Siem Reap still anchors the freshly defined Cambodia Town

PHOTO by ROSHEILA ROBLES

It took years for those more foreign blocks of Anaheim Street to fall officially under the title “Cambodia Town,” but even with its first-in-the-nation designation, the neighborhood hasn’t changed—markets are still packed with far-flung produce, signs still welcome with the fluid script of Khmer. And Siem Reap, a fixture on the strip for nearly 20 years, is still as unwavering as ever.

The restaurant is typically nondescript from its all-windows façade, but it opens up on the inside: a two-story space anchored by a chandelier and bordered by creeping planters of fake ivy. Much of Siem Reap’s style, however, rests in the shadows of Angkor Wat, the centuries-old Buddhist temple in Cambodia’s Siem Reap province. It’s the temple’s lotus-bud-shaped towers that truly dominate the place—on its menus, on its walls, even on an ornate bas-relief strung up above the bar.

Like most restaurants that spread their menus out over a whole continent, Siem Reap’s pan-Asian offerings try a bit of everything—hundreds of items that pull from Thai, Chinese and Cambodian cuisines. But tasting nearly all of Asia isn’t what draws you to Cambodia Town, and pad Thai and broccoli beef aren’t what you eat at Siem Reap.

It’s with all the overwhelming options that you learn to rely on Siem Reap’s amiable wait staff, who are quick, efficient and almost always serve up their suggestions with a smile. The best thing to do is trust them and start with a smart drink order, as there’s plenty of heat hidden under Siem Reap’s sweeter layers. Nearly all of the restaurant’s drinks counteract that, but the young coconut offers the most style, served split open with juice fresh for slurping. Any one of Siem Reap’s shakes is a good choice, too: coconut, durian, pineapple and taro root. It’s the taro that’s most appealing, though, a lilac-colored slush thick with mild tinges of vanilla and coconut.

Siem Reap’s steak skewers start the savory side perfectly, rubbed and charred to a dark maroon, the beef remarkably tender as it slips off its wooden supports. The flavor is what you might expect, recalling the sweet smokiness of Thai and Vietnamese barbeque, and Siem Reap’s skewers work just as well: easy to eat and alluringly aromatic.

Things get a bit more substantial with the ground pork curry. Though it tastes far off from any of the usual curry spices, the dish is still a good one, reveling in a strong, salty heat. Thankfully, that’s tempered by the accompanying vegetable plate, and most interestingly by a few slices of green eggplant. The discolored vegetable looks completely unique, its skin similar to the patchy greens of a watermelon rind, the flesh a firmly pale reminder of its night-blooming relatives. Its taste, however, ends up somewhere between a traditional eggplant and a cucumber, which does well to cool off the curry.

Beef lok lak is also a good choice, with cubed cuts of beef served over a mound of rice and paired again with a small side of vegetables and a fried egg. Alone, the beef isn’t as compelling as the skewer, but when paired with a bite of tomato or cucumber, a pile of rice and a quick run through the just-done egg yolk, it all comes together. Add a quick dip in the dish’s herbed lemon sauce and it’s even better—a balanced, layered heat that still hangs on to flavor.

Lastly, there’s Amok. The dish is a popular one: a fish-based curry traditionally steamed and formed into a patty for easy eating. At Siem Reap, the little discs ship out along with a few slices of cucumber, which by now should be a surefire sign that the dish is going to be hot. And it is—the firm exterior (as if it were fried) gives way to a sharp and fast heat that requires more than a few sips of your shake. It’s a great dish—just make sure to grab a slice of cucumber first.

Regardless of what changes may take shape in Cambodia Town—buildings torn down or spruced up, intersections hit with floods of curious gawkers—Siem Reap will surely stay the course. And though its food might start to seem less and less foreign, you’ll always be able to pick it up with a smile.

SIEM REAP 1810 E ANAHEIM ST | LONG BEACH 90813 | 562.591.7414 | MON-THURS 10AM-9PM; FRI-SUN 10AM-10PM | FOOD FOR TWO $20-30 | FULL BAR

Tags: amok, angkor wat, cambodia town, Food, lok lak, Long Beach, siem reap