CAM: Khmer Village Restaurant
Addictive peanuts, but 0/10 for dessert... :(
My BFF and I dedicated one day to explore the massive Angkor Archaeological Park where the world's largest religious monument is standing on. For lunch, our tuk-tuk driver brought us to Khmer Village Restaurant situated within the park itself.
It felt so good to be able to sit down in the air-conditioned restaurant after a long morning of walking around under the sun.
Appetiser
While waiting for our food to come, we munched on well-seasoned and aromatic peanuts. Pika's advice: You may want to buy the peanuts to bring home or as a gift. I'm not sure how much do they cost though.
Chicken Salad with Deep-Fried Vermicelli US$6.50 (~S$9.20)
Taste: 8/10
The salad with shredded roasted chicken was a good choice for appetiser. The white meat was executed well, retaining most of its moisture. The vegetables were quite fresh, drizzled with zesty lime and coconut dressing. I also enjoyed the deep-fried vermicelli that provided a nice contrast in terms of texture.
Stir-Fried Khmer Noodle US$7.00 (~S$9.90)
Taste: 5/10
The lunch soon began to grow dreadful. The first main course that arrived at the table - stir-fried flat noodle - was nothing to rave about, for it was just a tad spicy without that much flavour. It came with quite generous amounts of chicken, shrimps and vegetables though.
Stir-Fried Beef with Lemongrass US$7.50 (~S$10.60)
Taste: 5/10
The other main course wasn't any better. The beef slices weren't tender; in fact, a few of them were tough and rubbery. Having said that, the dish was actually more flavourful than the stir-fried noodle. The onions saved the dish as they were naturally sweet and appetising.
Banana Fritters with Fresh Coconut Cream Sauce US$3.50 (~S$4.95)
Taste: 0/10
My premonition was confirmed when I happened to see the two ladies seated next to us leaving the restaurant without touching much of their banana fritters. It was too late to cancel our order, so there came the raw, inedible bananas wrapped in a dough that wasn't even crispy at all. There was no coconut cream sauce either.
Citrus and Mint Freeze US$3.75 (~S$5.30)
Taste: 7.5/10
Thankfully, the simple blend of lemon juice and mint leaves didn't go wrong. It was refreshing enough, especially to get rid of the bitterness and waxy sensation of the raw banana that landed on my tongue. It didn't quite live up to its name though as it wasn't very cold upon serving.
Melon's Rating
Taste: 5/10
Ambience: 7/10
Service: 6.5/10
Overall: 6/10
To be fair, I really enjoyed their peanuts, regretting not buying some to bring home. However, the dessert was totally disastrous. It was such a shame serving raw bananas to guests. I didn't make a big fuss about it though, for I was feeling happy after seeing Angkor Wat directly with my very own eyes.
Khmer Village Restaurant
341 Street 8
Siem Reap
Cambodia
(Daily: 6.00am - 5.00pm)
*Prices quoted are nett prices.
Have a nice meal,
Cliff(y)
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