Itacate — Restaurant in Khan Boeng Keng Kang

I had been here once before, and did not really want to come back after waiting 1.5 hours for average food, even though I was the only guest at the time. But as so many people keep on insisting that it is the best Mexican food in Phnom Penh, we went back for an encore.

When we arrived, the restaurant was packed with a big group, so we sat outside. The outside area is actually quite nice, especially with the moderate temperatures at the moment. A very friendly waitress was on us in a flash, and she would stay very attentive throughout our meal; a far cry from the non-existent service during my first visit.

I started with a beer and was served a 0.5 litre draft beer at $3.00. Now, I have no problem drinking that amount, but I thought they should ask what size beer the guests want. The Missus and kids ordered Cucumber Aqua Fresca ($3.00) and Horchata ($3.00).

Food wise, we went for Chicken Mole ($11.00), Chicken Burrito ($11.00) and 6 different Tacos. Prices of the Tacos vary on how many are ordered, here they came to $3.00 a pop. Prices are +10% VAT, but I think that is still fairly reasonable.

The first dish arrived after 30 minutes, which considering how busy the restaurant was, is more than OK. What was not OK was the last dish arriving 15 minutes later. Basically, the Missus had finished eating by the time the daughter got her food. I learned decades ago, when I was at hotel school, that you always feed the brats first. Unhappy kids = unhappy parents.

Anyway, we did all get our food eventually. My Tacos were lukewarm at best when they arrived. I had ordered “Carnitas”, “Che Che”, and “Al Pastor” and cannot say that any of them were in any way remarkable. They lacked seasoning and I ended up dousing them in chili sauce (which was very good) to give them any sort of flavour. Even a little coriander (cilantro) would have helped, not to mention some salt. The daughter’s Burrito had some sort of weird dressing that overpowered all other flavours and, again, the seasoning could have been a little heartier. The one dish I really did not like was the Chicken Mole my girlfriend had. Whilst the meat was tender, somebody dropped a bucket of cinnamon into the sauce which absolutely killed all other flavours. A shame really, as it has the potential to be a really nice dish.

None of us were really impressed. Not really bad, but not really good either. Finally, I did not like the smell from Churro cart parked out front, the oil smelled nasty. I guess we have to continue to wait for a decent...

I found the restaurant by accident.

There was a motorbike-taco vendor parked in the street... So I Googled the name and I was only 10 minutes' walk away.

Monday lunch was quiet, of course. And there was a public holiday. But the interior was very nicely decorated. It has an open, airy atmosphere.

I tried the carnitas and al pastor tacos (the carne asada was unavailable) both were tasty and filling... I think I'd crank up all the spices and herbs by 20%, but I do like strong flavours.

The house salsa and the salsa rojo were very good and had lots of flavour.

$4 for a Corona seems like a bargain after Bangkok Corona prices.

The original margarita (rocks/salt) was excellent. The perfect combination of alcohol, sweet and sour flavours.

I think I'll come back for their Taco Tuesday promotion.

[Edit... I missed the Taco Tuesday. Came back for Friday night with some friends -'quesadillas, tacos and fajitas.

We had a blast. The serving staff and hostess were lovely. 3 people ate and drank a LOT for only $70. Management (Adam) sent us 4 shots of tequila.]

This place isn't a high-end, expensive place... It's a place to eat and drink a lot without breaking the bank kind of place.

We recommend going for a fun night out with friends. Be friendly and funny. Get drunk with the staff...

Great place of Mexican food! Bright and vibrant in color. Round of chips and salsa on the house.

UPD: weekday, place for lunch is quite busy.

Had burrito, chimichanga and pork tacos. All food tastes wonderful. They've managed to keep their standards up to par!

We had guacamole, tacos carne asada and tacos lengua with sour cream on a side.

Guacamole was a bit too watery to my liking: would be great to get rid of tomato seeds and may be having onion blanched so its taste not too strong? I also like cumin in my guacamole.

Hubs loves his tacos carne asada, going to be back for more he said 😋

Tacos lengua was nice too. I'd like the sauce hotter.

Fish tacos on the list to try.

Definitely coming back and would happily recommend.

Hint: if you're coming for lunch, sitting on couches on the side section would be a better option as the light coming through the roof blinks from the ceiling fans - we are sensitive to that, made...