Review: Villa Khmer - The Shock of the New

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On the site of the old ‘Talking to a Stranger’ bar at 21B Street 294, partners Sophea Touch and Siem Reap-based designer Theam have opened Villa Khmer, which comes described as a Restaurant|Lounge|Boutique. It’s a striking creation, all clad in bright red and dark hues. That's just the wait staff. The restaurant is similarly attired, too, and furnished in the minimalist Zen style popular with classy joints here in Phnom Penh.

Opened last month, Villa Khmer still feels a bit new, as if self-conscious of its finery. That doesn’t seem to trouble the mixed crowd of hipsters who lounge on the banquette seating, or, indeed, the expatriate buffers meeting in the corner (maybe the change of ownership by-passed them). They’re treating the place like it’s been here for years.

‘Northern folk cuisine’ is the restaurant’s tagline – that’s food from the area around Siem Reap to me and you. It shares much in common with the food of Thailand and Laos. That influence was certainly in evidence in the Chicken Curry Soup with Eggplant and Long Bean ($4.75 small/$7.00 large), which tasted like the best Thai Green Curry I’ve ever had. It was spicy, but smooth and comforting. Also good was the Green Mango Salad with Smoked Fish ($3.50), although it was adjudged to lack some of the necessary zingy acidic oomph.

Star of the show, however, was undoubtedly the Caramelized Stewed Snakehead with Quail Eggs ($4.50 small/$7.00 large). Found under the ‘Stewed Food’ section of the menu, I was expecting a ragout. In fact, it turned out to be a dense broth, almost of the intensity of Bovril, but sweet and nutty, with hints of cardamom and star anise. A monster of mythic proportions in the United States, the Snakehead fish had been transmogrified by the cooking liquor into piscine sophistication, the flesh flavourful and melting in the mouth. Morning glory and quails eggs completed the concoction. The ubiquitous quails’ eggs were, well, quails’ eggs. So, why do they cost about a million pounds Sterling for half a dozen in Harrods Food Hall? That’s for the residents of Knightsbridge, London, SW1, to figure out. Here, in Phnom Penh, we were enjoying some serious cooking.

It was hard to fault the Banana flambé ($3.50) either. The batter was almost tempura consistency in its lightness, whilst the banana had been cooked to the texture of thick custard. A scrap ensued with my companion, over who was going to eat the third of these sausages of fruity delight.

On close inspection, the restaurant displays evidence of having opened in a hurry, no doubt due to the exigencies of time and finance. Throughout the meal, I was distracted by reflections on the ultimate purpose of a battleship grey bookcase, sitting lonely and empty, in a corner. The wine list is short (comprising five bottles $14-$27) and not presently offered by the glass. Hence, your poor reviewer cannot remark further on its quality or value. The cocktail list is un-priced (that early opening again). If you have to ask, you can’t afford it, I guess. Service presently falls into the ‘best described as well-meaning’ category. Proper table linen, and personal box of eating irons, are nice touches.

They serve food all day, including a $2.50 lunch buffet. That sounds like a bargain. In fact, given the quality of the food, Villa Khmer offers very good value – we choose the small size for all three selections and were stuffed. A range of set menus ($8.50-$10.50) offer an alternative dining approach, in addition to the extensive a la carte list of ‘home specialities’. High-end Khmer cuisine at a price I can afford? Now that is a shock.

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