Indian Delight: Best Damn Tikka Masala in Cambodia (and other stuff)

Indian Delight

115e0, Sisowath Quay

023 724 885

Phnom Penh

I'm an Indian food snob. I lived in Bangalore for six months back in 2008 and went back in 2010: I'm no fan of the uber-heavy, cream-rich Muhgali food that's favored outside the Subcontinent. However, I was very happy to discover India Delight on Sisowath Quay, which turns out Indian food much closer to the non-coronary-inducing masalas and curries I remember from India. They even pay attention when you ask for your food spicy. Furthermore, there isn't a heady layer of grease hanging over everything you order.

I find chicken tikka masala way too rich the way most places make it, but Indian Delight's version is just about akin to crack for me. You know what this stuff is (hint: it was invented in Britain) but I'll describe it again: pieces of roasted tandoori chicken cooked in a very spicy, slightly creamy sauce with a profusion of fresh spices. This is definitely the tastiest tikka masala I've had - hell, ever, I think - and it's only $5.00. I sometimes wish I could just eat this for lunch every day. It's especially good with the yellow rice peas pulao they serve here, which has a bit of saffron in it.

There's also a rich version of vindaloo, the Portugese-inspired Goa dish of curried chicken with plenty of vinegar and meat, as well as potatoes. My boyfriend is rather fond of the stuff and orders it regularly. I haven't ordered it myself - the tikka masala has its siren song - but it's decent stuff.

There's also excellent aloo gobi, which an be ordered dry or "wet," same question they ask you in India, which I always appreciate. i rather prefer the "dry" stir-fried stuff most of the time. This was again excellent, with a lot of interesting flavors and not-too-limp cauliflower.

It's tragic that most Westerners find okra "icky." Being of Louisiana and Southern extraction, I love okra and grew up on the stuff, and I really love okra curry. Incorporating the same excellent masala that is a hall-mark of India Delight, this is one of the best versions I've encountered. Reminded me of a particularly fabulous restaurant I used to frequent in Bangalore.

Mixed vegetable masala - a little buttery, quite good. The "subzi" often take a back-seat to meat curries in the minds of most but to me are rather integral.

Indian Delight also does lovely "mixed" lime sodas - salty and sweet - and owns a lovely espresso machine. It's by far my favorite Indian restaurant in Phnom Penh, and is one of the best I've frequented outside of India. The friendly service and the pleasantly quiet (other than the occasional Hindi ballad) dining room make for additional pluses, as do the reasonable prices. Set "thali" meals are around $4, while Happy Hour seems to last just about all day, with draft beer included.

I'd put Indian Delight at the top of your list if you're hankering for Indian food in Cambodia.

Nahm Bangok: Thai Food by an Aussie? Trust Me.

Nahm Bangkok
Metropolitan Hotel, South Sathorn Road
Tungmahamek, Sathorn, Bangkok
+662 625 3388

World's gone insane when an Australian has one of the most popular Thai restaurants in Bangkok, right?

David Thompson is, occasionally, tongue-in-cheek referenced as the guy who "invented" modern Thai cuisine. He opened Nahm in Bangkok after winning a Michelin star for his restaurant in London - and immediately inserted his foot into his mouth by saying that Thai cuisine was "decaying," drawing the ire of many Bangkok residents.

But he's not a fly-by-night faux Thai chef either. Thompson speaks fluent Thai, appears to have done some interesting research into historical recipes that no one else was willing to do, and is committed to taking a stab at the real-deal when it comes to Thai cooking. (He's in the kitchen, too! We totally saw him!)

Nahm is set in a small and minimalist dining room in the painfully chic Metropolitan Hotel. It's an intimate and quiet space. The tables are a little long, which is good for holding a ton of food but necessitates a bit of shouting while conducting hushed, witty, dinner conversations. The clientele seems to be composed of slightly hip foodies on vacation and rich Bangkokites out for a subdued yet upscale meal. It's all very quiet, which is refreshing if you've spent a bit of time eating primarily out of Thai food carts and quick-nosh joints and are becoming sick of negotiation, chain smoking, and Thai soap operas.

