The Curry Club

Discussions about restaurants, cafes, coffee shops or bars in Cambodia. Feel free to write any reviews you have, whether its the best burger you've had in Phnom Penh or the worse pizza in Kampot, we want to read it! Discussions about Khmer dishes are also in here, or you can leave your own. If you own a restaurant, feel free to let the expat community know about it here so that we can come check it out. Found a favorite cafe or have a place we should avoid? Tell us about it. Asian recipes & questions are always welcome.
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AndyKK
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Re: The Curry Club

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I would put this restaurant with the good ones up there, more so if you enjoy a good meat gosht.
Order with some time, because you may have a little wait, but then again that maybe because I ordered with food panda, but even so, the meal is good so worth the little waiting time.
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There you have it, a not to spicy very tender lamb bhuna gosht.
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Always "hope" but never "expect".
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Re: The Curry Club

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I thought I would add a little more from "the complete book of curries" this part from the second book of curries.

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Always "hope" but never "expect".
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bossho
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Re: The Curry Club

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@AndyKK This book you are sharing with us here is sumptuous! What a delicious read. I find that Namaste is the best in town, after an Indian friend proclaimed it, I have not eaten nearly as many places as you but I do like Namaste and have never had a bad meal there, that goes for both of their locations.
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Re: The Curry Club

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bossho wrote: Mon Oct 18, 2021 12:13 pm @AndyKK This book you are sharing with us here is sumptuous! What a delicious read. I find that Namaste is the best in town, after an Indian friend proclaimed it, I have not eaten nearly as many places as you but I do like Namaste and have never had a bad meal there, that goes for both of their locations.
I am so happy bossho that you see the book in the same light has I do. I was actually given the book from an old expat friend, whom at the time was selling some of his long-time household items, due to giving up his apartment before the arrival of covid. But not an easy task with a considerable good part of his life spent here. He was kind of downsizing too a suitable suitcase, manageable too and from hotels around the country that he explained he missed with staying in one area over so many past years. He made his decision due to his 80 years young age, thinking now is the time because he may not be so agile or to motivated when he gets to 100.
Which Namaste? The one on Street 177 BKK or the one on Street 308 Tonle Bassac.
I just saw, sorry, you had mentioned both locations.
Always "hope" but never "expect".
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Re: The Curry Club

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Yes, Namaste India and Namaste BKK are both of the same owner and the one you list on St 177 is actually at house number 177, on St. 63 at cross street 294 or St. Pi roy cow bu'on (pardon, but it's so fun to say in Khmer). I have found them to be consistently similar, would you rate one higher than the other? How do they stack up against others as I would be eager to try others but the Namaste guys really kill it in terms of Indian cuisine and I've yet to risk another less than meal at a new Indian eatery since getting turned toward Namaste.

Yes, that book is priceless, keep it close. I see that we are getting an abridged version due to business constraints as per the author's aside to readers at the end of the last page you put up - have you listed these pages all along on this post? I need more, really fun writing. Gone are those halcyon days for the many of us. I hesitate to say the author is using an "aside" in my reference above too because what you've shared here reads like a nice long conversation the author is having with the reader.
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Re: The Curry Club

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Yes, being the main problem to try another place or meal from what you or me could be very content with, possibly spoiled by taking a chance in doing so, writing this thread "the curry club" has changed my views considerably. I always stood by that I wasn't a gambling man, but I took that gamble every time I would sit here with a curry dish in front of me.
Ask me if it was worth it! No, not in the slightest thought, they may say for a capital city the food is not overall impressive. I would also add the main importance too the local Khmer is not so much presentation or taste, but that of a substantial meal. Although the Indian restaurant will be out of reach due to costs to the average Khmer, but on the other hand for a person to come here and open such an establishment , he/she who made the investment were certainly looking at the overall majorities being their main customers. Yes, and I would agree many would hope for the tourist trade, people who would eat normally this type of food, but that would never had been substantial with the multitude of curry houses in the big city.

Extract from the book -

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Re: The Curry Club

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I never would of thought that ''Fenugreek'' was composed of over 25 percent protein at the cellular level..! And can you believe the "Aniseed'' and ''Clove"' protein makeups?! (Sark ass tick) I love the writing and the way the author is just so chatty with the reader, you can please plug a page with your next review...? I guess I'll have to PM you for the short list of best curries in town. Gambling with curries is a better payout than gambling with a fart that you aren't sure of, think of it that way. I just really hate when the sauce separates at some hole in the wall Paki place and I could've been over in the relative Disneyland of this city dining on the goods and checking out how the well off mingle with the rest of us. Oh, yeah, word to the wise be careful of your dependence on Food Panda and Nham 24 as those guys will lull you into a false sense of price security. I made the mistake of dining in at Namaste' and was punished by the bill. I even pointed out to the waiter that stared at us the whole meal in between little mini goose steps lines he'd make, a heel click marked the end of the line and he'd swing around back into the same stria from whence he came, followed by another stare down as he'd pass us, ruling his territory which was where I was dining. I told him we could have gotten the same meal delivered for $14 cheaper and without the freakish little eyeball dance and he seemed to say something like, "yeah, but this is what I do..."
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Re: The Curry Club

