Angkor

Angkor
333 Wickenden Street
Providence, RI 02903



Photo via flickr/uglyagnes.

I was surprised when i walked in and thought I'd been mislead by the sign outside the door. The menu contents were almost indistinguishable from a Thai restaurant. Red, green and yellow curries were on offer, as well as Pad Thai and Tom Yum soup. The waiter indicated that the similarity is probably related to the historical relationship of Thailand and Cambodia when the Cambodian Empire ruled Thailand. When asked about the signature dishes of the restaurant, he recommended either the Street Noodle of the soup.

Since I wasn't starving, I opted to have just the noodle dish with shrimp, though almost any other protein choice was available. While I waited for dinner to arrive I enjoyed the complimentary pot of tea. Street Noodle turned out to be a very Pad Thai like dish, based on a wide noodle with broccoli, snow peas and carrots mixed in. As with a well prepared Pad Thai, the dish was relatively neutral in flavor and served with a dish of a very good, slightly spicy, sweet, vinegary sauce.

I passed on the complimentary dessert that was offered. While all reports would indicate that durian would be exactly to my taste with a smooth, custardy texture and flavor, it also, unfortunately, has an odor that to western noses tends to be very off-putting. The waiter described it as old gym socks. My recollection is that it is akin to the smell of the gingko berries on the sidewalk in the fall. Oddly enough, my waiter also offered that the scent of cheese has a similar unsettling affect on the palates of his parents, who were presumably Cambodian.

Seating is a bit crowded at the front of the space, though tables further in offered better layout where you don't feel like you're sitting in a hallway or staring at a wall. They also have an upstairs dining room, presumably for larger parties.

Dinners cost around $10, though some of the seasonal fish dishes were going for $20 on the night that I was there. I'll be heading back again and reporting further on their signature soup as well as their curries.

Price Range: $10-$20 for entrees

Recommended? Requires more study