Flavors of India
158 , Street No 63, Preah Trasak Paem St. (63), Phnom Penh

Service 4/5
Food 4.5/5
Value for money 4.5/5
Ambience 4/5

After reading a lot of recommendations for Flavors of India, I decided to give it a try. Honestly, when I saw the entrance; I was beginning to have doubts, but I had walked more than 2 kilometers in the middle of the day. so there was no returning.



First thing I noticed was how dark it was inside. My eyes are not what they used to be, and I had to use the torch on my phone to read the menu. Not helped by the fact that the descriptions were written in very small letters. Second thing was that the restaurant was very warm, by the time I was eating, I was sweating.



Plenty of staff and this is the first Indian restaurant in PP that I have been to that had a couple of Khmer staff though the order was taken by an Indian gentleman. He did not know the menu and did not really understand me very well. I ended up having to point at each item I was ordering. The menu was mostly the same like in every Indian restaurant in PP; I really would like to find an Indian restaurant that did things a little differently. The one dish that looked a little different was the "Flavors Special Chicken", so I went for that.



I ordered the chicken Samosa as a starter. I specifically asked for the Samosas to come first and only bring the other dishes when I was done. The waiter confirmed this but I knew that was not going to happen when I heard the Chef yelling out the order all at once. It turned out that ordering the Samosas was a mistake as it was four good-sized Samosas. I only managed two as I would not have been able to finish the main course otherwise. The Samosas were tasty if a little dry. I like Samosas that have some vegetables in them to keep them moist. I also think that they should come with some lime, but nobody seems to be doing that in PP. Soem decoration wouldn't have hurt either, as we say in German "they eyes also eat". But overall not bad.






Along with the chicken, I had ordered Dal Tadka, Pulao Rice, Butter Naan and a Banana Lassi. Condiments were the usual pickles, mint sauce, pickled silver onions and tamarind sauce. I am still hoping for a restaurant that has mango chutney, but this does not seem to be a thing here. I was not asked how spicy I would like my food but spice levels were OK, though the Dal could have been a little spicier. The Flavors Special Chicken was really good and I'd go back for that alone. The chicken was very tender and plentiful, in a thick onion and tomato sauce with hard-boiled eggs and dried fruits.



The Dal was very good as well but it came in a veritable bucket and there was no way I was going to finish it. The rice was OK but the Naan was some of the best I have had in PP. All the food came out piping hot, so hot that I burned my fingers on the metal spoon sitting in the Dal. Small price to pay, there cannot be anything worse than cold Indian food.

I did order a Masala tea to finish the meal. It was good but way too sweet, but that is just me. I prefer the Masala tea to come with the sugar on the side. Oh, and the Banana Lassi was very good as well. I will certainly be coming back. I also think that prices are very fair compared to some of the other Indian restaurants I have been to.



On a side note: at one point a few Indian gentlemen came in and had what was obviously the employees lunch. I noticed one gentleman wear a Gorkha Palace shirt and I asked if the restaurants were affiliated but the were very coy about it and wouldn't say.

Indigo Restaurant
#373 Street Sisowath Quay,
FCC building, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Service 3/5
Food 2/5
Value for money 2/5
Ambience 3/5

I walk past this restaurant pretty much every day but last night was the first time I ventured inside. It looks OK from the outside, but the interior is pretty much like every restaurant in Phnom Penh. The restaurant has a solid 5-star rating on Tripadvisor and is ranked #18 out of 1,173 restaurants in Phnom Penh; I was seriously looking forward to a great meal.





Thinks got off to a rocky start when I asked for a cold beer before tackling the menu. A not so friendly Indian lady brought me my can of beer. Her mood did not improve when I told her that the beer was piss warm and that I could not drink it. She offered to give me ice, which I declined and then suggested I opt for a draft beer instead. Fine, but turns out it was bloody warm too.



I got complimentary poppadoms whilst perusing the menu. I did not know it at the time, but they would turn out to be the best part of the meal. Prices were reasonable for an Indian restaurant in this city but the menu was identical to what 95% of the restaurants here.

I was a little curried out and decided to go for the Biryani instead.I guess that is where I made a mistake as it turned out to be outright awful. The chicken once again was precooked chicken Tikka and dry as a dead dingo's donger. I am pretty sure it was not a real Biryani, which is moist as it is cooked with a marinade and steamed, rather than baked. What I got was leftover pulao rice and leftover chicken that was heated. Even generous helpings of raita had no chance of saving the dish.



Very disappointing but I guess I will have to go back. I really want to understand where all this rave reviews are coming form.

Jerry Atrick wrote: ↑Mon Apr 03, 2023 11:47 am

Gazzy wrote: ↑Mon Apr 03, 2023 11:40 am

Doc67 wrote: ↑Mon Apr 03, 2023 11:08 am I know a couple of people who have been to the Indian outlet in Nage2 and the reports are good. The portions are good and the food is fresh and flavorsome.

I have been there once about 3 years ago and it was very nice, and quite cheap but just never gave it another thought again. I might make a lunchtime trip and check it out again.

For me it was the equivalent of a curry in a shopping mall food court.

Hahahaha, I made the mistake of eating Indian from Aeon food court once

Just once

Won't happen again

Went to Naga again. A lamb curry with actual lamb in it, which is a rarity in these parts. It's a small portion but plenty of meat and a nice flavour. Comes with a small side of veg curry and some very hot chapatis. $5 all in. Perfect for a light lunch.

Free water too if you ask for it. The bottled stuff is $1.

Show me one place in PP where you can get genuine lamb curry (not goat, buffalo or other mystery meat), plus freshly cooked breads and a veg curry side, all for a fiver.

Perfect air conditioning, everything spotless, kitchen on show, no rats or cockroaches in sight...

(I started before I took the photo, so yes, it was filled to the top.)

Gazzy wrote: ↑Sat Apr 15, 2023 10:58 am The staff are usually Indian so no excuse however perhaps not fresh produce as markets are closed. Could just be a crap restaurant.

Yes, all Indian staff, like almost all Indian restaurants here. I am not sure it is a lack of produce; they just do not know how to make a Biryani.