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Singapore, June 6, 2010 - SINGAPOREANS who have not been to Cambodia would probably not have much impression of the country’s food. As far as I know, there has never been a full-fledged Cambodian restaurant here – until recently. Khmer Delight was opened last December by Cambodian Alicia Sok and her Singaporean husband Andrew Tay, and she is doing a wonderful job representing the country’s cuisine. The best way to describe Cambodian food to someone not familiar with it is to think of Thai food but with milder flavours and without chillies. A number of the dishes certainly taste familiar, such as the fish amok ($11.90). It is described in the menu as a traditional Khmer signature concentrated fish curry, steamed in banana leaves, but an easier reference is to compare it to the Thai hor mok or local otak-otak. But unlike otak-otak, it is not wrapped in banana leaf. Instead, the leaf is folded into a cup to hold the curried mousse. The amok is softer than Thai hor mok but tastes just as delicious, being all creamy and yummy with the blend of spice and coconut flavours. It is served with crispy prawn crackers, which is a good idea. The contrasting textures make them a good match, though the amok is just as good eaten with rice. Another dish that goes well with rice is the Khmer curry chicken ($10.90). It lacks the fire of local curries as there is no chilli heat at all. I do miss the heat but only a wee bit because the gravy is so flavourful. The Khmer Delight signature soup ($4.90), a clear sweet and sour chicken soup, is like mellow Thai tom yum without chillies and cooked with chicken, not seafood. And rather than the sharpness of lime juice, its acidity comes from pieces of pineapple and tomato. I love it. I also like the Khmer spring roll ($5.90), which is filled with taro and minced pork, quite unlike the vegetarian spring rolls in Chinese or Vietnamese cuisine. When you bite into it, your teeth crack through the brittle deep-fried skin and then sink into slightly gooey mashed taro, quite a lovely feeling. I wish the rolls are bigger though; they are so tiny that you finish one in two small bites. Another quibble is that there are only four on the plate. What is there not to like? Not much, but some dishes can be improved. An example is the eggplant with minced pork ($11.90), which, with the vegetable fried till nice and soft, is a crowd pleaser. But eggplant in itself is bland and needs to be accompanied by something with a strong flavour. In this case, the mild-tasting pork needs some spiking up to do a proper job. A bit more salt or a dash of fish sauce, or a pinch of spice perhaps, might do wonders. The braised tiger prawn ($18.90) is too sweet for my liking but that is probably the way it should be. The menu does describe it as being cooked in a Khmer palm sugar gravy after all. Among the desserts, nothing stands out. There are four: pumpkin custard with ice cream ($6.90), banana sesame fritters with ice cream ($6.90), sticky rice with durian sauce ($6.90) and caramelised sweet potato and taro ($6.90). I tried the first three, which are like Thai desserts. They are decent but I have had better versions in Thai restaurants. LifeStyle paid for its meals in the eatery reviewed here.
Must-try: Fish amok ($11.90)
This dish runs riot on the palate with its coconut-rich creaminess and aromatic spice mix.
Khmer Delight Cambodian Restaurant
922, East Coast Road
Tel: 6449-1529
Open: 12pm to 10pm (Mon to Thur), 12pm to 10.30pm (Fri to Sun).
Food: 3.5/5
Service: 3/5
Ambience: 2.5/5
Price: Budget about $30 a person
