Phnom Penh Restaurant

Added Oct 18, 2009 by KushPizzaSleep of Vancouver (4 Reviews)

Boom Goes the Dynamite
730pm on a saturday night, the sky dumping tears over vancouver I arrived at Phnom Penh. The place was packed, a host quickly took our name and we were seated in a couple minutes. The menu feeling like a small novel loaded with culinary chapters had many choices. I settled on the number 6, It was 2 types of noodles(egg and rice) with beef chicken prawns vegis and a soup. Also ordered this red bean ice jelly drink that was simply orgasmic. The food came out in around 5 minutes which is unbelievable for how busy this place was. This place knows what its doing and does it well. A authentic taste of the far east at a great price makes this marver a happy camper. Bill came to 12 dollars before tip, I was stuffed and happy. A true gem.

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Added Aug 5, 2009 by sarahtlee of Langley, BC (5 Reviews)

Used to be good but now it just doesn't seem worth it
This place used to be one of my favorites and I would frequent it at least once a month. They have recently raised their prices making the price go from expensive to ridiculous. I can't justify the cost anymore. Also, when you order the chicken wings, they give you the tips of the wings and count that as one peice. Very tacky and stingy on their part.

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Added Jul 6, 2009 by Rasputin of Downtown (3 Reviews)

Outstanding
This is one of Vancouver's best hidden gems, even though it is not so hidden anymore (they have been reviewed in the New York Times after all!)

The food is, in a word, outstanding. There is a huge variety and selection, and it is almost impossible to choose from their 7+ page, 12 point font menu in reasonable time. A word of advice: if it's your first time there and you're overwhelmed by the selection, let the server choose for you, which is what I did (it may have been the manager actually.) Every dish we received was incredible.

Also make sure to go with at least 4 people so you can all sample a reasonable number of dishes, as each are quite large and intended to be shared around.

Some nights you can experience quite a wait, and you have to be careful because the restaurant closes quite early (I think they don't let anyone in after 9pm.) In this case you either have to be patient, or make a reservation beforehand.

The layout is a bit underwhelming as it more resembles a cheap Chinese restaurant, and the menu might seem overpriced in comparison at first. But once you taste it, you will agree you're actually getting great value given the quality of the food.

I have taken many many different parties here, and everyone has always been very impressed. In case it helps, here are some of the best dishes I have tried:
-"Grandmother's recipe" garlic fried squid
-Garlic fried prawns
-Hot and sour fish soup
-Phnom Penh noodles (get dry with soup on side)
-Butter beef - like an asian style beef carpaccio, amazing

Added Jun 4, 2009 by foodluva of Vancouver (35 Reviews)

Never disappoints
Went here for a family dinner on saturday and ordered the usual fried chicken wings and tried some of the other dishes never tried like the deep fried crab cakes, curry chicken. The crab cakes were ok although didnt taste much crab and the curry chicken was good reminded me of prata mans but had a more sweet coconut flavor. Arrived before the saturday night rush so service was good. This place never seems to disappoint when it comes to the food so highly recommended!

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Added May 22, 2009 by peenutbuta of Vancouver (3 Reviews)

Been coming for over 10 years now...
A restaurant my family loves going and has been going since I was a child. The food never disappoints.

I always get the usual, dry rice noodle (extra large + fried egg) and it always tastes great. I use to go to the phnom penh on broadway since it's closer but now that it's closed we still make our way down to this location at least once every two weeks.

The service is what you usually get from a typical asian restaurant. Some of the new waitresses can act a little cocky at times and forget orders but since the restaurant is always so busy, I guess that's understandable

The value is great. I can always order my main dish plus a couple others (half order chicken wings + shrimp salad roll) and in the end it would only cost a bit over $12. Now I eat a lot so for a normal customer, I'd say the average would range from about $7-10 dollars.

Ambiance has been pretty much the same, it's nothing special but I always enjoy being in there since it's always crowded with happy people enjoying great food at a great price

This place is a must-try and you will definitely not be disappointed. A restaurant that will forever be in my mind whenever I wanna grab a tasty bite to eat.

