Angkor Palm Restaurant

This restaurant proudly advertises itself as having won the "Restaurant of the Year 2006", without actually going into details by whom the prize was awarded and for what reason. Reviews on other sites range from the ecstatic to the disappointed.

As the Missus and I felt like some Khmer food, we decided to give this place a try.

The welcome was promising enough, we were greeted by a very friendly waiter who quickly brought us cold face-towels; much appreciated what with the current heat wave. However, I could not help notice some very bored staff hanging around in the background.

A look at the menu confirmed what I had feared: yet another place catering to tourists on a budget. This seems to be a common problem in Siem Reap and, I suspect, in many other touristy places: what do we care about the quality if the punters are only here for a couple of nights anyway? Keep it cheap, have Beer Lao in the fridge, and put a big sign "Khmer owned" and guests will roll in.

Anyway, back to the menu: main dishes ranged from USD 1.50 to 4.50, soft drinks started at USD 1.00 and beers were anywhere from USD 1.50 to 3.50. We opted for the "Angkor Palm Platter for Two" at USD 14.00. I quote from their menu: "Combining the authentic taste of Cambodian country cooking with western attention to detail...."

This is what the platter looks like according to the menu:




In theory a dish with a lot of potential: Fresh Spring Rolls, Green Curry, Mango Salad, Fish Amok, Spare Ribs, Fried Water Spinach and Rice. All easy to make but a lot more difficult to make well.

The presentation was a let-down straight away:



Note to all restaurant owners in Siem Reap: dumping your food in banana leaf cups and throwing a couple of strips of Chili on top is NOT presentation; it shows a lack of imagination and care.

However, even worse was the fact that the food was cold. I can stomach a lot, but the only things I want cold on my table are beer and ice cream. No matter how good the food, serving it cold will just about negate any efforts made in the kitchen.

Though I must point out that it was not much of an issue in this case as the food was pretty tasteless anyway. Why do restaurant owners in Siem Reap think that only utterly boring and bland food is suitable for the tourists' palates? Even worse was that the dishes that MUST be fresh (Spring Rolls, Mango Salad, Water Spinach) were not. They weren't spoilt, but they had certainly spent a few days in the fridge. I understand that it is the low season; but inventory control is not really my problem.

At least the entertainment was good. The restaurant faces the Old Market/Pub Street Area and we had a steady stream of ill-dressed "travelers" passing by; at least they took our minds off the food.

Conclusion: If you are on a budget, you think you must have Beer Lao to go with your Beer Lao T-shirt, and if your taste buds are fried from too many Banana pancakes on Khao San Road then this restaurant is for you. Anyone in search of a decent Khmer meal: steer clear.

Rating (out of 5):

Service: ****
Food: *
Ambiance: *
Value for money: *
Recommended: No

Got to love the color-matched Bandana and singlet....