Underwhelming Pleah Sach Ko — expected more

I was looking forward to Pleah Sach Ko here based on the reputation. The reality was disappointing. The lightly sweet and fragrant character that makes this dish special was muted — either from shortcuts with banana blossom or from scaling up production at the expense of quality.

Cambodian cuisine shares roots with Thai and Vietnamese cooking but has its own distinct identity shaped by Khmer culture. The a Phnom Penh riverside restaurant setting I was hoping for wasn't quite there either. fresh coconut water was available but not suggested appropriately. I've had much better versions elsewhere. Two stars because the dish concept is sound; the execution let it down.