A journey into Cambodian cuisine with chef Kimsan Pol

Khmer Kitchen in Bengaluru showcased the lesser-known Cambodian cuisine with a chef’s table

South Asian food may be one of the most popular cuisines internationally. Within its complexities and diversity, the lesser known cuisine of Cambodia sometimes gets lost. 

One of the only restaurants in India that showcases the cuisine of the nation is Khmer Kitchen in Bengaluru. Their aim has always been to highlight the connection that exists between our two countries, not just in history and architecture, but also in cuisine. The restaurant brought down noted Cambodian chefs, Kimsan Pol, Chhon B and Srey Bora, for a special Khmer Konnection festival. I caught up with chef Kimsan Pol to learn more about the cuisine and the culinary circuit of Cambodia.  

Khmer cuisine borrows a lot from its neighbours, but has its own distinct identity. It also takes influences from French cuisine, because of European colonisation in the 19th century. When Naveen Reddy, the owner of Khmer Kitchen, visited the country, he was struck by the similarities between the cultures and felt that Indians should get an opportunity to experience the cuisine. After opening the restaurant in late 2020, they had the opportunity only now to bring down chefs from the country for the event.

Kimsan Pol is the president of the Cambodia Chefs Association and also heads two restaurants – Embassy and Sombok. She specialises in Khmer gastronomy and aims to bring it to the world stage. “Embassy restaurant is a fully woman-run enterprise. All the staff, except the one security guard, is female,” she shares with a laugh. “Our concept is to present Cambodian home cooking to our diners. It is like we invite the diners to our home. In Khmer gastronomy, we use local ingredients, but at the restaurant we use international presentation styles,” she adds.  

The cuisine is very seafood-forward with rice as the staple. She tells us how traditional Cambodian food is fresh and made every day from the produce in your backyard. Fermented seafood sauces and pastes make the basis of the curries. Kroeung is a paste made of lemongrass, garlic, turmeric and other spices, that lends a fresh flavour to the dishes. 

The six-course dinner showcased some authentic recipes and ingredients from the region, albeit in a modern avatar. Natang is a Cambodian appetiser that is served with rice crisps. Kimsan made a crab meat and scallop natang which boasted flavours of coconut, and was propped on top of a rice crisp. It was a fun play on textures. 

Another common ingredient used in Khmer cooking is the heart of palm, harvested from the stem of the coconut tree. Kimsan served a soup of slow-cooked duck breast that had this young palm, round eggplant and the sour notes of tamarind. The palm also made an appearance in the main course. Grilled chicken wing was stuffed with the young palm, holy basil, and served with a passion fruit and ginger sauce.