At Sophy's Thai and Cambodian, Choose the Latter
Sure, you could order the pad Thai, but why would you?
Thursday, Mar 4 2010
By EDWIN GOEI
OC Metro (Orange County, California, USA)
Long Beach’s Anaheim Street is to Cambodians what OC’s Bolsa Avenue is to Vietnamese. And for close to eight years, one of the most successful and beloved restaurants there was Sophy’s Thai and Cambodian. But in late 2008—a year after the largest community of Khmers outside Southeast Asia finally got city officials to designate them as the country’s first Cambodia Town—Sophy’s was forced to move out. Its landlord refused to renew the lease.
But luck and pluck have always characterized owner Sophy Khut and her crew. About the same time they were serving the last meal at the original location, she’d already gotten a new place ready to pick up where the old one had left off. Yes, it was seven blocks removed from her old hood, but in this building, recently vacated by a Chinese buffet, there would be four times the space. More important, it had its own parking lot. There would be no more tow-truck threats for those who couldn’t snag one of four designated spots at the old locale.
Of course, that doesn’t mean parking is now plentiful. The new lot is usually packed on weekend nights with the cars of the regulars who followed Sophy’s from Anaheim Street, as well as some newcomers.
This location is more accessible for those who might have been intimidated by the depths of Anaheim Street. Also there’s the “Thai” part in the restaurant’s name; it serves as a jumping-off point, simultaneously a license to explore and also insurance that should things get too weird and exotic, you can always order pad Thai.
It’s not much of a stretch. Thailand does share a border with Cambodia, and the cuisines naturally have some commonalities. But make no mistake: Sophy’s roots are Khmer. It is arguably more faithful to its food culture than other Cambodia Town restaurants, which mostly mix in Chinese dishes for the purpose of hosting wedding banquets.
I would be lying, however, if I didn’t say I used its Thai designation to sell it to friends who wouldn’t have otherwise schlepped to Long Beach for a cuisine they knew nothing about. Only when we arrived did I add, “Oh, yeah, it’s Thai and Cambodian.”
My plan was to ease them into the Khmer dishes so gradually that by the second trip, I would get them to try the wince-inducing sadao plant, a quintessentially, notoriously Khmer ingredient.
But that first night, I threw them softballs. We started with the minced chicken larb, a faithful rendition of the Thai dish you already know, perky from lime juice and fenced in by raw cabbage wedges. Next, there was an eggplant, ground pork and pepper stir-fry that married its purple, brown and red colors as well as it did its flavors. Banh cheo—a turmeric-yellow crepe made from beaten egg folded over sautéed bean sprouts—impressed, but only if you haven’t had the crispier Vietnamese version at Brodard in Garden Grove.
On the second trip, I convinced them it was the crabmeat-flecked chan pu they wanted, not the pad Thai. The first strand of noodle we slurped zapped our tongues with electricity. The dish is very pale yet very hot—kind of like Anne Hathaway.
By the time they tore up Sophy’s Cambodian beef jerky into ragged strips, they’d forgotten all about the Thai. These peppery, crispy, deep-fried logs of meat—twisty and thick enough to rig a sailboat—have always been one of Sophy’s most popular dishes. The Chinese broccoli with crispy pork should also be a big seller, if it’s not already. The trick, though, is to eat all the fried-to-crunchy pork-belly pieces immediately; wait too long, and their soak in the gravy turns them into inedible leather.
It was a soup called somlaw machu kreoung that finally sold my tablemates on Khmer food. “This is better than tom kha gai,” one proclaimed, his mouth crammed with a heaping spoonful of its tender beef, Chinese watercress and tiny Thai eggplants. And it certainly is—at the very least, it’s more complex. This is the differential calculus to tom kha gai’s algebra. Most of its depth is due to the spice paste from which it takes its name. Kreoung is the distinctly Khmer formula consisting mainly of ground lemongrass, galangal and turmeric. The latter gives the liquid its yellow, curry-like hue, while the rest contributes to its lemony zest. Every sip is almost too intense by half and as nourishing as the Tonlé Sap.
And when we finally arrived at the sadao plant—which was meant to offset the bottom-dwelling muddiness of the baked catfish—they were already game. Without added encouragement, one plucked a small bud and placed it in his mouth. Almost instantly, his face imploded into a pucker. The plant looked as demure as baby’s breath, but it packed a knee-buckling quinine astringency that he said, “tasted like evil.”
“That’s okay,” I said with a chuckle. “I still can’t quite palate that stuff myself.”
Sophy’s Thai and Cambodian, 3240 E. Pacific Coast Hwy., Long Beach, (562) 494-1763. Open daily, 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Entrées, $7.95-$13.95. Beer and wine.
This review appeared in print as "Choice Sophy’s: Sure, you could go the safe route and order the pad Thai, but the best stuff at Sophy’s Thai and Cambodian is Khmer all the way."
