Most people know Phnom Penh as the capital city of Cambodia. However, talk about Phnom Pneh in Vancouver and images of dry rice noodle and the best chicken wings in town comes to mind.
Phnom Penh is an award winning South East Asian restaurant. I have been dining there for as long as I can remember. The place is super popular and if you don’t make a reservation, you can expect to line up for an hour or more to get a table. You can expect to wait a bit even if you do make a reservation.
Most of the time, I go to Phnom Penh for lunch because it’s not as busy as dinnertime. The menu is the same for lunch or dinner. You just don’t have to wait as long. Phnom Penh has many signature dishes but the two I always order when I dine there are the special dry rice noodles and deep fried chicken wings.
Phnom Penh Special Rice Noodle
Unlike Pho, which is rice noodle in soup, Phnom Penh rice noodle is served “dry” with soup on the side. Various meats (beef, chicken, pork, liver and shrimp) and a special seasoning sauce add a very exotic taste to the dish.
Like Pho, Phnom Penh rice noodle includes spouts, lime wedges and chili sauce so you can kick the dish up a notch or two. I used to never put the chili in the dish but now I put it all in. It really adds some kick to the noodle.
Phnom Penh Deep Fried Chicken Wings
The deep fried chicken wings from Phnom Penh are the best chicken wings I ever had. The skin is very crispy with lots of spices and the inside meat is super tender. A dipping sauce made from lime extract and pepper helps to bring out the spices in the chicken skin.
Price wise, Lunch or dinner at Phnom Penh is very reasonable. Our lunch came to just $26.00 for two bowls of dry rice noodle and one plate of chicken wings. I highly recommend everyone try this restaurant. I wish they would open a Phnom Penh in Richmond. It would replace the Saturday Pho Fest.
