it smelled lovely and savory of lemongrass. We took our first bite and although it was pretty good, I had a hard time getting past the texture. My fiance has the best description of this dish: "It feels and tastes like you're eating catfish bread pudding."
The catfish amok is decently good, although I know for a fact that I wouldn't order it again. And the chicken tamarind soup was okay as well-- the broth is okay but it's just not very substantive or filling. In the end, I filled up on egg rolls and rice. It was hardly a satisfactory meal.
That being said... I'm glad I had a chance to enjoy Cambodian food. It may not be a favorite but at least I can say that I tried it-- and as you can see from the other reviewers, some people really love the food here. -
Review from Gil V.
Los Angeles, CA
12/8/2011
This is by far the best Cambodian food we ever had. We love this place and go there on weekends when it is quiet. The service is just great the food is so fresh and U know if being made to order. Our kids can't have enough of thier dishes
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Review from Ken T.
Sunnyvale, CA
9/5/2011
I visited this place for the 2nd time with a friend and I have to say I really enjoyed my dinner here. We ordered the papaya salad (due to the many compliments from other yelpers), the stir-fried "water grass" with chicken, and then a stew recommended by the server that had beef, green beans, and potato (can't remember the actual names of the dishes).
The papaya salad was a bit on the tart side, but was served with lettuce leaves that you could wrap the salad in. This helped to balance out the tart of the salad. The "water grass" turned out to be the same as Chinese "ong choy," also known as "kangkong" or "water spinach." Stir fried with chicken, we found this to be very tasty. The stew was quite tasty also -- just the right amount of tanginess and the beef was not too tough. The serving portions were generous -- the two of us could only eat about half of what was served. There is a dessert menu, though we passed on this.
Business was quite light -- it was a holiday evening. Considering this, the food service was quick and the place. Based on the customers that evening, the restaurant seemed reasonably child friendly but also good for a date. We were there until close to closing time, so I noticed that servers were a bit scarce by the time we were ready to leave. Nonetheless, I would recommend this restaurant, even for people to make a special trip if they don't live that close to Campbell. -
Review from Rosa C.
Los Gatos, CA
8/26/2010
Awesome food! Great "family style" service...their Friday lunch special has all of our favorite dishes for under $9.
We usually order the ginger beef, padthai & chicken salad. The quality of the food is pretty consistent. -
Review from Peggy S.
8/28/2010 3 photos
This place is between a 3 and a 4 star for me. It's not bad, but it isn't exceptionally delicious either...
We ordered Tom Yam soup with shrimp - wow, was it spicy! The aroma of the lemon grass complemented well with the spiciness of the soup. A small soup had about 6 shrimps in it, along with mushrooms and baby corn. My friend and I shared and we each got two full bowls out of a small!
We also got the catfish amok. The coconut milk they put in it made the dish fluffy and creamy, but I felt that the lemongrass was slightly overpowering. I wish I could taste a little bit more of that coconut milk or even the catfish.
The last thing we got was the stir fry flat rice noodles with tofu. It was bland... maybe the Tom Yam soup ruined our taste buds, but I didn't really taste much of a flavor in the noodle. Granted, it wasn't too greasy or salty, but I just wish I could taste a little bit more seasoning!
The service here was fast, I am amazed that there were only five parties besides us that were in it though. I thought it would be a full house since it's got some raving Yelp reviews! -
Review from Trevor D.
Fremont, CA
My favorite dish here has to be the chicken/beef curry! Been here 3 times and I ordered the curry every single time. The sweetness of the curry is addictive. Just scoop some steam rice on your plate and apply curry to personal preference and you will have a delicious concoction.
Even though I'm not familiar with Cambodian cuisine at all, the dishes sounds oh so familiar. Browsing through the menu, I would get this feel of a fusion between Vietnamese and Thai food. However, the flavors are not comparable.
This place doesn't seem too busy and its one of the main reasons why I like it. Easier to catch up with some friends. Seems a bit far to drive and it could easily be missed if one is not paying careful attention. However, once you get the delicious curry, you'll forget about the distance and begin pondering "why is it so damn good?" -
Review from J. L.
San Jose, CA
2/24/2011
Our favorite place...
When we have guests from out of town/country, we always bring them here...
