In a Cambodian home, recipes are rarely written down. They are learned standing beside someone at the stove: how much lemongrass to pound, when the coconut cream is ready, how the dipping sauce should taste before it goes on the table. Measurements live in the hands, and the recipe changes a little with every family that cooks it.
ANGKOR began with those memories. For Chef Neri, Cambodian food is inseparable from family, and our menu in West Melbourne is built around dishes that carry that feeling: fragrant, generous and made without shortcuts. Here are the family recipes at the heart of our kitchen, and how to try them.
It starts with kroeung
Almost every Khmer family kitchen starts with kroeung, the fresh herb paste that gives Cambodian food its fragrance. A typical kroeung is pounded from lemongrass, galangal, turmeric, garlic, shallots and kaffir lime, and every household has its own balance. Yellow kroeung is bright and citrusy; red kroeung adds dried chilli for warmth.
Kroeung is why Cambodian curries taste aromatic rather than fiery. At ANGKOR we prepare it fresh, and you will find it in our Fish Amok, our Traditional Red Curry and our Lemongrass Fried Rice. It is the quiet backbone of the whole menu.
My Grandmother's Dish ($29.60)
My Grandmother's Dish sits at the emotional centre of our story. It is juicy marinated free-range chicken with mixed salad, mint and grandmother's dipping sauce. The marinade gives the chicken depth, the fresh herbs keep it light, and the dipping sauce, the part every family guards most closely, ties it all together.
It is a reminder that a recipe can carry memory, generosity and belonging. If you only try one dish on your first visit, many of our regulars would tell you to make it this one. At lunch it comes as the Grandmother's Chicken Bowl ($19.90) over jasmine rice with house salad.
Beef Stew 'Kor Koh' ($28.90)
Some dishes cannot be rushed. Our Kor Koh is slow-cooked beef brisket with five-spice, carrots, onion and celery, served with French baguette for soaking up the broth. The baguette is a small piece of Cambodian history: bread arrived during the French colonial era and became part of everyday eating, especially at breakfast and alongside stews like this one.
It is the kind of dish families make on a cool evening and share from one big pot. You can add flat rice noodles (+$3.90) for an even heartier bowl.
Traditional Red Curry ($25.50)
Cambodian red curry is often cooked for celebrations and family gatherings, and it is gentler and more fragrant than many people expect. Ours is a kroeung curry in coconut broth with sweet potatoes, eggplant, green beans and herbs, with a choice of tofu or chicken. Pair it with Asian Roti ($6.90) or steamed jasmine rice ($5.00), the way it is eaten at home.
Fish Amok ($34.50), the dish fit for a king
No family table in Cambodia is complete without amok. Legend tells of a fisherman by the Tonlé Sap who steamed his catch in banana leaf with fragrant kroeung and coconut, and the king asked for more. Our version is a fragrant steamed coconut curry with kroeung, mackerel, Chinese broccoli and peanuts. Read more on our Fish Amok page.
Eating the family way
Cambodian meals are shared. Instead of one plate each, dishes go into the middle of the table with rice for everyone. For two people we suggest two or three starters, two mains and rice or roti to share. A few good combinations:
- First visit: Fish Amok and My Grandmother's Dish with jasmine rice, plus Spring Rolls ($11.50) to start.
- Comfort night: Beef Stew 'Kor Koh' and Traditional Red Curry with roti.
- Something to finish: Sticky Rice with Mango or Black Rice Pudding. See our guide to Cambodian desserts.
Prefer not to choose? Our Royal Khmer Restaurant Feast ($99 per person, minimum two guests) includes My Grandmother's Dish, Beef Loc Lac, Red Curry Chicken and more, and the Angkor Classics Feast ($79 per person) is built around Fish Amok. For birthdays, team dinners and long tables of 12 or more, see Groups & Functions.
Prices are taken from our live dinner menu and lunch menu and can change, so please check the current menu when you visit.
Take a family recipe home
Our Angkor Amok Curry Paste is available in our online shop, so you can cook with Cambodian kroeung flavours in your own kitchen. Read more about where we come from on Our Story, or try another classic in our Beef Loc Lac guide.
Opening hours and location
ANGKOR Cambodian Flavours
389 Spencer Street, West Melbourne VIC 3003
Phone: (03) 7034 8353
A short walk from Marvel Stadium and Southern Cross Station.
- Monday: closed
- Tuesday to Thursday: 11:30am to 3:00pm and 4:30pm to 9:30pm
- Friday: 11:30am to 9:30pm
- Saturday: 12:00pm to 9:30pm
- Sunday: 4:30pm to 9:30pm
Book a table or order
Come and taste the recipes that started it all, shared the Cambodian way.