Crystal Thai-Cambodian Cuisine — Restaurant in Long Beach

My mother recently moved to LB and I was excited because they have a Little Cambodia and I had fallen in love with an authentic Cambodian restaurant up in the Bay Area. Well, my fella and I ended up at Crystal for lunch from a website recommendation and the Yelp had given it a one “$” so we were hoping it wasn’t too expensive. I had seen that it was a big CASH ONLY place so I pulled out $100 from an ATM beforehand. We were seated quickly with the only available table, the small place was very busy. The first uh-oh came when we opened the menu and there were no prices listed (in English at least.) We ordered the green mango salad, the lotus root w/ chicken entree, a bowl of Tom kha for one, and one Thai Iced tea. The second uh-oh came when the soup arrived and it was in a huge metal almost trough-like bowl, definitely not “for one.” Then came the lotus root chicken entree, the mango salad, and a big tub of white rice that we didn’t order but thought maybe came with? Food was ok. Tom Kha and Lotus Chicken pretty standard. Tom Kha had a thinner coconut milk broth than say like a traditional Thai Tom Kha has, but was still good. The mango salad was bogged down with way too much mint and this weird fish jerky that I was excited with at first but when I chewed it on its own, didn’t really have any discernible flavor and didn’t really feel like it complemented the dish. Anyway, we sorta joked guessed how much the meal would end up costing us since we couldn’t read the prices and my bf guessed $45? Maybe $50 with Thai iced tea? After we finished I went to the counter to pay and it was $69. Obviously they had charged us more for the not one bowl of soup we had ordered but they had decided to serve us, maybe extra for the rice too, etc. I dunno! But certainly not one “$” as Yelp suggested. Anyway, definitely won’t be going back to that particular spot but they probably won’t care as they were busy anyway with local Cambodian customers. And yes, we’re not a-holes so we still...

I have been going to Crystal for almost twenty years , the food there is remarkably exclusive in terms of authenticity, I'm Cambodian so i know however, they have been really Inflating their prices over the last 3 years. I remember coming to eat with my friend ordering 4 platters with rice on the side and it would cost just around $65,$70 ; Now this same order would literally cost us well over $100 ; I understand with the rising prices and such with the declining economy but keep in mind that this is unreasonably high when you think about products gradually returning to their normal prices . I really love that place but I'm better off dining at other places such as Bamboo Island on Anaheim st which is relatively competitive tastewise and spending considerably less . I honestly feel they are taking Advantage of the rising costs as an Excuse to overcharge customers like me Especially when they presently have a Not so inviting Sign inside stating that some of the menu items are not priced due to Inflation and that it is ur option as a patron to inquire thereof . Believe me, in the past years I have recommended that place to everyone I know but I no longer do. This is an establishment in a very humble section of Cambodia Town and I respectfully do not feel that the prices are justifiable when you can find other similar eateries at significantly less investments. Sincerely...

One of the best Cambodian restaurants, if not the best in the area. This is as close as you can get to home-cooked, authentic Cambodian dishes. All dishes are family-style portions. To start, the Beef Skewers were full of flavor, moist, and tender. It is slightly sweet, and salty with a light smoky taste. It is paired very well with the side veggie salad, crunchy. It cuts through that fattiness. The Papaya Salad with salted crabs was delicious, crunchy salty, and spicy. My favorite is Samlor Machu Kreoung, a traditional Khmer sour soup with beef, intestines, and tripe was a standout. It's so good and authentic tasting perfect for the colder weather and if you are a bit under the weather. It is fully loaded with ong choy. We had enough leftovers for the next day.

But the star of our lunch was the whole Fried Catfish served with Mango and Tamarind sauce. This is not your ordinary fried catfish. The catfish had a crispy skin outside but moist and flavorful inside. The size of the catfish was good enough for 4 people.

The restaurant looks like a family-owned and operated. The service was warm and welcoming. I love to see a steady stream of Cambodian families coming in. They must be doing...