A closer look at the Lok LakParadise Grill takes you on a culinary trip down the Mekong River
by Anthony Medrano / 04-19-2006
Honolulu Weekly (Hawaii)
There’s a homey ambiance that welcomes you as you step into the spacious new restaurant at Puck’s Alley called Paradise Grill. On the left wall is a beautiful painting of Angkor Wat, from which Bayon, the full-faced Buddha, greets you with a smile. Arowana swim around in a giant aquarium, fresh orchids are everywhere and soft, warm lights glow from above.
Serena Dos and Ratha Deth, along with Ratha’s brother and sister Anthony and Monica opened Paradise Grill in February, reinventing High Tide Café sports bar. The new Southeast Asian restaurant offers Khmer (Cambodian), Lao (the food is Lao, the people are Lao, the country is Laos), Thai and Vietnamese cuisine. This is the family’s first restaurant, and their enthusiasm to share their Cambodian culture is evident in their willingness to give you the cultural breakdown of each dish.
The menu is a Southeast Asian fusion that in many ways reflects the Mekong River as it weaves across the diverse region. The people who live on the Mekong—whether in Laos, Thailand, Cambodia or Vietnam—have developed culinary styles unique to their home along the river. Laos, for example, is known for its lahb. Along with papaya salad and Black Velvet whiskey, it’s a festival favorite. The Lao lahb ($6.95), enhanced by a powerful dose of fish sauce, is a traditional salad of minced beef or chicken mixed with mint, cilantro, lemon, scallions and shallots. It’s served with a side of sliced cucumbers and fresh cabbage. The secret to this dish is to use the cabbage leaves as wrappers for pinching the lahb (and for offsetting its sharp flavor).
Drifting further down the Mekong, buildings appear along the banks, the Kip changes to the Baht, and curries take the culinary spotlight. Paradise Grill offers a choice of red, green, yellow, masman or Panang curry. One of their Thai specialties is the spicy green curry with shrimp ($6.95 individual/$14.95 family). It’s not too thick, very creamy and rich in taste—with a mosaic of textures and distinct flavors contributed by the eggplant, bamboo shoots, shrimp and mushrooms. According to finance-turned-Asian studies graduate student Craig Guzinsky, it’s one of the best curries he’s had since he left Southeast Asia last August.
Heading south on the Mekong to Cambodia, the shores are marked by limestone cliffs and Hindu remnants of the 9th-century Angkorian kingdom. Of the Khmer dishes on the menu, the traditional Amok ($6.95), a basa fillet (similar to sea bass) marinated in Khmer spices and coconut milk and steamed in banana leaves, is the undisputed highlight. This is one you’ll order every time—the ginger, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves strengthen the essence of the fish in coconut milk without overpowering its subtleties.
Two other recommended Khmer dishes include the Cambodian Salad ($5.95 chicken/$6.95 shrimp) and the Lok Lak ($5.95). The Cambodian Salad is a true Khmer dish with fresh cabbage, shredded carrots, sliced red and green bell peppers, bean sprouts, shallots, basil, roasted peanuts and long rice—with either shrimp or chicken. In contrast, the Lok Lak is a beef salad that has few vegetables—namely sliced cucumber, onions and lettuce. The beef is sautéed in a homemade gravy and then served in a Khmer sour black bean pepper sauce with a side of jasmine or sticky rice.
To complement a rice or noodle dish, try the Samlor Maju ($12.95 chicken/$15.95 fish, prawn or lobster). The Cambodian sweet and sour soup, which comprises lotus rootlet, pineapple, squash and tomato, is simmered in a seasoned house stock and served in a fancy hotpot. The medley of colors is appealing to the eye, and the freshness of the ingredients is satisfying to the soul.
Finally entering the Mekong Delta, the river explodes into many tributaries with lively, productive Vietnamese villages peppering each one. A favorite specialty is banh xeo—a version of which appears on the menu as Cambodian Crepes ($6.95 individual/$13.95 family). A meal in itself, the egg crepes are filled with seasoned ground chicken, bean sprouts and onions. What sets this crepe apart from others is the sweetness of coconut milk. Point to the lettuce and mint, and ask Ratha how you should eat it.
Keeping prices affordable, much of the produce comes from their family farm on the North Shore. In many ways, Serena and Ratha welcome guests to Paradise Grill as if it’s their home: You’ll find people sitting leisurely around the big tables eating and having lively conversations about their most recent travels or the latest Southeast Asian film shown at the university. Or you might catch their 6-year-old daughter Aeris pulling tricks on her skateboard.
It’s BYOB until they get their liquor license, and there’s a pool table and a dart board, too. (And a karaoke machine that plays nonstop Khmer pop songs.) Incidentally, Ratha’s brother Rina is an ethnomusicologist who plays all of the traditional instruments that you see around the restaurant. Expect to see him playing on Friday and Saturday nights, adding to the culinary experience. After all, music and food are great ways to learn about a culture. So it may not be exactly the same as dining at a small café in Phnom Penh or at a riverside nook in Savannakhet, but Paradise Grill succeeds in bringing the essence of the Mekong to the foodscape of Honolulu.