You can order ala carte. Or you can partake in Nahm's set menu for the entire table, for about $50 a person give-or-take. You get a sampler of appetizers and a selection from each piece of the menu - one salad, one stir-fry, one curry - with a separate soup and dessert for each person. I'd suggest this option. Most people take it.



A small opening salvo. This appeared to consist of a sweet and savory type of confit on top of a cracker. It was also aesthetically pleasing. I am eternally grateful to restaurants with good lighting.



A selection of canapes, served on Thailand's ubiquitious crunchy rice crackers. I liked the rich boiled quail-egg in confluence with a dollop of umami-rich shrimp paste.



I really enjoyed the grilled mussel skewers, prepared betwen two sticks as most grilled-stuff in this country is. Spicy, smoky chili-heavy marinade.



Grilled prawns with pomelo, wrapped in a betel nut leaf? Yes, please. I'm a big pomelo fan. Like all pomelo salads, it's a very interesting intersection between sweet, spicy, and savory. I also like the underlying flavor of betel leaf. Wish these were more commonly used.



My mom ordered a Pimms Cup in a fit of colonialist feeling. They have a pretty wide selection of creative fruity cocktails. There's also wine. I had prosecco. For some perverse reason, I really like prosecco with Thai food.



A clear and delicate crab and snake gourd soup with egg. A very mild flavor. Went nicely with the big set of courses, though I found it a bit odd that they brought the soup out along with all the other stuff included on the set menu - gave it potential to get chilly if you're not a voraciously fast eater like yours truly. My mom picked the roast duck soup, which was rich and intense. Made me think of my usual breakfast when I'm spending time in the big city.



Scallop yam - this is a classic Thai-style seafood salad with a bunch of fresh herbs and onion. This was quite tasty. The scallop's creamy, intrinsic meatiness goes very well with fresh herbs and a dollop of crunchy onion. These are not subtle salads, but they are unequivocally delicious and refreshing. Sort of a breath freshener.



This is a Northern Thai-type relish, involving a peanut-and-chili dip, cut fruit and vegetable sticks, and fried soft-shell-crab. Relishes/dips like this are a bit hard to parse out for the Western among us, but are a nice complement to a full meal like this one. It's a good concept. The soft-shell crab was fried to the approximate texture of a potato chip, which was delightful.



Stir-fried fish dumplings with pak wan, a tasty Southeast Asian green. (There are a LOT of varieties of Southeast-Asian-green-thing). I liked the delicate fish dumplings in combination with the greens. It's a good dish, albeit not an incredibly refined one. Then again, refined isn't really the point of Nahm, as Thompson himself would tell you - it's about interpreting and using old Thai recipes. Some may object to this philosophy when dropping down $50 bucks a head on dinner in an otherwise remarkably budget-friendly city, but, personally, I can work with it.



The Massaman curry was very rich and very filling, as Massaman ought to be. I like the thick, dense flavor of cinnamon here - the spicing in this dish was much more complex and interested to figure-out then other Massaman's I've sampled, with an almost Indian depth of flavor. (Not surprising, really - Massaman, after all, directly translates as "Muslim" curry, It's rich as hell and a bit difficult to finish, but I believe we did it justice. It's definitely the chocolate-double-fudge-cake of Thai recipes. Man, that was a weird analogy.



I had jackfruit simmered in coconut cream with steamed sugar palm pudding (a squishy cake, for the non-Anglicized among us). Jackfruit is pretty much like durian's less anti-social younger brother. I really like it. This is a fairly typical Thai dessert, and for good reason.



Finally, another Thai classic - simmered black rice with (more) coconut milk and a side dish of some chewy and slightly jelly-like coconut confection. Thai desserts don't really get enough respect, is what I'm getting at. I like how light and fruit-centric they are when compared to Western confectionery.



We found the selection of Thai sweets fascinating. These are flavors and textures that just don't make it out West much, unless you're going snooping in the Asian grocery store. We were particularly taken by the light, slightly chewy texture of these coconut confections. One beef: Nahm's menu is not posted anywhere on the Internet, which means I can't, unequivocally, tell you what this stuff is. (Other then the extremely obvious - and curiously hollow - meringue.) Considering that one of Nahm's functions is educational - well, fix it, guys.