Added Apr 13, 2009 by bumblebee7 of Vancouver (28 Reviews)

always good food...
I remember going to the place growing up... it seems to be as good as always. Though a bit on the pricy side, the food is always delicous.. Filet Beef on Rice is still one of the best (can't seem to find this elsewhere), plus their chicken wings and prawn on sugar cane are always top of my to order list.

It's always super busy at lunch time and dinner on the weekends, so make sure you come early.

Like all family style asian restaurants, there's not alot to say about the service or the ambience. Basically you're there to eat, not to be catered to on hands and knees. They basically take your order and serve you, so don't expect too much.

Added Mar 5, 2009 by bigmamadcc of Burnaby North (7 Reviews)

Top quality SE Asian restaurant, but needs to review the prices...
I simply put everything this way: Foods are incredibly outstanding; service is great, clean and well-kept. But the some of the dishes are unreasonably over-priced. For example: A-mok costs 15.50 but comes in small order; Phnompenh style deepfried stuff (chicken, porkchop, squid, etc); well, you can't really tell the difference in sizes but it costs 50% or more for large orders. And, the rare beef plate, well, in San Francisco where living expenses are much higher, the same dish (same size!!!) costs only 7.50 USD, which is about 9.50 CAD but it is 17.70 in this restaurant.

So the owner really needs to think twice and reconsiders the prices...the high prices have drive most of its customer to only either a bow of dried noodle or a rice dish.

Added Jan 7, 2009 by luigi of richmond (11 Reviews)

still consistent
Returned to the restaurant after a long period. The food is still good.We always have the hot and sour soup with prawns,the crab rolls and any of the crispy dishes,wings or calamari. The place was very busy at Sunday lunch.Food was served unbelieveably fast maybe a little to fast as our table was overcrowded with everything at once. The servers could be a little friendlier.Over all a good experience

Added Jan 2, 2009 by Wing_Commander of Vancouver (1 Reviews)

Beware of the chicken wing scam!
There were 6 of us, and for appetizer we ordered the 18 piece chicken wing (highly overrated) platter. When the wings came, in the middle of our meal, we found that the platter consisted of 6 drummettes, 6 wings and 6 wing tips (the worthless bit that sticks out at the end of wings). They are actually passing off wing tips as chicken wings!!

So if you order the 18 piece platter, know that you will be getting 12 actual pieces of chicken wings.

We also had the lemon grass chicken, the luc lac beef and fried rice - which were decent enough, but nothing special and definitely not worth going into one of the sketchiest parts of town, standing in line and then being crammed into an overcrowded, loud and suffocating restaurant.

I am done with this place.

Added Oct 28, 2008 by chichikoko of Langley (1 Reviews)

Pleasantly surprised
My husband and I were attending a Lions game and wanted a good vietnamese restaurant within walking distance. After reading the mixed reviews on this site about this restaurant we were a little apprehensive but thought we'd give it a shot anyways. We were pleasantly surprised.
We were seated right away and brought complimentary green tea. First impressions of the restaurant were that it was generally clean although both our menus were incredibly sticky. Let's not talk about the cleanliness in the bathrooms though.
Our waitress took our order quickly and food arrived just as fast. The portions are generous compared to some comparable restaurants in the area. The food was not the best vietnamese I've ever had but it was yummy and creative and we both left feeling full. Our bill was $45 including drinks and tip (an average bill for us is about $60). The place was PACKED by the time we left with people waiting outside.
I would go back again next time we're in the area.

Added Sep 17, 2008 by ganache of burnaby (21 Reviews)

Great food in a hole in a wall
Have been frequenting this restaurant for years. We have always ordered the same dishes and have never been disappointed. The must haves are the fried chicken wings and the sliced tender beef served with a fried egg on rice. You will not go wrong with either of this dishes. Try getting there before 6:00 pm for dinner as there can be a line up during peak dinner hours. We are looking forward to enjoying this hidden gem for years to come.

Added Sep 12, 2008 by little_dumpling of Vancouver (2 Reviews)

Best chicken wings
Granted that I always order the same three things when I come here (chicken wings, beef luc lac and noodles), the food has always been solid. Yes, it does get quite busy on weekends and some weeknights but I don't think I ever waited more than 30 minutes. Definitely one of my favourite places to eat in Vancouver.

