So many mistakes it became comical – Sombok Phnom Penh Cambodia

Sombok is a highly rated restaurant in Phnom Penh. I ate there for dinner on a recent trip, and had high expectations, especially since I had an amazing experience at their sister restaurant “Embassy” in Siem Reap a few days before. However, sadly, Sombok not only failed to deliver, but the whole dinner was a textbook example of “how not to run a restaurant”. Anyway, we went with the tasting menu:

The whole experience started off wrong right from my entry into the restaurant. The whole place smells like a sewer. It was off putting at first, but I ignored it and eventually, got 90% used to it. No big deal. The restaurant later told me it was “caused from the public drainage” and they have tried to work with all their neighbors to solve the issue without success. They told me it only happens sometimes and is beyond their control. Anyway, after that, our server came around and offered welcome drinks. We asked for half without alcohol and she became highly annoyed. Sorry, not everyone drinks. The amuse started the meal and it was ok:

Followed by a seafood salad with white mushroom that started off nicely with good acidity, but later, a really foul almost rotten seafood taste came into my mouth. Half the table also experienced this. At this point, I was worried I would get food poisoning from bad seafood. I told our server and she assured me the seafood was fresh, and the strong smell was coming from a local mushroom. I will eat anything and try everything once. In the history of having this eating philosophy, I have only come across three things I would not eat again: 1. stinky tofu, 2. natto beans, 3. Mongolian horse milk, and now 4. THESE mushrooms.

Next was the soup which was more like a salad as you can see in the pic below:

Next, the fourth disaster of the night. I ordered a dry martini, but they brought me a rosso one instead. When I told the server, she proceeded to take the drink, then about 3 of us saw her POUR it back into the bottle, then reserve it to me, this time with even less alcohol. I was baffled. First, this was not sanitary, and second, she did not fix my order, and instead, brought the same drink but with less of it. This was the untouched drink they brought me.

Next came a palate cleanser:

Then a fish dish:

The beef (no pic), and dessert:

During dessert, the last thing to go wrong happened. My wife’s spoon was dirty and she asked for a new one. We watched our server take the spoon, put it in her pocket, wipe the spoon, and give it back! With the dirt still there! I don’t know what happened to this place, but it was comical at that point. Anyway, I would never go back and do not recommend anyone to go at all.