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This post was meant too be replied a few days ago, but had more computer problems.
Two nights ago with the heavy downpours, were getting me to a desperate stage. Food panda was adding the time on the preparation of the meal ordered, and you may have noticed the delivery price goes up when they are busy, it was not the first order too, already there had been one cancellation.
Riding a motorcycle in Phnom Penh is a risky game in traffic, but when wet, that posse's a far greater risk of a prospective accident. After the additional time waiting for the order only again be cancelled. But I did receive a, (my first) shop, super market order, that was a waste of time due to only receiving a quarter of what I originally ordered. was thinking of grabbing my coat and helmet. I would try once more, just after I placed the order, my phone told me that restaurants were unavailable. It didn't surprise me has the sounds of thunder was above with the night sky being lit with flash of lightning, and the rain was pouring, the street outside the apartment was now in full flow, if it was an earlier hour the kids of the neighborhood would be out joyfully playing in the torrent of rain water, I always thought do the youngsters perants think that if the kids play in the fifthly water that is not only falling from the clouds above, but is flowing upward from the flooding wastage pipes, their kids will grow stronger and have a good immune system, or would they come down with an illness, such as typhoid or another waterborne illness. Although I tend to look out for the snake or two that maybe washed from their homes.
All the Indian restaurants were unavailable at the time, so an alternative that I had been wanting to try for sometime was a Middle Eastern Kufta dish, the choice was of Chicken or Beef, and I am partial too Kufta (meatballs). One of my all-time favourite dishes is Kufta Palak (Meatball Spinach). My phone showed that the rider had picked up my order, I was crossing my fingers for him or even her has it seems now many young ladies have joined has delivery riders. Reminds me of the de-miners, the girls are regarded at being better of getting the job done. Anyhow, fingers crossed, to have a safe journey on delivering my food. By now my belly was rumbling, it had been a long time trying to get an order, or rather a delivery. Looking at my phone the rider was now crossing the old Monavong bridge, wouldn't be long now, so I grabbed my mask and money and went outside for a better reception. I didn't want this rider to end up down past me on the dreaded Borry. Yes, many a rider have made that error, but of course it's my fault for not having a street address, so much so Nham stopped delivering too me, another food panda guy ended up down there, wrong location, reported me for not coming out of my apartment too collect my order, the office called me, and of course, they totally blamed me for the rider going to the wrong location. My delivery rider had just pulled up outside and I walked over to him to pay (with good tip) he was wearing a new food panda rain mak, I thanked him and also wished him a safe evening.
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You can see clearly that the dish is not Kufta, but of only a very plain chicken curry, but what the hell, I was hungry. But here is the problem with ordering by food panda, part of the meal may not come, or it's replaced with an alternative.
Always "hope" but never "expect".
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Re: The Curry Club

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It might make for a good new thread, and we can all be wiser from the input. @Andykk, I say you start one on food delivery recommendations, beware of's and illicit some funny, or oddball tales of food delivery in Cambodia.

Yes, that is not Kufta but they served it as if it was and charged for it as if it was so that must make it ok, right? Can't you read the receipt Sir?

Food Panda is a hot mess for sure and I won't bother going into it here but I've also had the management there try to place blame on me whenever they have messed up and that is frustrating. This "script flipping''* method is practiced throughout Cambodia in all areas of life it seems. When they exceed the time they estimate your delivery to take and then they cancel your order or tell you the place is now closed after you thought your food would arrive within 45 minutes and now its time to start over, that's just not an accepted business practice and that will cost them in the long term. Nham 24 is new to me and so far it's been ok, the Nham 24 app is too busy looking to execute without distractions for my taste.

I had another less than average more like failing at adequate meal over in the O'Russey neighborhood while visiting that area over the weekend. That Chicken Tikka Masala suffered from a couple of what I call the cardinal sins for food. #1, The sauce was completely separated as if the oil part was not welcome to the sauce part. They probably refrigerate the sauce and don't make it fresh and then overheat too quickly and for too long. Sin #2:Then they seem to store it in an aluminum pan or container and it reacts against the acids in the curry and the sauce gets funky but not curry tasting. Maybe O'Russey is just not the area for Indian food, certainly not on Street 111, that I have experienced in 2 or 3 tries there across from the Gray house.
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Re: The Curry Club

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bossho wrote: Mon Oct 25, 2021 3:20 am Image



It might make for a good new thread, and we can all be wiser from the input. @Andykk, I say you start one on food delivery recommendations, beware of's and illicit some funny, or oddball tales of food delivery in Cambodia.

Yes, that is not Kufta but they served it as if it was and charged for it as if it was so that must make it ok, right? Can't you read the receipt Sir?

Food Panda is a hot mess for sure and I won't bother going into it here but I've also had the management there try to place blame on me whenever they have messed up and that is frustrating. This "script flipping''* method is practiced throughout Cambodia in all areas of life it seems. When they exceed the time they estimate your delivery to take and then they cancel your order or tell you the place is now closed after you thought your food would arrive within 45 minutes and now its time to start over, that's just not an accepted business practice and that will cost them in the long term. Nham 24 is new to me and so far it's been ok, the Nham 24 app is too busy looking to execute without distractions for my taste.

I had another less than average more like failing at adequate meal over in the O'Russey neighborhood while visiting that area over the weekend. That Chicken Tikka Masala suffered from a couple of what I call the cardinal sins for food. #1, The sauce was completely separated as if the oil part was not welcome to the sauce part. They probably refrigerate the sauce and don't make it fresh and then overheat too quickly and for too long. Sin #2:Then they seem to store it in an aluminum pan or container and it reacts against the acids in the curry and the sauce gets funky but not curry tasting. Maybe O'Russey is just not the area for Indian food, certainly not on Street 111, that I have experienced in 2 or 3 tries there across from the Gray house.
Never set out to say who was good or bad in their food, all have to make a living. If say I had a bad meal, I would not instantly say never again. But there comes a point. The restaurant you mention, l have had good and let's say not so good over past visits.
Always "hope" but never "expect".
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