Food is a never-ending exploration, and the latest before us is the food of Cambodia. Fairfield has a new restaurant, Royal House Cambodia Cuisine. Chef-owner Minh and his wife Mandy Truong have come to Fairfield after owning Siam Thai in Chelsea, New York City for 20 years. Siam Thai was written up in the New York Times and Bon Appétit.
Cambodia is a land of rivers and lakes, bordered by the Gulf of Thailand, and nestled between Thailand, Vietnam and Laos. The cuisine is lighter and features more vegetables and fish than Thai or Vietnamese, says Mandy, “The curries are more watery and delicate, less sticky and strong than in Thailand.” Cambodian cooks use the familiar flavors of basil, ginger, cilantro and lemongrass, and a far wider range of herbs, vegetables and fruits unavailable in New York and Connecticut.
Here’s what we tried: