SEVENSEA
Combining some of Cambodia’s finest seafood with top treats from around the world is proving to be a winning recipe at Sevensea. Editor Marissa Carruthers and photographer Charles Fox sample the menu.
The year 2016 has been an exciting one so far for revered
Cambodian chef Luu Meng, who has been busy beefing up his culinary
empire. Sevensea restaurant is one of his latest ventures to land in
Phnom Penh, and, specialising in a plethora of tasty seafood dishes from
near and afar, already has the signs of a promising catch.
Seven is clearly the lucky number, with the menu drawing
influences from seven countries – Cambodia, China, Japan, Vietnam,
Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore – and the restaurant boasting seven
private dining rooms, seven specialist chefs and, you guessed it, seven
speciality seafood dishes for each day of the week.
Seeking to combine popular Asian cooking styles with fine
seafood, the menu takes in delicious dishes from across the globe,
including Boston lobster, Alaskan king crab legs and scallop, seasonal
oysters, tiger prawns and tuna tartar.
The seafood platter ($80) seemed the obvious first choice,
and didn’t fail to impress with a feast laid out fit for a king. A
large serving plate laden with fleshy crab, freshly caught in Kampot,
lobster, the fattest oysters from Hiroshima in Japan I’ve ever set my
eyes on, a healthy number of plump prawns and juicy Cambodian snails
took up a generous portion of our spacious round table.
And each bite was given its own distinct flavour, thanks
to the accompanying four Khmer rubs and dips, which range from chilli
that comes with a kick to the bitter bite of the pepper and lime
concoction.
Having washed our greasy hands in a bowl of warm water
left on our table. The tiger grouper with sea salt and herbs ($20 to $25
depending on size) came next, and was a feast for the eyes as well as
the stomach. Served on a wooden board, finding the fish is like playing
pass the parcel. First there’s the foil the large fish is baked in, then
the tough, thick layer of rock salt and wrap of banana leaves, used to
preserve the juices inside, then finally the fish, which is stuffed full
of Cambodian herbs.
Thankfully, this task was completed by the chef, straight
after he doused it in alcohol and flambéed it before our eyes, filling
our nostrils with a flavoursome sweet aroma. With plenty of meat to go
round, the flesh was juicy and had absorbed the mellow tones from the
herbs, complementing it perfectly.
Sticking to tradition, the samplor proha
($12), or Khmer soup served with fish, snail or beef, was up next.
Sevensea’s version uses local river fish, with the classic recipe of
pumpkin, garlic, tamarind, lemongrass and turmeric. The result is a
kaleidoscope of flavours, with each spoonful serving a barrage of
bitter, sweet, sour and spicy.
Of course, diners don’t have to opt for seafood, and the
menu is packed with other dishes, such as dim sum, sushi and Cambodian
classics. But when the speciality is so good, why try something
different?
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