A Cambodian Refugee Cooks From Memory at Nyum Bai

Are the Cambodian red chopsticks, changkuah, pictured in a linked article on Siem Reap, longer than the Chinese kuaizi or Japanese hashi?

Well made Cambodian food is marvelous! When we lived in San Francisco, we ate at a fantastic Cambodian restaurant, Angkor Borei, many times. We once calculated that we enjoyed Angkor Borei's superb cooking around five hundred times. Although we are not Cambodian or even Asian (Italian, English, Irish), we thought the chef there was brilliant by the measure of any cuisine. The restaurant does not fit the slightly disparaging image described in the article: no colorful menus, no dumbing down of flavors. The owner, who also suffered under the Khmer Rouge, has always had in her kitchen sensitive, careful chefs who are brilliant at balancing the flavors of pristinely fresh ingredients and unique Cambodian seasonings. The restaurant was given positive reviews many times by SF Chronicle food critics Patricia Unterman and Michael Bauer. Angkor Borei is still there on Mission Street above Caesar Chavez Street, still wonderful, according to friends. We live in NY now and so often wish we could eat that delicious Cambodian food again.

Drove all the way to Oakland from the capital the day this came out to check out Nyum Bai. Unfortunately, they were closed — “mechanical error,” a sign on the door said. Instead, we discovered the cornucopia of deliciousness that is Fruitvale, from mangonada at the Mexican ice cream shop in the same plaza as Nyum Bai to man’oushe at Reem’s down the street to sesos (brain) tacos at Taqueria El Paisa. We’ll definitely be back to check out Nyum Bai when it opens — if it’s anything like it’s described, it’s a great addition to a fantastic food neighborhood.

Some should write for NYT Food Section an article about the similarities and differences of the Southeast Asian cuisines, including that of Southern China. Then a door will be wide opened for the readers' comments on the merits or demerits of those foods.

I can't wait to try this place. Cambodia is an amazing place to visit, and I was overwhelmed by the spirit of the people there who are working tirelessly to regain what was lost during the war. On multiple trips I made a point to eat as much traditional food as possible, and loved the cooking class and market visit with a chef. I loved the food while I was there, and looking forward to tasting it again.

I was desperately hoping that there would be a recipe. What would this country be without the immigrants and the wonderful and diverse foods they bring with them?

I’m lucky enough to live in Oakland and to have been to this incredible little spot. I had a crispy honey chicken dish and a spinach dish that was incredible. My husband had the soup from the article. Everything was excellent. People around us ordered off the menu like it was small plates. It is a very small footprint but I love the way they make use of the outdoor space for additional seating( until the rain hopefully comes). I will definitely go back again.

The Cantonese have the same phrase, sik fun "eat rice". I once heard a Chinese woman talking to a friend on Clement St. (except Cantonese always do this at the top of their lungs) "You come over and eat rice."

Why not share at least one recipe so we could check out how good the food is?!!! Especially when you share two tempting photos of curry and noodle soup? Unfair!

Wish she were in our area. Our Thai and Chinese restaurants here in Eugene have decided to live the spices that define their cuisine out.

The chicken kuri looks amazing. I’m not finding anything online to give me a hint of what it might involve. The Cambodian chicken curries that I find look nothing like that. Ideas?

So how does this taste? Is it good-exceptional or just ordinary.

The city of Lowell Massachusetts does have a vibrant Cambodian population along with some decent Cambodian restaurants. Coupled with the Textile Museum, the Textile Mill National Park, and a host of other attractions, it's a city worth visiting. Further, Cambodian food is very good if you're looking for a change from the usual Thai, Chinese, or Vietnamese.

I visited this exceptional restaurant this week for lunch while visiting San Francisco for the first time in a year, taking the Bart or from the city. The food was very, very good, exceptionally well-prepared and reasonably priced, and the service bang-on. Go there if you can; restaurateurs like this deserve to do well. As a diner you won’t be disappointed.

At the Ithaca Farmers Market, there is a stall which sells Cambodian food. My husband and I have enjoyed their delicious food for years, but finally had the chance to talk at length to their excellent chef last week, when on our morning run. You see, we usually stop for a drink from the water fountain in the Farmers Market, and the stall's excellent chef happened to be doing janitorial work at the same time. We learned a little about her difficult life story, and what brought her to cooking. We have been obsessed with her incredible tofu, homemade hot pepper sauce, and the complex flavors of this cuisine for years. But hearing how cooking has been--in her words--a way to reclaim her lost culture, to bring joy to hearts (and taste buds!), and to create community reminded us how astoundingly lucky we are to enjoy her wonderful food, and how lucky we are that she has brought the richness of her culture and her indomitable spirit to this country. I hope that anyone in the Finger Lakes region is inspired to stop by the market and sample her cooking! I know I'm looking forward to eating at Nyum Bai the next time I'm in the Bay Area.

This reminds me of the dishes I encountered in Siam Reap. It was astounding to see how many world famous chefs were coming to Siam Reap each year for days and days to study this unique cuisine that is an unusual Asian spicing plus a French influenced sensibility. I desperately wish you had included at least one recipe, plus places to learn some of these cooking techniques.