AsiaLIFE

Since we started ‘Bargain Bucket’ in January 2007, AsiaLIFE’s mini-review of the Penh’s best cheap eats has become essential reading, featuring Malay, Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Khmer, Indian, Filipino, Vietnamese, Indonesian and even Burmese options. This month we have flipped through past issues to select the 12 best bargains in town. Vote online for the Golden Bucket – details at the end of the article.

#3 – Sophia’s Kitchen
For over four years, Sophia has served high quality, cheap Malay and Chinese food in her small canteen-style kitchen close to Central Market. The menu only has eight dishes, but at these prices who can complain. The daily changing specials come with a dessert and are particularly good value. As you would expect from a native of Penang, the laksa is highly authentic and the serving large. Packed with plenty of fried tofu and noodles, there are even a few clams beneath the surface of the coconut and chilli flavoured broth.
Sophia’s Kitchen, 13E Street 81

#5 – Sam Doo
Among the Central Market area's predominantly northern Chinese eateries Sam Doo is an exciting find. Specialising in dim sum and with a wide range of other Cantonese dishes as well as Szechuan dishes on offer, Sam Doo is a low-priced option. The basic décor, whiteboards displaying the specials and jumble of fish tanks at the entrance all enhance Sam Doo's cheap and cheerful atmosphere. Bamboo baskets of freshly steamed dim sum such as har cao (prawn dumplings), siew mai, bbq pork buns and Phoenix dumplings each contain three or four pieces. In addition, wonton, noodle and barbequed meat soups in different combinations are available.
Sam Doo Restaurant, 56-58 Kampuchea Krom (Street 128)

#6 – Mamak's Corner
Popular, buzzing, Mamak's Corner is consistently packed with patrons enjoying cheap, tasty, halal Malaysian fare. Accompanied by a moderately spicy curry sauce liberally poured all over the fresh, thin egg parcel, the roti telur is particularly good. The mee goreng mamak is another bargain meal with a choice of meats or seafood, and is similar to pad thai, albeit with egg noodles in place of rice noodles, and is spicier. In addition to the small menu, a buffet is available with dishes including the slow-cooked beef rendang and fried fish. The price is dependent on the dishes you select. A milky teh tehrek (Malaysian tea) is the perfect beverage with which to wash down your meal, Malaysian style.
Mamak's Corner, 17 Street 114

#7 – No Name
On asking the owners what the name of this basic Khmer eatery was, they replied “no name,” which I guess is just about as good as anything else. Set in a quiet residential area No Name serves delicious Khmer cuisine at a bargain price. Good choices include plates of tender barbequed beef or eel. In true Khmer fashion the serving sizes are large enough to share. For its off the beaten track locale, the restaurant is consistently full of patrons, and they'll even switch the TV channel to BBC News should a group of barangs grace its presence. Not one for those wanting stylish décor or air-con, but great for a really local dining experience.
No Name Khmer restaurant (behind Ministry of Land Management), Cnr Street 95 & 436

#8 – Win Myanmar
For a downtown curry on the cheap – slightly removed from the norm – look no further than Win Myanmar Restaurant. It’s small and very spartan with cheap and simple dishes. Western, Indian and Khmer dishes are on the menu too, but for the taste of Myanmar try one of the Burmese curries or snacks. Different curries are available on different days of the week, ranging from fish and prawn to egg, pork and chicken. At the time of our visit pork and pumpkin was the curry of the day. The meat was simmered for hours, so tender it literally fell apart, and was topped with a mild curry sauce. Try the Kimma paratha, shredded chicken inside layers of flaky paratha bread. The restaurant offers free snacks consisting of basic salads, all-you-can-eat rice with every meal and free home delivery.
Win Myanmar Restaurant, 23Eo Street 110

#9 – Baan Yai Thai
Tucked down a quiet street south of Mao Tse Tung, Thai cheapie Baan Yai Thai serves basic and bargain priced food. It has recently introduced an all-you-can-eat lunchtime buffet. Standard Thai dishes such as a great chicken red curry and pad thai make this a good lunchtime choice if you are in the vicinity of the Russian Market. Set in a wooden house location, diners can choose between sitting outdoors or heading upstairs to lounge on colourful floor cushions on an open-air balcony.
Baan Yai Thai, 13 Street 99

#16 - Chinese Noodles
Chinese, Khmers, and expats pack into this tiny piece of paradise for authentic and inexpensive Chinese fare, prepared with little fuss or frills. Thick and savoury homemade La Men noodles are kneaded, stretched, cut, and cooked by hand out front of the restaurant. Each and every noodle is a little piece of heaven. Soups are accompanied by tender duck, pork, beef, mushrooms or, for the more daring, intestines and pig stomach. Huge platters of fried noodles with veggies and your choice of meat provide an equally palatable option. While the staff can barely speak a word of English, simply point out what you want on the two-page plastic menu and it will be delivered to your table in a flash.
Chinese Noodles, 553-551 Monivong Blvd.

