Part of the qualification of being a true LuxePacker (according to me) is to bypass the safe choices for local delicacies. Ron Gluckman challenged me against my own measure and put my courage to the test.

As you can see above, I passed. But my stomach didn’t settle for days. It wasn’t the taste (which while not exactly appealing, was certainly not offensive), but the visual.

Ron took me to Romdeng, a restaurant run by former Cambodian street youths who’ve been trained to satisfy appetites craving authentic Cambodian dishes. And they’ve been trained well. If you must try a tarantula, I’d do it here, as a gracious amount of Cambodia’s traditional (and downright tasty) lime and pepper sauce is supplied for the purpose of arachnid subterfuge. Beyond making tarantulas palatable, the restaurant offered a pleasing pomelo salad and a gratifying Tonle Sap fish entrée. The stir fried squid with fresh peppercorn and oyster sauce was my favorite; a clean, simple dish that got straight to the point.

Highly recommended.

Tags: Phnom Penh, Cambodia