6,910 kilometres / 4,294 miles to Phnom Penh
This was written based on visits we made before Rumduol had a big re-opening this weekend! As soon as possible we'll get back there for a new visit and new reviews.
Two visits to Rumduol Restaurant just aren't enough. The second time we took a Kiwi friend to give her an introduction to Khmer food, but we were too excited to remember to take photos! This review just covers what we ate the first time. The restaurant recently got a new owner, and as The Kids would say, the vibes are immaculate. Even on a slow afternoon (our first experience) the colorful murals and simple but plentiful tables give a nice atmosphere. On selected evenings there is live Khmer music until late, and honestly this place feels like a fun but modern night out with friends in Cambodia.
GREEN LEMONADE
Beverages just make life more interesting, and they're one of the fun surprises of the food scene in Phnom Penh. Rumduol's green lemonade reminds us of a sharp, sour, full-bodied drink we'd get on a hot day in Cambodia. It was a little on the sweet side, but letting the ice melt just a bit makes it perfect. Unfortunately it was so nice that we forgot to get a decent photo. You can have a look at our Instagram review to see what it looks like.
SHRIMP FRIED RICE
You know how food never looks as good on the plate as it does on the menu? Rumduol Restaurant's shrimp fried rice is the exception. It looks gorgeous, each ingredient neatly stacked and surrounding the main event. It's fragrant and all the crunch bits - the green mango, the beans, onion, chili - are fresh. Every element is given attention to make the combination sing. Despite all the ingredients it did feel like a little (and just a tiny bit) of flavour was missing...maybe a tad more MSG or salt would work? But we liked it enough that we'd order again to make a final decision!
PORK LOAF NOODLE SOUP
There's a word in Khmer that means delicious smelling: "chngoy." When talking about food, it's often put alongside the word for delicious. The pork loaf noodle soup at Rumduol Restaurant was chngoy, perfectly so that it transported us back to Cambodia and eating this soup while sitting at a low table around to the corner from Tonga's family's home. Comforting, savoury, lots of pleasing textures with the tastes...eat this any season Melbourne confronts you with and you won't regret it.
RUMDUOL RESTAURANT
12 Queens Avenue
Springvale, VIC
Australia