#19 – Dosa Corner
True to its name the dosas here are absolutely fabulous. These thick and fluffy South Indian crepes, traditionally eaten at breakfast, are generally made from fermented rice and urad bean and then fried on a skillet. At Dosa Corner they come with sambar – a tasty pea and vegetable stew – and three chutneys with complementary tastes. Coconut chutney is sprinkled with mustard seeds and has a grainy texture and subtle, sweet flavouring. Green mint chutney features mint leaves and coconut milk. Spicy chutney is made from chilli and onions, with a great kick. Not limited exclusively to delectable dosas, a large range of South Indian food is also on hand, with quite a bit that is vegetarian friendly. The interior of Dosa Corner has much more charm than your average bargain bucket with light blue walls adorned by Indian artwork and atmospheric ceramic light fixtures.
Dosa Corner, 5E Street 51, near Wat Lanka

#21 – Warung Bali
The best and possibly only place in town for genuine Indonesian food, Warung Bali brings the tastes and flavours of authentic Indonesian cooking to Phnom Penh. Perhaps the best part of Indonesian cooking is its sweet soy sauce. Known as kecap manis, it comes in red ketchup-like bottles and can be found in many of the restaurant’s dishes. To best taste this special ingredient, order ayan makar keap/Bali, with its tender pieces of chicken smothered in the sauce. While this dish is not the most photogenic looking, it is wonderful. Mie goreng is fried noodles with seafood, Indonesian style chicken, and plenty of vegetables in a mild but tasty sauce. Gado gado features steamed mixed vegetables with a hefty topping of peanut sauce. The restaurant has many more vegetable dishes, perfect for hungry vegetarians. Waiters are amiable and friendly and service is speedy.
Warung Bali, 25E Street 178

#22 – Singapore Kitchen
Recently moved to a new location – to the west of Monivong Boulevard, this restaurant specialises in classic Singapore hawker food, the new improved Kitchen has a more relaxing atmosphere than its previous incarnation. Gone has the basic working-man’s-cafe interior, to be replaced by the feel of a traditional Chinese Inn. But, don’t worry the food is still the same high quality, with the same Singapore-Chinese chef. While the laksa is the classic dish – full of wholesome ingredients and with a great spicy, creamy sauce – those wanting a more subtle flavour could do worse than trying the Hainanese chicken rice. This simple dish comes with a clear broth to cleanse the palate. Open from 11am to 9.30pm, the Kitchen does delivery as well.
Singapore Kitchen, 110 Street 360

#25 – Ko Ko Ro (Mr. Sushi)
When you enter Mr. Sushi’s little restaurant, you might be forgiven for thinking you have just walked into some Tokyo suburb rather than Phnom Penh’s Sihanouk Boulevard. The unpretentious decoration and sometimes shambolic presentation only adds to the atmosphere. Ko Ko Ro has two menus, one with combination dishes and the other à la carte. The combinations cover a wide variety of food including curries, tempura, beef and pork, fish, sushi and sashimi, and vegetables, prawn and chicken dishes. All come with soup, rice and a small side dish. The sushi à la carte menu ranges from egg or squid sushi to sushi rolls such as tuna, salmon and red snapper. The sashimi à la carte includes red snapper, salmon, tuna and roast beef sashimi. Wash down with Japanese vodka.
Ko Ko Ro, E018 Sihanouk Boulevard

#27 – Famous Beef and Noodle Soup
Unpretentious and modest to the extent that it lacks a proper name, ‘Famous Beef and Noodle Soup’ is a long-time favourite among Penhites. The short menu features beef, chicken, and vegetarian pho, as well as a few other dishes, including, somewhat bizarrely, tortellini al formaggio. As the name of the place declares, it is the noodle soup that you come here for. This traditional Hanoian dish is served in a large bowl and can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Essentially a broth-based soup with thick rice noodles, vegetables and your choice of meat, beef pho is the most common variety. In addition to the bowl of soup, your pho comes with a separate plate of fresh condiments, such as chilli, onion, bean sprouts, and basil, which you add to taste. On the table, there are a variety of sauces and spices so you can prepare your pho just the way you like it.
Famous Beef and Noodle Soup, Street 178

#28 – Cucina Filipina
Located in the heart of BKK1, this little Filipino eatery, which opened last December, is a very welcome addition to the food scene in the expat-dominated area. With only six tables, the place is often crowded at lunchtime, so it’s best to arrive early. Open from 7am, the real action starts around 11am. Eight different dishes – four of which are vegetarian – are served by the staff from a lunch buffet. Filipino specialties like adobo, a marinated dish, and kare karee, a meat dish with peanut sauce, are mainstays, though the menu changes daily.  Most dishes are served with rice. Mild flavours are preferred over excessive spice. The ingredients are fresh, and the vegetables are not overcooked, retaining their taste and crunch. The owner is keen to point out that she doesn’t use any MSG.
Cucina Filipina, 217 Street 302, closed Sunday

The Golden Bucket
Vote online at www.asialifeguide.com for the Penh’s best bucket. The winning restaurant will get a certificate as the best bargain dining option in town. A meal for two will be awarded to the first winning contestant plucked from the hat. Voting will take place throughout May, and the winner announced in the July issue of AsiaLIFE Guide.