But luck and pluck have always characterized owner Sophy Khut and her crew. About the same time they were serving the last meal at the original location, she’d already gotten a new place ready to pick up where the old one had left off. Yes, it was seven blocks removed from her old hood, but in this building, recently vacated by a Chinese buffet, there would be four times the space. More important, it had its own parking lot. There would be no more tow-truck threats for those who couldn’t snag one of four designated spots at the old locale.
Of course, that doesn’t mean parking is now plentiful. The new lot is usually packed on weekend nights with the cars of the regulars who followed Sophy’s from Anaheim Street, as well as some newcomers.
This location is more accessible for those who might have been intimidated by the depths of Anaheim Street. Also there’s the “Thai” part in the restaurant’s name; it serves as a jumping-off point, simultaneously a license to explore and also insurance that should things get too weird and exotic, you can always order pad Thai.
It’s not much of a stretch. Thailand does share a border with Cambodia, and the cuisines naturally have some commonalities. But make no mistake: Sophy’s roots are Khmer. It is arguably more faithful to its food culture than other Cambodia Town restaurants, which mostly mix in Chinese dishes for the purpose of hosting wedding banquets.
I would be lying, however, if I didn’t say I used its Thai designation to sell it to friends who wouldn’t have otherwise schlepped to Long Beach for a cuisine they knew nothing about. Only when we arrived did I add, “Oh, yeah, it’s Thai and Cambodian.”
My plan was to ease them into the Khmer dishes so gradually that by the second trip, I would get them to try the wince-inducing sadao plant, a quintessentially, notoriously Khmer ingredient.
But that first night, I threw them softballs. We started with the minced chicken larb, a faithful rendition of the Thai dish you already know, perky from lime juice and fenced in by raw cabbage wedges. Next, there was an eggplant, ground pork and pepper stir-fry that married its purple, brown and red colors as well as it did its flavors. Banh cheo—a turmeric-yellow crepe made from beaten egg folded over sautéed bean sprouts—impressed, but only if you haven’t had the crispier Vietnamese version at Brodard in Garden Grove.
On the second trip, I convinced them it was the crabmeat-flecked chan pu they wanted, not the pad Thai. The first strand of noodle we slurped zapped our tongues with electricity. The dish is very pale yet very hot—kind of like Anne Hathaway.
By the time they tore up Sophy’s Cambodian beef jerky into ragged strips, they’d forgotten all about the Thai. These peppery, crispy, deep-fried logs of meat—twisty and thick enough to rig a sailboat—have always been one of Sophy’s most popular dishes. The Chinese broccoli with crispy pork should also be a big seller, if it’s not already. The trick, though, is to eat all the fried-to-crunchy pork-belly pieces immediately; wait too long, and their soak in the gravy turns them into inedible leather.
It was a soup called somlaw machu kreoung that finally sold my tablemates on Khmer food. “This is better than tom kha gai,” one proclaimed, his mouth crammed with a heaping spoonful of its tender beef, Chinese watercress and tiny Thai eggplants. And it certainly is—at the very least, it’s more complex. This is the differential calculus to tom kha gai’s algebra. Most of its depth is due to the spice paste from which it takes its name. Kreoung is the distinctly Khmer formula consisting mainly of ground lemongrass, galangal and turmeric. The latter gives the liquid its yellow, curry-like hue, while the rest contributes to its lemony zest. Every sip is almost too intense by half and as nourishing as the Tonlé Sap.
And when we finally arrived at the sadao plant—which was meant to offset the bottom-dwelling muddiness of the baked catfish—they were already game. Without added encouragement, one plucked a small bud and placed it in his mouth. Almost instantly, his face imploded into a pucker. The plant looked as demure as baby’s breath, but it packed a knee-buckling quinine astringency that he said, “tasted like evil.”
“That’s okay,” I said with a chuckle. “I still can’t quite palate that stuff myself.”
Sophy’s Thai and Cambodian, 3240 E. Pacific Coast Hwy., Long Beach, (562) 494-1763. Open daily, 9 a.m.-10 p.m. Entrées, $7.95-$13.95. Beer and wine.
This review appeared in print as "Choice Sophy’s: Sure, you could go the safe route and order the pad Thai, but the best stuff at Sophy’s Thai and Cambodian is Khmer all the way."
24 comments:
I hope her hands are washes and cleans properly...you know? After holding that thannnnnnnnng....
Bitch can't cook...
Vietnamese cook the best foods...homey!
Ha...ha.... you wish 2:22!
Everyone that knows flavor prefers Kuy-tieu over PHO : )
Trei Chau Restaurant, in Westminster, their most popular noodle dish is hu-tieu Nam Vang, which is a Viet word for Phnom Penh noodle!
Yuon trolling on KI Media!
Get lost, you already stole all of the Mekong Delta already, get off our site. YOu guys are so jealous and greedy!
Yo! i never tired eating this shit fool...Hu Tieu Phnom penh? damn, it's good stuff dude!
2:21 and 2:22 are posted by the same Yuon troll!!!
They always try to take away our accomplishments and make it their own! What do they have, Nuoc Mam isn't even theirs, it was invented by Khmer Krom people and they just loved it so much and tried to take credit for it!
Khmers can't cook...ya know i'm saying?
