Why "Fish Amok"? Cambodians would know...

My first "working" day in Cambodia had to end with Fish Amok - the country's popular national dish and my all time Khmer favourite. Back in Germany a few months ago I had disastrously failed to cook it for some friends, dropping the fish and the coconut concoction in the boiling water of the bain marie... In future, I promised myself I would only have the "real stuff"...

So, tonight I caught a moto to Café Amok on 2 street 278. If anyone, they should get it right. Amok here refers to the specific Khmer way of cooking with curry sauce and has nothing to do with fish running wild - though your taste buds might!



The cook in the kitchen refused to share her secrets with me, but waiter Chay did:

- choose a nice freshwater fish filet
- marinate in coconut curry sauce
- add limes leaves and sweet basil
- wrap in banana leaf or coconut
- boil in a bain marie until it's ready to melt in your mouth



This Fish Amok was good, but I missed the banana leaf and it could have been a wee bit more spicey.

** out of *****. For me the verdict is still out.