Added Aug 28, 2008 by tango of van (20 Reviews)

Tasty and Unique
Great food if you're looking for something Asian but different from your standard Thai, Chinese or Japanese fare. Good portions, decent prices.
Recommend: butter beef, lemon-pepper chicken (the best part is the taste of the lemon-pepper marinade to dip the chicken in), hot & sour soup.
Proof that it's good?? Absolutely busy 7 nights a week so best to make reservations :)

Added Aug 15, 2008 by Salt_n_pepper of Westend, Vancouver (1 Reviews)

I am a regular
I have been going to this resteraunt for quite some time now. For a while there, I was almost there every 2 weeks for months! I'm a big eater and am very impressed by their selection. I have so many favourite dishes (lemon peppery squid, wings, hot and sour soup, fried rice, etc.) but something that isn't too common is the BUTTER BEEF. If you are squirmy when it comes to rare beef, this is not the dish for you. However, I have introduced this dish to many friends and they also order this dish every time they eat here. The service is whats expected in a busy, fairly decent priced resteraunt. You may have to wait for a seat, but the food makes it so worth it. For the most part, the waitresses are quick and thefood comes out fast. Thats pretty good for such a busy resteraunt! Some people may criticize the resteraunt for not being on the top when it comes to the location or the ambiance but I defnitely feel that it is fairly clean and decent.
I have been there on days when I'm super hungry and having to wait for 30mins for a table...but as a regular customer, I know the incredible unique taste of the food - and I'm willing to wait!

Added Jul 24, 2008 by hungryfordinner of Vancouver (76 Reviews)

Meh
Food:
Salad Roll: Really really really dry..it has to be one of the worse ones I've ever tasted. Utterly forgettable
Durian Shake: Highlight of my mean...made with real durian! DELICIOUS.

Service: Food was served in a quick and efficient manner..we had to ask for water twice, but overall, service was decent.

Value: Though not expensive, it was on the pricey side, considering that the location wasn't the best.

Ambiance: Old decor...not the nicest location in Vancouver

Will return ONLY for the durian shake!

Added Jun 22, 2008 by Pengdio of Vancouver (12 Reviews)

OK...
So it makes you wonder whether there are different dishes for non-Asians because everything...the hot and sour soup...butter beed with cilantro...pork chops, egg with rice (not fried), salad rolls was passable but very, very mild, and I'm not an aggressive spice junkie. The ambiance in places like this is always bad and although the service was criticized in other postings, I didn't find it bad given that it was its usual busy place. I can't say that I'll be back and it seems that it's trading on its rep more than anything. UNderwhelming all around with the tea being a rare highlight. Hot and sour soup was sweet and sour and unique and was the top food choice of the night.

Added Apr 22, 2008 by marspball of Coquitlam (38 Reviews)

Amazing food
i am very surprised by the mixed reviews on this restaurant. i've been eating at phnom penh for quite a while now and their performance has always been consistent. The food is amazing but you have to what to order. The notable mentions are:
-Hot & Sour soup
-Deep fried chicken wings
-Deep fried crabs (you have to call ahead and order)
-Butter beef
-House special fried rice
-Egg noodles
-Oyster omellette
If you venture away from these recommendations, then you are on your own.

Reservation is a MUST, especially on weekends. Again, not a fine dining restaurant so expect a suitable service and ambiance. Their location is not prime but food is definitely excellent.

Added Feb 27, 2008 by kewpiebaby of Vancouver (119 Reviews)

Phnom Penh is Phantasmagorical
The BEST Cambodian/Vietnamese place ever. Even though it's located in the slightly sketchy part of Chinatown, I've been coming here since I was a little girl. My cousins & I used to come here every other week for lunch/dinner and ordered pretty much the same must haves- Butter Beef, Chicken Wings, and spring rolls.

The butter beef is so tasty with a lime, soy and fish sauce, sprinkled w/ cilantro & fried shallots. You can't help but load equal amounts of everything together to get the full flavors in each bite. The chicken wings are covered w/garlic, salt/peppered and deep fried. The best is the lime pepper dipping sauce that comes with it.

