Skip to content
Food
Link copied to clipboard

Cambodian cuisine; Percy Street barbecue

Here is an excerpt from Craig LaBan's online chat: Craig LaBan: Welcome back to the first 2015 edition of your favorite Philly food chat. Happy New Year, everyone! I want to hear about what's been feeding you, you, and you! Reader: Definitely, my meal at Khmer Kitchen - it opened my eyes to the world of Cambodian food.

Seriously smoked brisket with grilled potato bread and onion jam from... Percy Street BBQ.
Seriously smoked brisket with grilled potato bread and onion jam from... Percy Street BBQ.Read more

Here is an excerpt from Craig LaBan's online chat:

Craig LaBan: Welcome back to the first 2015 edition of your favorite Philly food chat. Happy New Year, everyone! I want to hear about what's been feeding you, you, and you!

Reader: Definitely, my meal at Khmer Kitchen - it opened my eyes to the world of Cambodian food.

C.L.: I LOVE Khmer Kitchen. I daydream about that bitter flower salad and Phrah-Hok Katheeth (caramelized ground pork with crudite).

Reader: The sour chicken soup with celery at Khmer was particularly mind-blowing! Tamarind gave it deep complexity.

C.L.: That sounds delicious. I love what Cambodian cuisine does with sourness and bitterness and fish sauce, more unbridled in its funkiness than similar Vietnamese cooking. I remember liking the pumpkin and roasted rice soup: Salaw Ka-Koe.

Reader: Have you been to Cafe Diem? I am excited to try the bun bo hue.

C.L.: Yes, stay tuned for a big pho package from me next week. The spicy bun bho hue is THE reason to go to Cafe Diem. It's been a few years since I went, but I believe that Cafe Diem has undergone a decor upgrade.  

Reader: We really enjoyed the pulled pork and chicken at Percy St. 2 weeks ago, as well as all of the sides. They're starting their AYCE Ribs Wednesday this week for $27! Must make it down there.

C.L.: We had a fantastic meal at Percy Street recently, and I have to say, it was really the best I've had there. Chef and (now co-owner) Erin O'Shea has really perfected her bbq as it should be. This meat melted in my mouth. Profoundly smoked, and what a great accompaniment - the house-baked potato bread is sliced thick and gets a perfect little crisp on the grill, then dabbed with sweet onion jam. I was being "good" and didn't get any desserts, though I know she makes the best pecan pie in the city. But we went to town on the Biscuit Basket, which I was so in the mood for after cooking from Sean Brock's Heritage cookbook. ...

Reader: I just had that brisket two days ago at Percy Street. Good stuff.

C.L.: The gap between Percy and Fette Sau is no longer as wide as it was. I was also reminded of the tremendous list of American whiskeys at Percy.

Reader: Two things stood out for me over the holiday: Le Cheri for the first time - had the truffle menu (including truffled ice cream), my wife had the quenelles, and daughter had the steak tartare with frites - we gave it our own 4 bell ranking. Second, the house meatball soup and the pigs ears at Nanzhou HDNP were revelations - thanks for your Chinatown dining guide.

C.L.: So glad you had great meals at two opposite ends of the Philly dining spectrum! True French quenelles at Le Cheri (definitely in my top 15 list!) and the Chinese meatball soup from Nan Zhou, a favorite from my 2013 adventures. Just goes to show you how diverse our eating city really is.

Reader: Your cure for today's winter blues: Braised oxtail from the Caribbean Palm food cart on 18th between Market and JFK. Nothing fancy, not one of the new-age food trucks that are all the rage, just slow-cooked, tender goodness on a frigid day. I spiked it with a little too much hot sauce, unnecessary due to the scotch bonnet kick in the gravy.

C.L.: You had me at oxtails. I don't know that cart, yet! Thanks for the rec!