Simply Khmer
26 Lincoln St., Lowell
978-454-6700
Open daily, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
All major credit cards accepted
Handicapped accessible
Living in Lowell, the question often arises: “Where should I go for Cambodian food?’’ Until now I’ve not had a surefire answer. The city is awash in Southeast Asian restaurants that lump Cambodian cuisine with Vietnamese, Thai, and Laotian. A true Cambodian restaurant that doesn’t serve pad Thai or pho takes some sleuthing.
On a tip from a gallery owner, I visited Simply Khmer and found my answer. Flavorful soup, perfectly wrapped nam chow, endless pots of jasmine tea, and the savory, sweet and sour essence of this faraway land come into play with each freshly prepared dish. It’s been a while since a meal was this invigorating.
Tucked away on Lincoln Street, between downtown and the Highlands neighborhood, Simply Khmer is not suffering from its off-the-grid location.
We walked in at 6:30 p.m. on a Saturday and the 80-seat restaurant was teeming with Cambodian families, college students, and a few non-Asian couples in the know. Despite the scene, the service did not lag. Nothing was forgotten, and by the time our check arrived we were amazed that the quality did not ebb amid the din.
As a Vietnamese pho fan from way back, I found the Khmer soup called som-law ($10 to $19) to be a welcome diversion from the trusty onion and scallion-infused noodle broth that’s carried me through many New England winters.
S’gao jrourk trey (or SM2 on the menu) was outstanding. Filled with the bold tastes of Cambodia - lemongrass, garlic, kaffir lime leaves, galangal, jalapeno, fresh lime juice, basil and cilantro - it was a revelation in a bowl. Studded with chunks of tilapia, still in its skin with a few bones here and there, the soup takes some work.
Because “no food is bizarre in Cambodia,’’ owner Denise Ban said, regulars don’t bat an eye at these oddities. Extreme eaters would be psyched to find pig intestines on the menu here. That’s the dish that attracted Travel Channel star Andrew Zimmern, host of “Bizarre Foods America,’’ to Simply Khmer this summer. The show airs Feb. 13.
At the other end of the spectrum is ma-ju yuon. This sweet soup with chicken, lotus root, pineapple, tomatoes, furry squash, tamarind, basil, ma’om, and fried garlic was a fine second, but not as clean and bright as the SM2. Both are heaping bowls ($10) that we could not finish.
As suggested, we opted for a large order of white rice to augment the soup. I discovered later that Cambodian diners order several soups and dishes to share during the evening.