Bayon Cambodian Restaurant — Restaurant in New York

TLDR: Delicious food, warm and inviting atmosphere, outstanding service.

Bayon is a reincarnation of the former Angkor Cambodian Restaurant that shuttered in 2020 as a result of the COVID pandemic. But they're back, under the same owners. The official grand opening is slated for February 1st (I believe due to new staff and unavailability of some menu items) but I discovered that they opened this week under a trial run with temporary hours of 4-10PM everyday. So I popped in.

We (party of three) arrived around 6:00PM and were immediately greeted and seated. The decor was very cozy with warm lighting, brick walls, wooden benches with pillows, and decorations/pictures scattered throughout. We were offered the option of iced water or hot tea (or both). After some deliberation, we decided to order the Khmer Fish Cakes, Nem Nuong, Loc Lac, Basil Frog Legs (Cha K'dow), and the Grilled Amok (Chef's Special).

Appetizers: The Nem Nuong came first. The dish was pork meatballs, grilled and served on a skewer, alongside some peanut dipping sauce and pickled sliced radish and carrots. The pork was moist, tender, juicy and had a slight sweetness to it. It paired well with the sweet and sour of the pickled vegetables and the sweet nuttiness of the peanut dipping sauce. Next was the Khmer Fish Cakes. These were slightly crispy on the outside but springy and chewy on the inside and incredibly flavorful (with a strong hint of lemongrass), served alongside the same pickled vegetables but a different sauce, best described as a sweet and sour sauce with a certain smokiness to it. One of the owners told us that the sauce, aptly named house dipping sauce in the menu description, was composed of more than twenty different ingredients. Deceptively simple but in fact delicious.

The main dishes came a short time after the appetizers. Each main dish came with a bowl of white rice. First was the Loc Lac, or diced steak cubes served on a bed of grated lettuce with a lemon and black pepper dipping sauce. The steak was smoky and grilled perfectly, tender and juicy. The dipping sauce was tangy and peppery but paired very well with the meat. Next was the Basil Frog Legs (Cha K'dow). The frog legs were lightly fried, served sizzling on a bed of bell peppers, chili peppers, and onions. The flesh was incredibly tender and the overall combination of ingredients made for a very vibrant and flavorful bite. The basil added a great fragrance/aroma to it all. And finally, the Grilled Amok (Chef's Special) was by far the most special. The presentation was beautiful, but that aside, the complexity of the dish was admirable: a banana leaf wrapped around a piece of fish stuffed with prawns and scallops, smothered in a red curry sauce. The fish was tender and flaky. The prawns and scallops were savory, and paired with the fragrant and rich red curry sauce, tasted delectable.

The staff were very attentive, constantly clearing the table and checking on how the food tasted. One of the owners was also in the front of the house; she greeted customers enthusiastically, welcoming old patrons back, and made sure everything was going as smoothly as possible.

Overall I must say I had a wonderful experience here and tasted some amazing food. It's easy to see why this restaurant left a long legacy in the neighborhood, so much so that old patrons returned with big smiles on their faces. Fragrant and unique food, warm and friendly service, and cozy decor made for a terrific dining experience....

First time trying out Cambodian cuisine with a group of friends. This spot was recommended by a friend and they just rebranded and reopened after COVID shut them down. Glad to see them back up and running.

I got a cup of their Cambodian Iced Tea. Compared to the Thai Iced Tea or Vietnamese Iced Tea, it's not overly sweet with syrup. It's nicely balanced between the sweetness, the milk, and the bitterness of the coffee.

We started out with a few appetizers. This included Summer Rolls ($15), Steamed Dumplings ($15), Fried Vegetable Dumplings ($15), and Nem Nuong (18). The New Nuong was the most unique as well as the Fried Vegetable Dumplings.

For entrees, our group split the following: Shrimp and Avocado Curry ($30) - A good curry dish that goes really well with white rice. The curry is super flavorful which pairs really nicely with the avocado and shrimp. Banh Chao Crepe ($28) - This was very unique. Similar to JianBing or Dosa, but Cambodian style. This was loaded with shrimp, chicken, veggies, and fish sauce and it came with a bunch of stuff on the side for you to enhance the flavor even more. Loc Lac ($30) - This was steak tips soaked in a black pepper-lime sauce. Taste really good, especially with white rice. Phnom Penh Roast Duck ($32) - May be my favorite dish. The duck meat was great and the curry coconut sauce complements the taste. Again, goes really well with white rice.

Although they didn't have a dessert menu, we were treated to Banh Januk, which was like mochi balls with a filling, and Taro Sago, which consisted of mini tapioca balls and taro in a sweet milky substance. Both were great and not...

Our favorite wa unanimously the bistec or lok lak. The marinade/sauce had good umami to go with the sweetness. The beef was so tender that someone thought it was chicken. Really impressive.

The amok was decent, the red curry mellow and the fish wrapped around the shellfish. However, I would say this dish is not as precise as the lok lak. The fish needs more punch. The red curry is actually too much, making the dish sloppy. I actually wonder if this would be better with the curry separate. At the least, the curry needs deeper flavor too, I want to tell the spices apart.

The frog legs were quite good, with vegetables that were crisp and frog legs that were moist. The sauce I think was a little too sweet, I could've done with more pepper. But I like the concept of the moist meaty frog legs - way better than chicken drums or flats - with crisp stir-fried peppers and onions. A better dish is there but this is decent.

The appetizer was a crudite and I remember liking the fermented fish and the steamed egg. But I didn't quite know how to eat the dish. The julienne was nice but the ergonomics was hard. Maybe scoops would have been better?

From the dessert side, the pudding was too sweet and the tapioca was better but the black beans were a little annoying. That being said, I think Bangladesh has a soft-and-hard custard like this so that maybe the style.

Overall a good place with a very special dish in the lok lak. I want to go back for other traditional...