Thursday, May 3, 2007Culture clash isn't on menu
By Aaron Beck
COLUMBUS DISPATCH (Ohio, USA)
Almost 10,000 miles separate Mexico and Cambodia, but a West Side restaurant unites the countries in one colorful and cozy room.
At Lindo Mexico and Cambodia, where full-size flags of the nations battle for attention on opposite walls, enchiladas share the menu with curried eggplant.
Two televisions show muted Mexican soap operas and soccer games, while smooth jazz provides a soundtrack for diners seated at aqua booths (seven), barstools (four) or glass tables covered in white tablecloths (four).
An always-smiling Sypha Ham greets customers: "How are you, dear? Sit, sit."
At the table, the mood turns Mexican when Ham produces a red plastic bowl of tortilla chips and three salsas: hot, hotter, hottest.
From there, free will reigns: Will you go to Cambodia or Mexico for your breakfast, lunch or dinner?
Can’t decide? There’s always Cam-Mex.
Lindo boasts more than 80 Cambodian and Mexican entrees, along with appetizers, soups and drinks. Diners uncomfortable with the vast array might try closing their eyes and pointing at the menu.
Such a tactic assumes, of course, that one’s mind is open to, say, samlor chnaang pleung: pork-and-seafood soup with mushrooms, pork skin and fish ball (and optional pork liver and intestines).
My supper party recently concocted this: an entire deepfried red snapper covered with the "chef’s special sweet-and-sour chili sauce"; chicken enchiladas; a Big Gulp portion of shrimp cocktail; fried fish cakes; rice-paper rolls with cooked pork; a skinless catfish; and, of course, an order of guacamole.
When Cambodian refugees Ely and Sypha Ham and Mexican emigrant Demetrio Hernandez opened Lindo (or "pretty") in 2002, they created the menu with their respective homespun recipes.
Chef Hernandez has since returned to his homeland, and the Hams’ 27-year-old son, Eliya, leads the cooking brigade.
Mexican standards — enchiladas, tacos, burritos — sell best on the Mexican side of the menu, Eliya said, and ginger-and-green-onion stir-fries and pan-fried noodle dishes top the Cambodian side.
Before long, he said, Lindo Mexico and Cambodia might have to put another country in the restaurant name.
"This summer, we’re adding pizza fries and chicken baskets to the menu."
abeck@dispatch.com
At Lindo Mexico and Cambodia, where full-size flags of the nations battle for attention on opposite walls, enchiladas share the menu with curried eggplant.
Two televisions show muted Mexican soap operas and soccer games, while smooth jazz provides a soundtrack for diners seated at aqua booths (seven), barstools (four) or glass tables covered in white tablecloths (four).
An always-smiling Sypha Ham greets customers: "How are you, dear? Sit, sit."
At the table, the mood turns Mexican when Ham produces a red plastic bowl of tortilla chips and three salsas: hot, hotter, hottest.
From there, free will reigns: Will you go to Cambodia or Mexico for your breakfast, lunch or dinner?
Can’t decide? There’s always Cam-Mex.
Lindo boasts more than 80 Cambodian and Mexican entrees, along with appetizers, soups and drinks. Diners uncomfortable with the vast array might try closing their eyes and pointing at the menu.
Such a tactic assumes, of course, that one’s mind is open to, say, samlor chnaang pleung: pork-and-seafood soup with mushrooms, pork skin and fish ball (and optional pork liver and intestines).
My supper party recently concocted this: an entire deepfried red snapper covered with the "chef’s special sweet-and-sour chili sauce"; chicken enchiladas; a Big Gulp portion of shrimp cocktail; fried fish cakes; rice-paper rolls with cooked pork; a skinless catfish; and, of course, an order of guacamole.
When Cambodian refugees Ely and Sypha Ham and Mexican emigrant Demetrio Hernandez opened Lindo (or "pretty") in 2002, they created the menu with their respective homespun recipes.
Chef Hernandez has since returned to his homeland, and the Hams’ 27-year-old son, Eliya, leads the cooking brigade.
Mexican standards — enchiladas, tacos, burritos — sell best on the Mexican side of the menu, Eliya said, and ginger-and-green-onion stir-fries and pan-fried noodle dishes top the Cambodian side.
Before long, he said, Lindo Mexico and Cambodia might have to put another country in the restaurant name.
"This summer, we’re adding pizza fries and chicken baskets to the menu."
abeck@dispatch.com
12 comments:
Should we say fantastico! and latin music w/ Khmer's music?
Selena ? Jennifer Lopez? MarC Anthony? Enrique Eglessia? or Ricky Matin's Combination? Oh Ricky! where are you?
Your match makes in Heaven is waiting!
Ricky Martin's latest Album " Unplugged " is superb. Imagine that it would do to enrich Khmer's music or us to help enriching his music or his creation. CAMBODIA LOVES YOU RICKY MARTIN!!!!
So we have two things in common: The love of food & music. Such comparable quality is very hard to find. It would no thurt to try it out. The sound of Khmers'musics need to reach Latin's music artists ears by someone. We hope that it will get to our biggest favorite artist " Mr. Martin ".
We already have the "cha cha cha",
"mambo", ... . Don't need anymore.
You got that, Ah stupid Khmer-Gringoes?
to 5:09 AM
We already have the "cha cha cha",
"mambo", ... . Don't need anymore.
You got that, Ah stupid Youns?
It is such a shame that some people cann't experience any pleasure or stuck in the same spot forever. They probably have some kind of disorders. Thanks 5:19p.m
1 2 3 alez! alez!!!!! " The cup of life!".
5:09 is Anhedonia Communist.
Our dreams of a life time is an afternoon w/ Ricky Martin and his grand piano or his music studio.
Bopha & Apirak
No thank, I prefered to stick with
Jintara Poonlab (Thai's country
music star). Anyone have ever heard
of her?
Nop.
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