Also try the dried noodle #2 & the spicy beef brisket noodle. Not much has changed in two decades at this place other than trying to fit more tables in the room by taking away the old dividers & updating the falling apart menu. =) Still a lengthy wait during the lunch rush, but it's expected. After the first bite of butter beef, I was in heaven. =)

Added Feb 2, 2008 by discerning_palate of vancouver (34 Reviews)

Decent
I guess I was expecting to be wowed but ended up being mildly satisfied with no major complaints. The interior relatively clean, service was solid and the food was decent. As the dishes came one by one I dutifully made my way through them, all the while quietly looking forward to the chicken wings with such expectation I could hardly contain myself. Finally the wings were the last to arrive and they were supposed to make the rest of the lunch worth while. Well, they were good. The price makes them especially a good value. They are quite tasty but they have a strange sweetness to them like they added sugar to the coating or something. I’ve had better, namely my moms. I guess she’ll have to teach me how to make them. They have a relatively large menu so I’m willing to go back again to try other dishes but I probably won’t go out of my way anytime soon.

Added Jan 6, 2008 by dkona2 of west vancouver (4 Reviews)

First tasting here- not impressed
This is a busy restaurant. We found a table for two on a late Saturday night and the place was still humming. I don't know why. Did we order the wrong items?
We started with the special Cambodian beef soup. It was similar to Vietnamese pho, except the broth was bland. The beef was very chewy. We then tried the dish that contained the word "Amok" and it consisted of seafood, chilis and coconut milk. The resulting dish was essentially one solid mass in a bowl, and it was difficult to discretely identify all that was in the dish (except for the two scallops on top and the cuttlefish inside). Our best dish was the gai lan with beef. The sauce was good and the gai lan was crispy. Again the beef was chewy (sinewy). We both went home on the hungry side as our appetites were somewhat discouraged.
The service was reasonable for a busy place.
The ambience was average and acceptable.
I give this restaurant an overall two star rating because of the food served during our visit. The food was not worth the price of the meal (about $35 with taxes).

Added Nov 23, 2007 by dancer_bej of vancouver (2 Reviews)

Clean, great food and fast/nice service
Food comes out really fast and its declish!!!!!!!!!!!!
I always get the fried chicken wings and papaya salad as a sharing dish.
YUMMY~~~~~
After the meal they're really good with cleaning your table and bringing the extra napkins and stuff. When you ask for something you dont have to wait. They bring it right away. (sauces, forks, etcetc) Great place to dine!

Added Nov 7, 2007 by fussyeater of Vancouver (10 Reviews)

delicious, unique food
Sure, you'll find all the mainstays of Vietnamese cooking here, like spring rolls and lemon grass chicken. But you could go to Pho Hoa for those things. What you come here for are the special menu items, like the fried chicken wings in lemon-pepper sauce. And the butter beef (rare-medium rare slices in a soy-vinegar sauce, toasted garlic, cilantro and some dabs of butter). You will get hooked.

Added Nov 1, 2007 by livetoeat23 of Vancouver (8 Reviews)

Great consistent food
Growing up in Vancouver I have eaten at this place since I was a kid. It was classic weekend lunch with the family. I also used to frequent their Broadway and Oak location. Their food quality is consistent excellent. The dishes are tasty and full of flavors. Love their two kinds of dry noodles with broth on the side. Great oyster pancakes and soups. I will continue to visit this place for many more years to come.

Added Sep 12, 2007 by tastytasty02 of Burnaby (44 Reviews)

Sooo Delicious!!!! I'm craving more!
Living in Burnaby/Vancouver I should frequent this restaurant more often! This is the 2nd visit that I have made to the restaurant and I am sooo glad I did. After a rollerblade session along the seawall I was famished and excited for Phnom Penh!
I wanted to try everything on the menu but my boyfriend (who eats at Phnom Penh all the time) suggested we order three dishes since they are pretty large portions. So we ordered the trieu fried rice, butter beef, and duh....the CHICKEN WINGS!!!!! Fried rice was not anything special but arrived piping hot and smelled so yummy. Chicken wings lived up to the hype and were hot, crispy, and tasty especially with the lemon pepper dip! Now...the BUTTER BEEF!!!! OMG! I seriously love this dish. It combines all my favorite flavours, sour, sweet, and salty. The cilantro/parsley gives it a nice fresh flavour, the beef is soo tender, and the sauce is so tangy...thinking about it makes my mouth water! All in all the service was quite good as it was not too busy but ambiance was lacking. I didn't really care I was too distracted by the food! Yum Yum!! Next time i'm going to try more dishes!!! Totally recommended!!!!

