Crab Nostalgia
There are two imperative dishes to be eaten in Kampot; the first, pepper crab from Ta Ouv Restaurant just near the new bridge and overhanging the river. It is almost identical to the last time that I ate there. It is altogether possible that I ate crab from the exact same plate as last time. The crab is smaller but the green pepper as eucalyptus-fragrant as it was in my rose-tinted memories. The river smells as ripe as a summer ham.
The second is a cut of ribs that is possibly illegal in any other part of the civilised world. Rusty Keyhole on the riverfront in Kampot town procures a cut of pork that combines rib with fillet; meat sticky with barbecue sauce and cooked until it can be eaten with a spoon. The full plate is a ludicrous amount of pork, the type of excess that should not be undertaken lightly. The sign behind the bar warns against missionaries visiting, lest they experience pork induced apostasy.
April 29th, 2009 at 10:31 am
Looks very delicious! I’ll be going there next month and I’m totally go into Ta Ouv Restaurant and try the crab. thanks!
May 2nd, 2009 at 9:16 pm
The Rusty Keyhole… That brings back memories! I had the kebabs when I was there. It was raining like heck, and I asked the owner what he thought would happen with the river. “Oh, maybe it’ll flood with another week of this.” The next day, the restaurant was neck-deep in water! That was certainly an experience, being stuck in a flooded Cambodian town…
May 29th, 2009 at 9:40 am
I remember that crab and those ribs… Nice pic of the former.