Cambod-Ican Kitchen Restaurant — Restaurant in Pittsburgh

Ok... So I had a weird experience here...

My first impression was that is was a messy room, awkwardly layed out, just one guy mowing down something with his head down. Such an odd layout.

I'm in town only for the night so I asked what they recommended after telling them what I usually like.

They suggested so many things and was confused so I just ordered the wontons as they suggested, the fresh rolls, and the surf and turf.

When I saw that the surf and turf came with wontons I said I don't need to make a separate order for wontons but the person at the counter kinda insisted I do... Seemed unnecessary but I went with it. Now I feel sincerely duped.

When I sat down at the table to wait for my order the owners young son came up to me showing me toys, which was fine at first but was being very pushy. I don't usually mind kids for a short period of time but this kid was far too close, so close he was touching while playing with toys and practically in my seat at one point without consent which is not ok. I then playfully asked if he wanted my seat, and told him that it was my seat. He eventually played a bit further away. I got my order pretty quickly and the kid opened the door for me and hugged me on the way out. It was kinda cute but I generally am not a fan of kids and it made me uncomfortable. I didn't want to be mean, I just left. It's not his fault, his parents didn't care at all. Not even a blink or a glance.

I got back to my Airbnb and opened my order.

The surf and turf was seemingly all turf. Not a single piece of shrimp or veggies as some pics I saw had. The rice plain and unseasoned. Very disappointing since the first thing I said to the staff is that I like big flavours. I guess the "crab" meat (probably that imitation stuff, seems exactly the same) filled wontons are the turf?? So cheap.

They gave me extra "moon sauce" which they let me sample first and seemed ok but it seems like basic and cheap overly sweet teriyaki sauce to me. They said it was home made but I sincerely doubt it. If it is they could add some flavour.

The wontons barely have any filling, and the filling was just your basic "crab" meat you can buy at the Asian grocery. Literally nothing else. They are greasy and just so very boring. I really wasn't in the mood for something greasy. Traditionally wontons are boiled or pan fried. What a disappointment.

The fresh spring rolls were fine. Just lettuce and a couple shrimp, maybe a couple pieces of cilantro in each rolled up. No carrot, cucumber, or anything else you'd get anywhere else. The dipping sauce was your basic fish sauce and didn't suit it. It's meant for deep fried spring rolls. A spicy peanut sauce would have been much better suited.

I had higher hopes for this place since local reviews were high but hey seem to be cutting corners wherever they can. Which would explain why it was so fast. Very disappointed. It honestly kinda ruined my night here. I spent $25 on this?? Ooph. What the heck am I going to do with all these gnarly...

"Cambodican" is a Pittsburgh gem!

My last visit I ordered shrimp rolls as an appetizer.

The shrimp are wrapped around skewers then fried.

Six shrimp rolls per order.

The fresh shrimp, crispy coating and delectable "Moon Sauce" accompaniment will be the BEST appetizer you've ever bought for $5.00 and one of the best starters EVER!

For my entree I ordered tilapia over white rice, or as the menu joking lists it "worthless white," with broccoli and carrots.

I don't know how the restaurant does it, but the rice is ALWAYS cooked to perfection. Besides white, they also serve fried rice and brown rice. You can choose the rice you prefer.

The tilapia is fresh and moist EVERY TIME glazed with an umami sauce. If you like your sauces less sweet just tell them. They really cook to satisfy the customer's taste buds.

Have you ever ordered a stir-fry or other dish with vegetables and they're served as if the restaurant forgot to cook them? LOL! I order the broccoli and carrots as "soft," and they have NEVER failed to forget.

The "moon sauce" is served on the side.

The first time I ordered this dish I ordered two tilapia filets.

Talk about a "Belly Buster!"

It's a good thing I was going straight home because there were leftovers and I'm not a minimalist eater.

I order one tilapia filet if I'm ordering from "Cambodican" for a meal while I'm working.

The tilapia entree is truly one of my favorites at any restaurant.

If I wasn't too lazy to go outside and wipe the four inches of snow piled on top of my car I'd drive to "Cambodican" right now!!

The family that owns the restaurant are extremely customer focused and amazingly accommodating.

The father is a true "Jokester." He loves interacting with customers.

The mother is super friendly and a fabulous cook.

The son always accommodates my every food whim.

The daughter is engaging and has the most adorable little son, who scampers around the restaurant bringing joy to everyone around him.

There's a fast food restaurant one block from "Cambodican" where I occasionally buy a vegetarian burger with fries and a drink when "Cambodican" is closed. The mediocre meal (room temperature burger, cold fries and flat pop) costs $13.00.

THE SPECTACULAR TILAPIA, RICE AND VEGETABLE ENTREE AT "CAMBODICAN" COSTS ONLY $10.00 (a couple bucks more if you want two filets)!!!

I just might call "Tony Williams Car Service" and treat myself to a chauffeured driven ride to "Cambodican." LOL!

P.S. Don't forget to order one of "Cambodican's"...

So... this is a strange review because typically, I will at least try to find a way to say something about the service. The service here primarily came from the owner and... well I'll save that for later.

The girl working at the front took nearly 10 minutes to get our order in. I don't think it's through any fault of her own, but she was being made to do too many things. She kept taking phone calls and putting those orders into the kitchen, taking Uber Eats or Doordash orders and putting them in the kitchen, answering messages on their POS system... we ordered 4 things between the two of us. Again, I do not blame her, she was being made to balance far too much.

The food came very quickly. It was mostly very good but, it was all very sweet. Their signature soup and their curry, while both had good flavor, became too much after not even finishing half of what we got. I will say, though, that the portions were massive. 2 appetizers and 1 entree would have been plenty.

Then the owner and his son. The son was coughing up a storm and not covering his mouth, which is fine I guess, until he walled into the kitchen, continuing to cough. The owner told the girl working behind the counter that he heard my wife making "adult noises" about the food. Hated that. He kept touching our backs and talking about the food, which combined with everything else to be quite uncomfortable. Then, after he heard us talking about an upcoming trip to Vietnam, started talking about how Vietnamese women aren't as subservient as Cambodian women, how 'the Vietnamese' are trying to take over Cambodia, how they're inventing fake rice made of plastic (a common racist trope used against people from various Asian countries), and how they are injecting shrimp with growth hormones just before they go to the store. Then he wandered out as mysteriously as he wandered in. Reprieve.

My wife and I sort of looked at each with a sense of relief and giggled. We kept eating our food until, lo and behold, we saw him walking back in. We asked for a box to take our food so we didn't have to listen to him again. He brought us a couple of containers and told my wife to keep "making adult noises"

I truly felt like I was in the Twilight Zone. Why would you talk like that to a customer? In front of your...