Added Sep 7, 2007 by Von_Delroy of New Westminster (26 Reviews)

Here's the beef!
Due to the outstanding reviews, we decided to try this place when some of our family members were visiting from out of town.

We went around 1pm on a Saturday, and the place was absolutely packed to the brim, with around 10 people already waiting. Considering that, we waited 20 minutes for a table for 5, which wasn't too bad.

We ordered the famous chicken wings, the luc lac beef, lemongrass chicken, beef with noodles, shrimp fried rice and the fried pomfret. It was a little hard for us to order because some people in our party didn't eat pork, and almost everything on the menu had some form of pork in it.

The luc lac beef was phenomenal! It was so tender and juicy, and had a delicious flavour that we had not previously encountered in any other dish. We were still raving about it long after we left.

The lemongrass chicken was delicious, with a nice charcoal-grilled flavour. Everything else was good, but the beef was really the star and kind of outshone everything else.

As for the famous chicken wings that everyone here seems to adore... Well. These ones were hot and crispy, but absolutely chock-full of MSG. We usually love chicken wings cooked in any style, but these were not our cup of tea.

The service was pretty non-existant. The servers looked tired and there were far too few of them to handle the overflowing restaurant. We asked for water refills and napkins from our waitress several times with no results. Finally the bus boy helped us out at the end of the meal.

As for the ambiance, you could barely hear yourself think, much less hear the person across the table say anything. It was just that loud. The decor leaves much to be desired, but this place is really all about the food so that's not really a problem.

Despite it's flaws, this is a good restaurant and definitely worth a try. We'll be back!

Added Aug 20, 2007 by misosweet of Vancouver (11 Reviews)

Love Phnom Penh
I love the food. The chicken wings are delicious. The butter beef is my new love. Lychee moo shakes are to die for! One of my favourite dishes is #35, the beef and egg over rice. There's plenty of beef, and is so saucy. I always have leftovers to take home because the portion is so big. Some constructive criticism I could offer is to have entree dishes to arrive all at once, rather than 5 minutes after the other. By the time my dish arrived, everybody else at the table had finished theirs! The food keeps us coming back.

Added Jul 7, 2007 by lazyhusband of Burnaby (30 Reviews)

Join the 'I LOVE PHNOM PENH' group on Facebook!
For the $100 I spent at Kiss Ya Mama, I could have come here, ate like a king, and have money left over for a movie for two and a bubble tea. Where do I start? How about...get the chicken wings!! Everyone in the restaurant orders it so you might as well too. I finally got a chance to try the butter beef, talk about exotic!! If you can stomach eating raw meat, try this dish, it's very unique. There's so many good dishes here - spring rolls, lemongrass chicken, filet beef on rice, list goes on and on. And the sauces at this place, just amazing (hoisin with hot chili oil, fish sauce, pepper sauce for chicken wings).

To all the restaurants that I have given a poor review, I suggest you come here, eat the food, and learn how to run your establishment like this all time Vancouver favorite!!

I LOVE THE PENH!!!

Added Jun 14, 2007 by hungryman of ubc, vancouver (9 Reviews)

great chicken wings
I originally saw the review for the Phnom Penh on this website.
After my first visit to this restaurant, i keep returning for the great chicken wings with the lemon sauce.
The deep fried chicken wings are terrific. They are crispy with a great original taste.

Added May 28, 2007 by bozlee of Tsawwassen (101 Reviews)

Best in Chinatown
A Saturday evening after 9.30PM for a tasty dinner with attentive servers who are often impatient to get off work and over to the night market.......the Phnom Penh was up to the task. The deep fried chicken wings with a mouth-watering lemon dipping sauce was the highlight, as identified by other reviewers. The butterfly prawns on a bed of rice/salad was unimaginative and sparse. The chicken in a delicate coconut sauce was much better. The restaurant itself was bright and comfortable and the servers both helful and friendly. Compared to the oversized Floata and other mediocre Chinatown restaurants this place was a hit.