Needless to say, I can give Nahm a whole-hearted recommendation. What I find most interesting - and appealing - about Nahm is the way all of these dishes work together to produce a fairly traditionally minded Thai meal. I've had all of these dishes (or some variation on the theme) on their own, but I haven't had them all at once in a large, synchronized meal before.

Some Southeast Asians who have reviewed Nahm have noted that it reminds them of home cooking. Which is exactly the point, and something those of us hailing from the West haven't really experienced before. Although the restaurant is a bit spendy for Bangkok (and would be highly reasonable by San Francisco or European standards), it's worth it for an upscale and thought provoking Thai meal. You can get your kicks eating weird things off the street also - I mean, I do - but Nahm could be a nice departure from the norm for food obsessed Bangkok visitors. Try it.

Noah Wilson's (In) Famous Chili-Garlic-Ginger Paste

My friend Noah Wilson has submitted me his excellent recipe for Asian style chili-garlic-ginger paste. I speak for most of us by proclaiming "nom".

Noah's (In)Famous Chili-Garlic-Ginger Paste

Your cast of characters.

-1.5 tsp. each: *chilis*, *garlic* and *ginger*, finely minced

All fresh - no powders or pre-chopped/dried, etc.; the heat of the chilies is up to you... I prefer fresh cayenne with seeds in, or Italian cherry peppers, or Habaneros for big heat; the pics are with a good jalapeno, since it's winter and ripe chilies are hard to come by.

-approx 3/8tsp each: *honey* and *neutral oil*

(safflower oil is my fave - and if you measure/pour the oil first, the honey won't stick to your measuring spoon!)

-approx 1/8tsp each: *coarse sea salt*, *rice wine or cider vinegar*

Mortar and Pestle (if you've got a real, i.e. big, one) or a Food Processor



Prep garlic, ginger and chili pepper,

-really do be sure to finely mince them if using mortar and pestle; remember, when you're grinding by hand, life is a lot easier when you do the big stuff with a sharp knife and not a dull stone.

Place fresh ingredients into mortar or processor bowl, half at a time (or less if you're not a proficient grinder), with equivalent ratio of coarse sea salt. Grind until a rough paste begins to form. Note the presence of a thick potholder under the mortar and pestle in my pictures? There's a reason why - keeps the noise down, and the counter-tops unmarred.




Then add oil, honey and vinegar, and you will see the paste start to become creamy and well combined. Continue to grind until it is fairly homogeneous (see later pictures.) Taste for seasoning and adjust - more ginger, more garlic, more heat, more sweet, more salt, etc.



Eat immediately by the spoonful, on crusty bread, in your ramen, on your eggs, on your birthday cake... or save some for later in a glass jar in the fridge. Since there's a combination of garlic and oil going on here, botulism is a concern. Eat it within three days.

If you haven't managed to take care of business by then, just add it to a stir-fry, bowl of noodles, or salad dressing (great with chopped napa cabbage, carrots and radish, a-la kim-chee - just a little extra vinegar, salt and oil 'n you're golden.)

Add cilantro and cumin/coriander for a lovely Indian version; coconut milk, kaffir lime, fish sauce and lemon grass for a thai delight... have fun and experiment! Great with crusty semolina bread, on roasted veggies, on shrimp or fish... the possibilities are nigh well endless...

Dosa on Fillmore: Southern Indian Food? Yes!

Dosa on Fillmore
1700 Fillmore Street,
San Francisco
(415) 441-3672

Dosa, a trendy Southern Indian restaurant already popular in San Francisco's Mission District, recently opened a second location on Fillmore. We decided to visit the new location for lunch recently, finding ourselves struck with a sudden urge for out-of-the-ordinary Indian food in an airy and attractive setting.