At least, our language doesn't sound like there are two deaf people talking! LOL
I feel so bad, but it's so true!
I'm sorry I have to tell you the truth : )
Actually, Anonymous Yuon Troll..., I can't understand what you're saying, homey, dawg or whatever hood-urban nomenclature you prefer. So lemme put it in the way you'd understand, fool. 'Dis our food homey, and you best recognize it like the stank breath you accumulate after eat your du ma's nuoc cham (which you 'borrowed', like many other cuisines from our khmer krom culture') - homey, you bettah face it homey, you eatin' khmer food all this time. If we can't cook, then very well. At least we can speak with proper grammar and english unlike you! HOW YOU LIKE THAT? YOU VIET FOB! http://vietworldkitchen.typepad.com/blog/2007/11/hu-tieu-nam-van.html EVEN YO VIET KITCHEN WEBSITE KNOWS THIS! STEP OFF HOMEY!
Long Beach is to KHMAI is Little Phnom Penh.
Orange County is to YUON is Little Saigon.
hope she is helping to promote khmer food overseas, not just siem food, really!
I will go there and try out the food.
I took my Mom there two weeks ago to have some Somloh Mchou Kreung ... 48 hours later I got sick (a nasty cold). My Mom later called me and told me she was sick too. This restaurant is dirty... I will never go back!
Everyone should support our brothers and sisters who are trying to make a name for Khmer cuisine. I just wish this restaurant would drop the "Thai" in the name of it's restaurant.
correction= its restaurant
I don't get it: Why the Thai name when mostly the foods are of Khmer origin.
i know, siem are greedy bastard, always claim khmer food to be theirs, they even called khmer tropical fruits as thai fruits and thai this or thai that! how pathetic they are, really! shame on them for hogging all the names to fool the world. however, i think the world is now educated the know better than to believe siem's greed, really!
See! like i said, Khmers can't cook fool..! dude just got sick like a dawg....ya know i'm saying?
I love, love Khmer cuisine! I think that the seasoning and the flavoring used is hands-down a culinary masterpiece!I have Filipino friends and white friends and they could't believe how delicious Khmer cuisine is and was upset that I didn't share with them sooner! They are addicted to Kuy-Tieu and Samlor Machu-Kreung! They always want me to take them to Cambodian restaurants when we go out!
I like Khmer cuisine.
Sophy's, however, is not the best place for Khmer food in Long Beach. Me too I got sick from eating there. No more Sophy's for me.
i heard this place SUCKSSSSSSSSSSSS.....TO MUCH VINEGAR....................HOW THE FUCK YOU GONNA BE KHMER AND HAVE A KHMER RESTAURANT AND HAVE THE WORD THAI AT THE BEGINING OF YOUR RESTAURANTS NAME...............AND FUCK PAD THAI THAT SHIT SUCKS, I RATHER EAT CUP O NOODLES
A tip for Sophy, you might have to modernize our food a little bit in America. Authenthic Cambodian food in the west can be very scary. As you may know American syetem aren't as strong as we are. You and I can eat Prahok and it will be fine. We use to it. Our immune system had built itself up to handle it. They cann't. That would mean eating a whole sh.t load of dead or alive cultures almost. American would probably find those in their vacines. So if they eat it, they are more likely to get sick. Just like having a flu shot. Some will be o.k and some will get the flu itself. It shouldn't be that way, but you'll never know. Some may just weak and they cann't make it. This proves so true that only few Cambodian can really open a restaurant in America or in Europe. A sweet shop may be. There are plently of Cambodian tasty deserts that someone may like to try out. Just so you know, the rather most popular desert in Cambodia calls Saray or Saray ktish is based on agar. Agar is used in American laboratoty to grow culture. I almost stop making it altogether nowaday and because of that. Prefer eating intead orange or strawberry jello gelletin instead. Thai food or restaurant are o.k, because American love sweet and thai foods, some are like eating sugar. Vietnamese food, I eat their sandwiches and noodles and stuff sometimes and they seem to be alright, but go into their restaurant? Nop. The odor of Tek trey and everything else make it smells like an under arm's pitt. Would you like to eat in a place that smells like an under arm's pitt? So chose our ingredient carefully and absolutely avoid fermented meat, if at all possible and there are plantly of delicious Cambodian dishes that can be cooked without fermented meat of any kind. Good luck!
P.S
Samlor machou can be done by brown chop chicken without the skin and drain the fat out ( Cambodian like fish and that is fine too ). Adding hot boiling water just enough to cover it and adding tamarin , salt and sugar to taste. To produce better flavor, you can use sea food like shrimp or lobster to enchance its taste and any veggetable of your choise. Think American enjoy eating eat okra tomato and squash. Add some of those to create similarity and less scary to strange stuff. Don't be afraid of being expensive. Just charge more and create better taste or up grading our Khmer cuisine. " Better food comes from better ingredient " same with interior design and everything else.
Battambang
To the "Somloh Mchou Kreung ... 48 hours later..i got sick" person:
are you sure didn't sit next to someone who had the cold? you make no sense.
Post a Comment