Added May 16, 2007 by LordofFoods of Vancouver (55 Reviews)

If you Vietnamese Food then...
try this place out. great long standing estblishment. as mentioned, get the chicken wings. and for a unique dessert try the desserts too. it's Vietnamese with a twist. one the best eats in Chinatown. service is on the slow side and the ambience is only passable. but you are there for the food. there is also the dry noodles(egg noodle or rice noodle) that is mix with a soy sauce base that is something you would find in South East Asian noodle shops. Also got a good selection of exotic asian drinks(all virgin). Juices and syruo based drinks.

Added May 4, 2007 by djj_rome of Richmond (57 Reviews)

Great Cambodian/Vietnamese Food
This place is a true diamond in the rough. Once you try the food you will be hooked. I always go there when in the area to get a delicious bowl of soup noodles (the Beef Balls with soup noodle are awesome)

I also really enjoy their Steamed Rolls and Springs rolls which definetely make the trip to this side of town worthwide. I reccomend this place to everyone i know and I wish they would open another location in Richmond.

Added Mar 25, 2007 by Blondie of Vancouver (1 Reviews)

soooooooo goooooood
I've been coming here for years and the food is incredible. If you come during prime dining hours, be prepared to wait 20-30 minutes. The butter beef is outstanding as it is a favourite by many. Filet beef on rice with the egg is my personal favourite. The rest of the menu is long and should be checked out. The shakes are amazing too. Service is good as food is brought out fast even during peak periods.

Added Mar 18, 2007 by mmmgreen of yaletown (13 Reviews)

Mmm chicken wings
I came specifically for the wings and they did not disappoint. I actually ate a whole dish by myself. They're seasoned so well that you can eat them without using the tangy dipping liquid. Not bad for less than $7.

Added Feb 15, 2007 by dineoutburnaby of Burnaby (21 Reviews)

Phnom Penh-nomena
Our party of three went to Phnom Penh on Valentine's Day and it was like going there on a weekend. However, we were seated within 5-10 minutes so the wait wasn't too bad. Judging from the number of awards on their walls and the number of people there, this restaurant must be pretty popular.

Food: We ordered chicken wings, butter beef, filet beef with rice, fried rice, and a combo entree that had a beef brochette, sugar cane prawn and deep fried spring rolls. Wow! This is really good food!

Service: Pretty good, but it could be improved by expanding the restaurant and having more staff during peak periods to reduce the wait.

Ambiance: Looks like they recently renovated so it looks bright and clean. I also like their pictures of Cambodia as well as their Chinese New Year decorations.

Price: Big portions and everything we ordered were $10 or less.

Overall: Great value and tasty food. Two thumbs up!

Added Dec 19, 2006 by smarven of vancouver (3 Reviews)

what the deuce?
bad noodle soup.
ordered the "special" that they have on the sandwich board outside. also had a strawberry moo shake, which was decent at best. the soup smelled great, but was bland and colourless. they may have received a lot of awards for best restaurant, but i know asian food, and this wasn't it. very disappointing.

Added Dec 2, 2006 by darrenkadish of Burnaby, B.C. (41 Reviews)

I drove an hour in traffic for the wings ...
After finishing a clearance show in Abbotsford tonight, I had a craving for some Phnom Penh chicken wings. So, with my sister in tow, we drove from Abbotsford to Chinatown (an hour in traffic!) to get our fix. This restaurant did not disappoint. We ordered a lot of food: (1) the chicken wings (which, by the way, a table behind us was eyeing at, so I gave them one to try out ... needless to say, they ordered their own plate), (2) the prawns (made the same way as the chicken wings), (3) the butter beef and (4&5) TWO plates of filet beef on rice. Needless to say, we enjoyed everything that we ate. It was all so amazing.

This restaurant produces amazing dishes, ones that cannot be found anywhere else in the city - which is probably why they are always busy. It must be that addictive ingredient that they put into their food that gets everybody coming back for more and more. The only downside is the service. We had to ask 3 different servers for our soup that went with our filet beef on rice and nobody came by the ask us how our meal was (even though they asked the table behind us). Maybe they knew that we were enjoying our food so much that they didn't need to ask?

It's no wonder that Urban Rush put this restaurant down as one of their Top 10 Best. It's definitely way up there in my books.