So what's the big deal about Southern Indian food? Well, it's drastically underappreciated in the USA. I spent some time in Bangalore and other locales in Southern India, and the food in these balmy stretches of the Subcontinent is very different from the heavy, meaty dishes of the North. What most Americans consider to be "Indian" food is actually northern Indian food - this is because most Indian immigrants to the United States hail from the Punjab region of India or more Northerly climes. Southern Indian food differs from its northern counterparts in a few drastic ways. It's much more vegetarian oriented then the food of the north, and is more reliant upon fish and seafood then it is upon lamb and chicken. It is a cuisine that depends heavily on rice, coconut, and chili, lending it a flavor that is more reminescent of foods associated with Southeast Asia then with India proper. This seafood-heavy and coconut milk loving style of cooking is especially predominant in Kerala, India's lovely southernmost region.

So why is Dosa called, well, Dosa? Easy. Southern India's most popular dish is the dosa, a large rolled pancake made of rice and black lentils. One can order a dosa just about everywhere in Southern India, usually filled with a mixture of spiced potatoes and vegetables. Dosas are usually served with sambar, a broth made of tamarind and toor dal, and a variety of chutneys, usually derived from cilantro or coconut. Dosas are by far Southern India's most popular 5:00 in the morning drinking binge snack, in case you found yourself in a pinch. Dosas come in a startling array of cooking techniques, flavors, and fillings, and it's that versatility that Dosa's menu capitalizes on.



We started with the chickpea channa (garbanzo bean salad) with onions and cherry tomatoes in a spiced lemon dressing - an interesting Indian riff on a typical salad. I never encountered anything much like this in India- a country with really terrifyingly bad water doesn't tend to eat a lot of salad - but this was a refreshing and delicately crunchy dish.

We sampled the rasam or "fire broth" as well, which is simply Dosa's version of a very common Southern Indian soup of tomatoes, tamarind, and lentils. It's a nice and authentic tasting variant on a staple food in the region, and I liked it very much.



Next up were Dahi Puris ($6.00), which are a very common street snack or chaat in the district of Maharashtra. These beauties were made with puris, a kind of puffy, crispy Indian fried bread. They're then filled with tart yogurt and a couple of varieties of chutney. Dahi puri is an excellent combination of creamy, crunchy, spicy and sweet all at once in the grand tradition of Indian snacks, and it's nice to be able to get these things in a more salubrious environment then a Mumbai street-stand. Though nothing really comes close to an evening on Chowpatty Beach with the sun going down, women in saris striding down the beach, and the dulcet tones of stray dogs fighting behind you as you enjoy your afternoon snack. Good old India.



This is a "spring" masala dosa made with the standard spiced potato filling and a variety of fresh vegetables. I was disappointed to find that this was more of a burrito-type dosa and not the gigantic plate spanning beast I generally think of when I contemplate dosa - the restaurant needs to make this plain on the menu. However, the bready, gently spicy flavor of the dosa came through nicely, and the crisp vegetables provided a nice counterpoint to the usual potatoes. I was very taken with the restaurant's version of sambar. It immediately filled me with food nostalgia for the stuff I used to eat almost daily in Southern India, and I considered (and should have) ordering another bowl. It came with some nice, fresh coconut chutney and a slightly sweet and tasty tomato chutney. You can order additional chutney varieties if you're a chutney freak like yours truly, and I enjoyed the eggplant and tamarind variants very much.

Dosa usually does offer one meat-based dish a day (as well as some chicken rolled sandwiches) during lunch, and today's special was baingan bhartha, a dish made with chicken and lots of spiced eggplant, served with yellow rice. This was nicely done and reminiscent of the stuff I used to eat at Punjabi dhabas, although it could have been more spicy. I imagine the kitchen can easily up the chili quotient if you ask first. Southern Indian food isn't really known for knocking you on your ass with spices anyway. I didn't encounter much in the way of truly spicy food in India - rather heavily spiced dishes - and I suspect the macho Anglo-Indians of old began the beloved British tradition of curries so hot that they can kill at five feet. But that is theory. I also am not big on lime pickles, which are typically used to add assertive heat to curries and other things.

After a couple of nice enough passion-fruit bellinis and an Indian spiced bloody mary (not my cup of tea, but my dad liked it well enough), we paid up and were on our way, smelling vaguely of Indian spices for the rest of the day. In my book, that's a good thing. Now if only some enterprising specimen would open a mobile chaat truck or two in downtown San Francisco. Takers?