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Review content:
I've eaten here twice - the first time, I was blown away by the flavors, from the lychee fizz drink, roasted corn-on-the-cob appetizer, and crispy pork belly, to the sweetbreads, the Banh Mi sandwiches, and the oxtail stew. I'm not a big fan of overly spicy food because you can't taste the dish, but the first time I dined here, I thought the spicy-ness added to the dish rather than take away. I had a great first-impression. I was literally licking my fingers at the end of the meal. But tonight, I brought 2 more girlfriends to try this place, and I gotta say, I must've remembered my first encounter differently. We ordered a similar range of dishes as my first visit (it's a partially seasonal menu, and the first time I visited was summer). The dishes were still decent, but they didn't do it for me this time. The flavors weren't as impressive - the crispy pork belly tasted artery clogging, the oxtail stew seemed less hearty, and the sweetbreads were bland - however, the Hoisin Pork Meatball sandwich was a big winner. Although I still enjoyed the food, tonight's meal didn't grab me as much as it did the first time. What changed? I can't figure it out. But overall, Kampuchea is definitely worth at least one try. Other points to mention: they have small hooks under the table to hang your bag! Great for the summer, but not so great in the winter when you have giant winter coats, and the hooks are too low for long coats. The communal style seating makes it hard to have conversations without strangers eavesdropping. The bench seats don't have a back to lean on - so people with bad backs are straining.
Pros: Tasty Dishes, Good Atmosphere, Friendly Staff, A try-it-at-least-once kind of place
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