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Paradise Grill
2600 S. King Street (949-5158)
Hours: Tues–Sat 11am–10pm, Sun 5–10pm Entrees: $5.95–15.95 Recommended dishes: Amok, Thai Green Curry with shrimp, Somlor Maju, Cambodian Crepes Payment: Presently cash only, soon to accept major credit cards
Serena Dos and Ratha Deth, along with Ratha’s brother and sister Anthony and Monica opened Paradise Grill in February, reinventing High Tide Café sports bar. The new Southeast Asian restaurant offers Khmer (Cambodian), Lao (the food is Lao, the people are Lao, the country is Laos), Thai and Vietnamese cuisine. This is the family’s first restaurant, and their enthusiasm to share their Cambodian culture is evident in their willingness to give you the cultural breakdown of each dish.
The menu is a Southeast Asian fusion that in many ways reflects the Mekong River as it weaves across the diverse region. The people who live on the Mekong—whether in Laos, Thailand, Cambodia or Vietnam—have developed culinary styles unique to their home along the river. Laos, for example, is known for its lahb. Along with papaya salad and Black Velvet whiskey, it’s a festival favorite. The Lao lahb ($6.95), enhanced by a powerful dose of fish sauce, is a traditional salad of minced beef or chicken mixed with mint, cilantro, lemon, scallions and shallots. It’s served with a side of sliced cucumbers and fresh cabbage. The secret to this dish is to use the cabbage leaves as wrappers for pinching the lahb (and for offsetting its sharp flavor).
Drifting further down the Mekong, buildings appear along the banks, the Kip changes to the Baht, and curries take the culinary spotlight. Paradise Grill offers a choice of red, green, yellow, masman or Panang curry. One of their Thai specialties is the spicy green curry with shrimp ($6.95 individual/$14.95 family). It’s not too thick, very creamy and rich in taste—with a mosaic of textures and distinct flavors contributed by the eggplant, bamboo shoots, shrimp and mushrooms. According to finance-turned-Asian studies graduate student Craig Guzinsky, it’s one of the best curries he’s had since he left Southeast Asia last August.
Heading south on the Mekong to Cambodia, the shores are marked by limestone cliffs and Hindu remnants of the 9th-century Angkorian kingdom. Of the Khmer dishes on the menu, the traditional Amok ($6.95), a basa fillet (similar to sea bass) marinated in Khmer spices and coconut milk and steamed in banana leaves, is the undisputed highlight. This is one you’ll order every time—the ginger, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves strengthen the essence of the fish in coconut milk without overpowering its subtleties.
Two other recommended Khmer dishes include the Cambodian Salad ($5.95 chicken/$6.95 shrimp) and the Lok Lak ($5.95). The Cambodian Salad is a true Khmer dish with fresh cabbage, shredded carrots, sliced red and green bell peppers, bean sprouts, shallots, basil, roasted peanuts and long rice—with either shrimp or chicken. In contrast, the Lok Lak is a beef salad that has few vegetables—namely sliced cucumber, onions and lettuce. The beef is sautéed in a homemade gravy and then served in a Khmer sour black bean pepper sauce with a side of jasmine or sticky rice.
To complement a rice or noodle dish, try the Samlor Maju ($12.95 chicken/$15.95 fish, prawn or lobster). The Cambodian sweet and sour soup, which comprises lotus rootlet, pineapple, squash and tomato, is simmered in a seasoned house stock and served in a fancy hotpot. The medley of colors is appealing to the eye, and the freshness of the ingredients is satisfying to the soul.
Finally entering the Mekong Delta, the river explodes into many tributaries with lively, productive Vietnamese villages peppering each one. A favorite specialty is banh xeo—a version of which appears on the menu as Cambodian Crepes ($6.95 individual/$13.95 family). A meal in itself, the egg crepes are filled with seasoned ground chicken, bean sprouts and onions. What sets this crepe apart from others is the sweetness of coconut milk. Point to the lettuce and mint, and ask Ratha how you should eat it.
Keeping prices affordable, much of the produce comes from their family farm on the North Shore. In many ways, Serena and Ratha welcome guests to Paradise Grill as if it’s their home: You’ll find people sitting leisurely around the big tables eating and having lively conversations about their most recent travels or the latest Southeast Asian film shown at the university. Or you might catch their 6-year-old daughter Aeris pulling tricks on her skateboard.
It’s BYOB until they get their liquor license, and there’s a pool table and a dart board, too. (And a karaoke machine that plays nonstop Khmer pop songs.) Incidentally, Ratha’s brother Rina is an ethnomusicologist who plays all of the traditional instruments that you see around the restaurant. Expect to see him playing on Friday and Saturday nights, adding to the culinary experience. After all, music and food are great ways to learn about a culture. So it may not be exactly the same as dining at a small café in Phnom Penh or at a riverside nook in Savannakhet, but Paradise Grill succeeds in bringing the essence of the Mekong to the foodscape of Honolulu.
----------------------------------------------
Paradise Grill
2600 S. King Street (949-5158)
Hours: Tues–Sat 11am–10pm, Sun 5–10pm Entrees: $5.95–15.95 Recommended dishes: Amok, Thai Green Curry with shrimp, Somlor Maju, Cambodian Crepes Payment: Presently cash only, soon to accept major credit cards
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