History

Phnom Penh on East Georgia Street opened in 1985 by the Lam family, refugees from Cambodia's Khmer Rouge regime. The chicken wing recipe combines a fish-sauce marinade with a peppery garlic crust, a Khmer-Vietnamese kitchen tradition. The dish became the Lam family's calling card; Phnom Penh has been Vancouver Magazine's reader-poll favourite Asian restaurant since 2010, plus Michelin Bib Gourmand 2022.

Common allergens: Soy, Gluten

Make it at home

Yield Serves 4Hands-on 20 minTotal 2 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 1kg chicken wings, separated at the joint
  • 3 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 4 cloves garlic, grated
  • 100g rice flour
  • 50g cornstarch
  • Neutral oil for deep-frying
  • 2 tablespoons crispy fried garlic chips
  • 2 tablespoons chopped scallion
  • Lime wedges to serve

Method

  1. Mix fish sauce, sugar, Shaoxing wine, black pepper and grated garlic in a bowl. Add the chicken wings and toss to coat.
  2. Cover and marinate at room temperature 1 hour, or in the fridge 2 hours.
  3. Mix rice flour and cornstarch in a wide bowl. Drain the wings from the marinade and toss in the flour mixture until coated.
  4. Heat 4cm of oil in a heavy pot to 170C. Fry the wings in batches 7 to 8 minutes until deep golden and crisp.
  5. Drain on a wire rack. Toss with the crispy fried garlic chips and chopped scallion.
  6. Pile onto a warm platter and serve with lime wedges and a small bowl of lime-pepper-salt dip.

Tip from the editors. Fish sauce is essential, not soy; the funk is what defines the dish. Frying twice (once at 150C, then again at 180C) gives the crispest skin.

Where to eat phnom penh chicken wings

Phnom Penh chicken wings in Vancouver

Phnom Penh ★ 4.7

Cambodian$$chinatownWed-Mon 10:00-21:00, closed TuesdaysUntil Daily until 21:00

Phnom Penh on East Georgia closes at 21:00 most nights, the late-evening Cambodian counter for a final wing plate and a glass of beer in Chinatown today.

Try: Crispy chicken wings

Order: Crispy chicken wings and butter beef carpaccio with rice noodles.

Tip: Last seating around 20:30; cash takes a discount. The wings are still the calling card late.

244 East Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC V6A 1Z7

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