- we have tried most of their menus, and ALL are delicious... But our favorite are Tom Yum, Kebab, and Egg plant with pork...
- we don't have to wait to be seated
- we don't have to wait too long for the food to come
- very friendly service
- reasonable prices
- ample parking
- good ambiance
Always our favorite place... -
Review from Rei S.
Campbell, CA
1/18/2011
I came here for Lunch on Monday and had the lunch special.
Pineapple Tomato Soup (Tangy and Fruity Sour Soup)
Chicken Salad (Delicious)
Rice ( You can choose between either brown or white rice)
The main was Chicken & Ginger
With either Hot or Cold tea or soft drink
For the about $8.70 you get a lot of food.
The service is great and friendly.
Want to come back for dinner. -
Review from Gary J.
3/10/2011
The food was tasty; but, nothing to write about. Average
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Review from Norman P.
San Jose, CA
9/17/2010
Why were there so few people on a Thursday night? The economy isnt that bad because I know many other places are packed.
Someone needs to do a little more advertising because the food is excellent.
The catfish amok was great (great reheated next day as well).
I really liked the deep fried rice cake appetizer they had. It was kind of like a western style rice cake, but with a satay-like sauce to pour over it. yum !
There was a salad of which they had a picture on the back. Good, but could have had a bit more chicken in it.
Palm juice was great. Tasted like coconut water.
I hope they dont close due to lack of customers ! -
Review from Amy W.
CA
10/21/2010 1 Check-in Here
Come here for the catfish amok. It's delicious.
Every time I come here, I've been pleased with the food. Some things are better than others. We ordered a beef soup or stew and the lemongrass flavor was a little overpowering. We ordered an appetizer consisting of fried rice cakes with a sauce made of ground chicken and coconut milk. That was delicious! Be adventurous and try different things! Just make sure the catfish amok is in your order. -
Review from Michelle V.
San Jose, CA
7/23/2010 1 Check-in Here
We ordered some takeout from this restaurant one night. Seems like most of the regulars that come in also order takeout. The parking lot was PACKED but when we walked in, surprisingly there was literally only one table they were serving. Very dim lighting and HUGE restaurant. We ordered the papaya salad as our appetizer since most Yelpers recommended it and 2 other entrees (beef and chicken). As we waited for them to cook our food, we got 2 glasses of water and I snacked on the free chewy fruit candies left at the cashier. YUM! Didn't take them long to make our food, we were outta there in 15 min. max. We got home, opened up our food and instantly the smell of everything really touched my heart. Haha! Mmmm mmm good!
Papaya Salad: The Bomb Dot Com!
My chicken dish: A bigger BOMB Dot Com!
His beef dish: Extremely Yummy too!
We are definitely hittin this place up again whenever we're in the mood for Cambodian. :D -
Review from Khanh D.
San Jose, CA
1/25/2009 ROTD 8/29/2009
There is nothing like great food with good friends, or in this case one great friend. This night, we had the HONOR of dining with our wedding photographer, Mr. Junshien Lau.
He is a great person because (a) me and my wife are on the front of his website (though my face is covered) and (b) when he can't go to your parties, he has great excuses like "Oh, I have to go to Cancun to take wedding pictures." I never thought I could get jealous from an evite reply.
Anyway, it was his suggestion to try this place out. We made reservations for a Friday night (you don't need to make reservations btw, as we were the only ones that did) and showed up about 15 minutes late, but it was ok. Also, it is a good place for kids as the tables are very spaced apart (room for strollers, etc).
Being adventurous, we decided to try the grilled meats on a stick as appetizers (chicken, pork and beef) , the tamarind pad-thai-ish noodles, the catfish wrapped in banana leaf, and grilled veggies with beef. *Note, I did not write down the names of these plates, so you'll just have to go by description, or read other people's reviews and figure it out.
All the plates came out fairly quickly, and they looked great. The noodles had a nice texture and taste to them. If you're a pad thai fan, you'll like these. The grilled veggies and beef tasted as I expected it to. The catfish in banana leaf was great. It has some soft yet firm texture and whatever it was made out all came together.
Peeking at other reviews, I'm guessing we ordered the Amok. As Junshien put it "it's like vomit wrapped up and steamed". Ok, it tasted much better than it looked. That statement also explains why he's a great wedding photographer and not a food critic.
