I recently tried Cambodian food for the first time at Phnom Penh restaurant in Oakland. The restaurant located off MacArthur Blvd and the area host many cool little stores and eateries. The restaurant initially was located in Oakland’s Chinatown, but now has a permanent fixture in Oakland. They also have another location situated in Alameda; however, I have only been to the Oakland location.

There aren’t a ton of Cambodian restaurants around this area, but this restaurant is a great find as the restaurant is very welcoming, family run, and the food is excellent. You will find some traditional Cambodian dishes here.

On my last visit, I ordered the deep fried calamari and Hamok Trei. Both dishes are equally delicious.

DEEP FRIED CALAMARI:

This dish consisted of deep fried calamari in butter mixed with black pepper and served with a sweet chili sauce (most likely Mae Ploy sauce). This sauce is an excellent accompaniment to fried foods like spring rolls, fried chicken, or other appetizers.

This appetizer is great. The batter is light, and the calamari is tender and not overly chewy. I’ve had calamari at other restaurants where the squid was horrendously non-edible. Once you bite into each piece, they’re very crispy, and the batter doesn’t fall off. (I hate it when that happens to my food!)

HAMOK TREI

Hamok trei (Amok trey) or Cambodian steamed fish is considered the national dish of Cambodia.

This dish is very flavorful and includes sliced fish cooked with coconut juice, lemongrass, then wrapped and steamed. The meal I had included catfish, but I believe different types of fish can be incorporated here.

The fish comes in a little pot that looks similar to a small clay pot used to retain the heat of the food. When you dig into this, the top layer has a nice “crust,” and when you dig even further, you find flaky and tender fish with a soup-like base and vegetables (I don’t recall what type of veggies, but they were delicious as well).

The dish has a robust flavor but is not overwhelming, and all the flavors incorporate richly. It’s filling, satisfying, and accompanied with rice makes for a very comforting dish.

The restaurant has many other great dishes including curries, seafood, and grilled meats, and vegetarian options. I’ve tried roasted pork or (Sach Chhrouk Ann Kreun) on a previous occasion, and the pork was outstanding. The meat has a great char-grilled flavor and is exceptionally tender and mouthwatering. The meat had the right amount of fat without going overboard.

Prices for each dish are very reasonable, and service is always friendly and welcoming. If you’re in the area and craving a cuisine you’ve never tried before, check this place out, you won’t regret it.

BUSINESS INFORMATION: (Two Locations)

Phnom Penh Restaurant

Laurel Business District

3912 MacArthur Boulevard Oakland, CA 94619

AND

Webster Business District

1514 Webster Street Alameda, CA 94501

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As detailed in my most recent post, we similarly took the train from the town of Liege to Bruges. It took about under three hours to get there and it costs about 44 Euros roundtrip.

I really appreciated exploring this city and the cobbled streets to take-in the architecture. After exploring the city and the various shops, we decided to get a bite to eat. There are a lot of restaurants and café’s here, but I find it’s always good to try a place that includes some local dishes to see what the region offers.

We decided to check out the restaurant Maria Van Bourgoundie which had traditional Belgian fare.

CHICKEN WATERZOOI

I opted for a lighter dish of the chicken waterzooi which is a stew dish and was originally made with fish. Today, using chicken is much more common. The dish consisted of chicken, a thickened vegetable broth, cream, egg yolk, and vegetables. The vegetables included: carrots, onions, celery, leeks, and some potatoes along with many different types of herbs.

I really liked this dish and thought it was perfect for a somewhat breezy and chilly day. The stew was not overwhelmingly rich, but had the right balance of flavors and after I finished it, I felt satiated and not overly full. I also always love the combination of the vegetables in this dish, so this was a winner for me.

CARBONADE FLAMANDE

My boyfriend ordered the Carbonande flamande, a traditional dish offered in Belgium. It’s a hearty beef and onion stew made with beer and is often accompanied with frites (or fries) or potatoes. He also paired the dish with a Belgian beer (of course) Kasteel. I don’t drink beer, but I’ve always heard Belgian beers are quite rich and have some of the best beers in the world (per my boyfriend, lol).

This dish is quite rich, but very flavorful and you can most definitely taste the bold flavor of beer infused throughout the meat and sauce. Thyme, bay leaves, and mustard accompany the dish. The dish has a slightly sour and sweet flavor. After eating this dish, you might want to go for a walk to loosen the tightness in your belly : )

After grabbing lunch, we decided to walk around the town to visit the various shops and the Markt square. There are a ton of shops to choose from and there are a lot of cute little trinkets and other things to pick-up for your friends and loved ones. Items in the shops were also reasonably priced.

Bruges is also known for their water canals. It’s quite lovely to view the many boats passing by. You’ll also see people being taken by horse carriage around the town. Tremendously cute and quaint!

Also, we happened to stop by a little park area where there were so many swans! I’ve never seen so many swans in one place.

To sum up, if you happen to be or are traveling to Belgium, Bruges is a great place to explore. Even though there are tourists here, it’s not quite as touristy as bigger cities such as Brussels. The town also has a very calming atmosphere and was one of the highlights of my trip.

Restaurant details:

Maria van Bourgondie

Guido Gezelleplein 1, Bruges 8000, Belgium

To learn more about me, you can go here.

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