Ducking into this (very well) hidden Japanese spot in the heart of BKK 1 for some lunchtime deliciousness isn’t only an escape from the construction dust and noise of Phnom Penh, but like you’ve stumbled into somewhere Japanese hipsters would go for lunch. Not Western hipsters in Tokyo. But like, the real Japanese ones, in Japan.
As you enter, the wall opposite the till area is adorned with the most kitsch and adorable east and southeast Asian nik-naks. Think tuk tuk models that are actually cute, rather than the type sold in Bangkok’s Khaosan Road. There’s an aroma of proper coffee brewing, and a hit of air conditioning that’s especially welcome at this time of year.
After some helpful advice from the friendly wait staff, we settled on an array of reasonably priced and unreasonably delicious options. The seafood sashimi donburi, at $15, was one of the best plates of Japanese fish I have ever tasted, and the price seems a lot less steep when you see the size of this dish. The shrimp tempura sushi rolls and fried dumplings were incredible and once again enormous in size. They do contain a little pork that wasn’t mentioned, so if you like pigs for ethical reasons or don’t like pigs for religious reasons, you might want to be aware of that. For $8 it is also very good value for a sharing plate.
Then, for something a bit different we had the truffle cream seafood udon. $8 for an absolutely beautiful fusion creation, even if it is, of course, far from traditional Japanese fare. Imagine an Italian and a Japanese chef got a bit freaky in the kitchen and this is the delicious baby that they produced. Finally, we had some traditional Taiwanese sausage with raw garlic. Possibly overpowering to some but absolutely worth a try if you like beautifully roasted meat, and like me, you may have some eastern European roots that draw you overwhelmingly to any raw garlic and onion in the vicinity.
There’s also a bunch of super cheap lunch options for around $3 if you want to stop in during a work day for the tastiest of treats. The coffee, too, is sublime. It was a great meal and going by the happy munching of the heavily tattooed large Taiwanese men behind me, it was enjoyed by all.
Muketi Coffee Izakaya, St 278, BKK1, Phnom Penh