This was a lovely place for dinner, the interior has nice decorations on the wall, spacious for kids, and overall great service. Come here with family, friends, or your jet setting wedding photographer! -
Review from Kathleen M.
San Jose, CA
7/31/2009 ROTD 6/24/2010
Amok at Chez Sovan Can Lead to MURDER...
Why am I perpetually disappointed by Southeast Asian restaurants that aren't Thai? It's not just Cambodian like Chez Sovan either - I've also been burned by Burmese and maligned by Malaysian. (One exception: Battambang, the Cambodian restaurant in Downtown Oakland).
I'd heard a lot of good things about Chez Sovan, despite it's location in a rough patch on the edge of downtown. Well that location isn't open for dinner (plus, I want to live), so we checked out their location in Campbell.
We started with Sach Ang (Shish Kabob). For $2 you get a very substantial stick o' meat. The beef was chewy but was nicely flavored and much better than the chicken which was dark meat and had texture issues.
There are two portion sizes for almost all entrees, with small entrees priced at $7.95 and large at $10.95. Small is still huge. We ordered one app (everyone had one huge skewer) and three entrees for four people and we still had leftovers. (Mostly that was the Amok but I'll get to that.) We shared three entrees:
Samlaw Curry Moin. This reminded us of Thai yellow curry chicken since it included coconut milk, potatoes, and carrots.
Cha Kroeng Moin. This was a stir fried chicken dish with bell peppers, onions, and carrots. Both this and the yellow curry were fine but not special. Also, the chicken was dark meat.
Amok with Chicken. Huge mistake. HUGE MISTAKE. People on Yelp rave about this dish (the catfish version), which is also Chez Sovan's specialty. It must be an acquired taste. Basically chicken, spinach, coconut milk, and spices are steamed in a banana leaf until it's one big pyramid-shaped pile of mush. I wouldn't even know the ingredients (because who can see through a pyramid of slop?) except that I looked them up on their menu. You could taste the spices and see a couple pieces of chicken here and there among the Amok mush, but it was for the most part Amok run amok.
I just looked up Amok in the dictionary, and I shit you not, this was the definition: 1. (among members of certain Southeast Asian cultures) a psychic disturbance characterized by depression followed by a manic urge to murder.
That's right - A MANIC URGE TO MURDER. That's probably because they just ate Amok.
Seriously, apparently "running amok" is derived from the Malay/Indonesian/Filipino word amuk, meaning "mad with rage" (uncontrollable rage).
We also decided that although foods steamed in a banana leaf always sound good, they ALWAYS turn out disappointing. ALWAYS.
We were some of the last diners there and after we ordered dessert we discovered that the chefs had already left.
When we arrived, Chez Sovan was practically empty but the parking lot was full. We discovered that was because the Coach Lounge shared the lot. That must be SOME bar, because the scariest dude ever passed us on the way to our car. He had a long greyish beard and long stringy tails of hair on each side of his head. We each sketched him after the fact - doesn't everyone do that? If you combine all our drawings he apparently was sporting an anchor tattoo, Rambo style headband, and the hot look of overalls and no shirt, all the while encircled by flies and an everpresent booze smell. Also, according to one person he was a hobo and Coach Lounge was offering half price hobo night. Doesn't this make you want to check out Coach Lounge?
P.S. Kari S. just wrote to me that they thought the amok tasted like curried cat food. I thought that was the PURRRRRFECT description.Listed in: My Reviews of the Day
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Review from Jing F.
1/7/2010
I was with my boss and coworkers. I never had Cambodian dish before. Fortunately, they all know about Chez Sovan but they ordered conservatively (they ordered the lunch special for the day ..one with chicken curry, salad). I find Cambodian dish to be really a familiar flavor that agrees with my palate. The dishes that we ordered are very good. Although there were mix reviews about the Catfish Amok I really wanted to try it (I am adventurous =D)...and will definitely go back and try the rest of the menu hehehe. The service is excellent because they were able to substitute the soup (Lunch Special of the day came with a different soup). I definitely agree about the great price $7.95/person is not bad at all.
BTW: Thanks Jamil N Candice M for your Yelp review about the place
