It was only a few years ago in my 30’s that I first experienced Cambodian cuisine. Since then, I’ve developed a love for the food and culture, eating it at least once a week.
Whenever I’m craving a bowl of noodle soup, RiceString Noodle Shack in Cerritos is my go to place.
The Tan family have been serving up Cambodian comfort food in the states since 1985, started by Bun Heu Tan and his wife Maly By. The original location on Cherry Ave, is located in Long Beach’s Cambodia Town, called Phnom Penh Noodle Shack. Since it’s opening, the restaurant has served as a gathering place to many Cambodians who lived and worked in the area. Though there were couple name changes and building improvements throughout the years, the soup recipe remained the same. Unfortunately, I haven’t had the opportunity to try the original location yet.
In 2017, Bun Heu Tan and Maly By’s kids, Mo and Naran Tan, opened the second location called RiceString Noodle Shack in Cerritos, serving up the same delicious noodles as well as other Cambodian dishes that the original location doesn’t offer.
One of the most popular dishes for both restaurants is the Kuy Teav Phnom Penh which is a traditional dish. For myself though, I prefer Mo’s Special which only differs by the toppings.
The first choice to make is whether you would like the “Soup in” or “Dry” which means soup on the side. I always ask for “Dry” since you also get a pork bone in the broth, which if you’re lucky, has a good amount of meat and bone marrow on it. The broth is clear and savory with a silky smooth taste which is delicious and satisfying. The flavorful soup, I imagine, can only be developed from hours of simmering pork bones along with other bones and possibily dried squid, together with vegetables, aromatics and other ingredients crafted to perfection over many years.
Next you would get to choose the type of noodle you prefer. You can choose between egg noodles or rice noodles as well as Big noodles or Small rice noodles. At the moment I prefer Big Rice noodles.
For the portion size, you have a choice between small and large which I always opt for the large size. To top off the noodles, there is fried garlic, green onions, cilantro and a house sauce. “Mo’s Special” comes with Sliced pork, ground pork and meatballs as a topping whereas the “Phnom Penh Noodles” come with Sliced pork, ground pork, liver stomach and shrimp.
Once the noodles are brought to your table, you can now add the finishing touches to this dish. Take some beans sprouts that come on a separate plate and sprinkle it on top of the noodles. Then look for the bottle of hoisin sauce and hot sauce and add it to your liking. I make a Spiral pattern with the sauces on top of my noodles. I prefer to mix everything together and enjoy a spoonful of soup in between each bite.
I almost forgot, if you are getting a noodle soup dish, definitely order some bread. On second thought the bread is a good compliment to any dish on the menu. Cha Quai looks similar to a large eclair without the filling. Crispy on the outside, hollow and airy on the inside with a light sweetness. I love dipping the bread into the soup and taking a bite. They also have Nom hing which is a round hollow bread that is crispy with a slight chew sprinkled with sesame seeds. This pairs well with the soup or by itself. I recommend trying both breads.
Another dish which is a must try are the beef sticks. The beef is marinated in an aromatic lemongrass sauce, then grilled, giving it that slight char flavor which adds even more flavory to the dish. You might expect the beef to be tough since its griled but its the opposite, the meat is nice and tender. This dish comes with rice, a refreshing pickled vegetables and soup. Same soup by the way, that comes with the noodles.
They offer many other Cambodian dishes which as equally as delicious. If you’ve never had cambodian food before I would definitely recommend trying this place. Who knows, you might even come once a week like I do.
