Kampot restaurant review: Some hits, some misses, but options aplenty and a pleasant vibe

Kampot in Bengaluru offers pho, sushi, and wine cocktails in a chic setting. Some dishes shine, others don’t, but the vibe is worth checking out

After its debut at Ecoworld, Kampot has opened its second outlet on Haralur Road, just off Sarjapur Road. The restaurant brings together Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Korean cuisines with a live ramen, sushi, and dim sum bar, curated wine cocktails, and an ambiance that balances chic modernity with a relaxed, airy vibe.

We arrived on a sultry afternoon and opted for the alfresco seating. With a wave-patterned ceiling and pastel tones, the place felt bright and inviting. It was not particularly crowded, which was a bonus — there is something mildly liberating about having space to enjoy a meal without the usual din of a bustling restaurant.

Our initiation into Vietnamese and Cambodian cuisine started with drinks. The Kampot cooler, an orange-based drink with a jalapeño kick, was refreshing and just spicy enough to wake up our taste buds. The Vietnamese cold coffee, made with condensed milk and ice, was pleasant but not quite the thick, rich brew we were expecting.

The katsu chicken maki roll looked promising but turned out a bit chewy and tough. The scallion prawns siu mai, while delicately crafted, was a little too mild for our liking. Then came the jiangs chilli chicken, which, despite its fiery-sounding name, surprised us with a subtle, well-balanced flavour — unexpected, but welcome. The Taipei chicken, on the other hand, was a little too salty.

By this point, we were deep into the meal, but there was more to come. The Vietnamese caramelised pork with rice, made with sugar, soy, and garlic, was just a touch too sweet for our palates. And then there was the much-hyped mango sticky rice — our first time trying it. Maybe it was the weight of expectations, but it did not quite blow us away.

Kampot is an ambitious venture, offering a variety of lesser-explored Southeast Asian dishes to Bengaluru’s ever-curious foodies. There is no denying the effort that restaurateur Priyanka Bonick has put into curating the menu. A chartered accountant and IIM Bengaluru alum, she first fell in love with Khmer cuisine back in 2012 and spent years researching and perfecting the concept before launching Kampot. “I realised that to create a unique menu, I needed to deeply understand the cuisine. I wanted people to choose my restaurant over others. To build a strong brand, I knew I had to immerse myself in the cuisine,” she says, explaining how she has trained in Vietnamese and Khmer cuisines and continues to refresh her knowledge with annual trips to Vietnam and Cambodia.

Her dedication shows in Kampot’s approach to authenticity. The pho is made using a recipe she learned from a chef in Ho Chi Minh City, and the Vietnamese coconut curry is positioned as a Southeast Asian alternative to the much-loved Thai curry. The restaurant has also embraced gluten-free options, with 90% of its dim sums being made without gluten — a choice, Priyanka says, has proven popular.