Added Oct 31, 2006 by Debra of vancouver (8 Reviews)

Good Service Okay food
The service here is acceptable. The prices are not too bad as well. The chicken wings are the BEST I would have to say. The ambience isn't that great probably due to an old restaurant in the core of chinatown. I would come again however.

Added Sep 4, 2006 by Mugennam of Surrey (5 Reviews)

GO for the FOOD
Dont expect to be blown away by the environment. Don't expect to get the best service. Don't expect the unexpected. HOWEVER be prepared for tastey explosion of favours from southeast asia. Chicken wings are topnotch. And everything else is good aswell. In short come for crispy chicken wings.

Added Jun 19, 2006 by bobo of vancouver (48 Reviews)

Butter beef
I'm a sucker for rare beef and their butter beef tops my list. This is beef carpaccio with asian flavours. Simply mouth watering. Their dry stir-fried prawns (I think they are called grandma's prawns) are very good too.

Added Apr 21, 2006 by phnompenhsucks of Vancouver (1 Reviews)

Food is Oh-kay, but service and ambience takes it right down
I'd heard so much about this place, and I've eaten here twice based on all the Internet recommendations. Frankly, the food is decent but not particularly special, especially for the prices. The service is abominable -- I sat and watched as people who had gotten there after me ordered first and got their food before me, and waiters and the owner pass me several times while I was waiting with a closed menu and looking right at them before even realizing I was ready to order. Same thing happened when I was trying to pay. Come on, Phnom Penh, get with it!

In terms of ambience, it's maybe a notch above going to a banquet hall in the suburbs. Avoid this place, there are many other places to spend your money and you'll get better food and better service.

Added Jan 31, 2006 by kwailan of Coquitlam (78 Reviews)

Outstanding food
I have heard so much about this place, but no one ever mentioned the curry chicken served in a hot pot.

The curry is as good as those I grew up eating in South East Asia. My wife even said it is better than my mom's! Downside, it cost almost $12 without rice. Baguette cost another $1.50.

The wings and dry noodles are outstanding as well. The grilled lemongrass chicken and springrolls are decent, but we had better ones at other Vietnamese restaurants.

Service is efficient and ambience is your typical Asian restaurant in Chinatown.

Despite its cost (and msg? I am getting more thirsty by the minute), I will definitely return for the curry, though not too frequently.

Added Jul 20, 2005 by Tinika of Downtown Vancouver (7 Reviews)

I likey cheeken wings
This is the only thing that can get me off those hungover- Church's-chicken-cravings :) And I guess it should also be healthier as well. The garlicy lemon sauce is to die for!

Also, the dry noodles are pretty good...I like them in egg noodles. and yes, I'm asian so I would like more liver please ;)

Added Feb 26, 2005 by ting of Richmond, Vancouver (30 Reviews)

incredible value!
Yes, even though I still couldn't differentiate between Viet and Cambodian cuisine after eating here, I thoroughly enjoyed the Chicken Salad. Dinner came to $11 pp (incl tax and tips!), and we even had leftovers. Way more interesting than going to a typical diner.

Added Dec 3, 2004 by thecritic of East Side (173 Reviews)

Phnom Penh Haikus
Fresh Ingredients
make soup great. Tell me how to
say the name again.

White man sits with large
chinese fam. Chitter, chatter.
Man stares at the wall.

Dip, crunch - tasty wings
No debit, can I make it
to bank, not get mugged?

(These are harder than they look)

Added Nov 15, 2004 by Ho in the Wall of Main St. (16 Reviews)

Forget Vietnamese Try This
you'll get cravings for this place. you'll be in the middle of turning left on the road, and then the light crispiness of their deep fried chicken wings gets in your head. you can feel the little drumstick in your hand as you go for a satisfying dip into the lemon sauce. and you think, 'this sour sauce offsets any greasy side effects of this deep fried food just like hot water cuts the calories of a church's fried chicken.' and then you find yourself calling up your hole in the wall buddy, and no matter what you all got planned for the evening it's all about meeting at phnom penh in an hour. because you can always squeeze it in. a decent meal won't take more than 30 minutes. especially if you order their number one. cambodian noodles with seafood and meats (ask for dry with soup on the side). food that gets under your skin - even though you'd want to try the other 200 items on the menu (like sauteed frog legs) you'll order the same good shit.

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