$$$$CambodianWest SideProvidence
Apsara on Public Street is Providence's longest-running Cambodian kitchen, with a pan-Southeast Asian menu running through Vietnamese, Thai and Lao classics.
OrderNime chow with peanut sauce, plus the Singapore noodles or a Khmer curry.
TipClosed Wednesdays; the no-frills strip-mall storefront is the giveaway you are in the right place.
$$$$CambodianWest SideProvidence
Apsara on Public Street is Providence's longest-running Cambodian kitchen, with a pan-Southeast Asian menu running through Vietnamese, Thai and Lao classics.
OrderNime chow with peanut sauce and a Khmer curry; Singapore noodles if you want heat.
TipClosed Wednesdays; lunch is the quickest sit. Counter is no-frills strip-mall style, but the cooking is serious.
$$$$CambodianInternational DistrictSeattle
Phnom Penh Noodle House in Seattle's International District is the Sam family's 1987 Cambodian kitchen: hu tieu, bai sach chrouk and cha houy teuk.
OrderThe hu tieu noodle soup with pork and prawn, and the bai sach chrouk grilled pork rice plate.
TipClosed Monday and Tuesday; the lunch crowd lines up at 11:00 and the kitchen sells out of bai sach chrouk by 14:00.
$$$$CambodianInternational DistrictSeattle
Phnom Penh Noodle House in Seattle's International District is the Sam family's 1987 Cambodian kitchen: hu tieu, bai sach chrouk, cha houy teuk.
OrderHu tieu noodle soup with pork and prawn, plus a bai sach chrouk grilled-pork rice plate.
TipClosed Monday and Tuesday; lunch crowd lines up at 11:00 and bai sach chrouk sells out by 14:00.
$$$$CambodianChinatownOakland
Battambang on Broadway in Oakland's Chinatown has cooked Cambodian cuisine since 1993. Beef lok lak and amok lead a menu locals have leaned on for years.
OrderBeef lok lak, Amok, Cambodian noodles
$$$$CambodianNorth San JoseSan Jose
Chez Sovan is a beloved San Jose weekday lunch institution offering rare authentic Cambodian fish curries, kebabs, and Khmer dishes at low prices.
OrderFish amok and slow-cooked Cambodian curry with rice
$$$$CambodianNorth San JoseSan Jose
Chez Sovan is a beloved San Jose weekday lunch spot offering rare authentic Cambodian fish curries, amok, and Khmer dishes at honest no-frills prices.
OrderFish amok and Cambodian fish curry
$$$$CambodianChinatownOakland
Battambang in Oakland Chinatown has cooked Cambodian plates since 1993. Beef lok lak and amok with thirty years of regulars at the Broadway corner.
OrderBeef lok lak, Amok