In the crowded field of Asian-centric restaurants in the Tri-Cities, Angkor Bistro can lay claim to having carved out at least one unique niche. To my knowledge this is the only restaurant in the region with a focus on Cambodian (Khmer) cuisine and I can’t say enough food things about this delightful Johnson City restaurant.
The establishment’s website emphasizes that fact, spotlighting the fact that Angkor Bistro is the first eatery in Johnson City to offer a selection of popular Cambodian dishes.
Named for the ancient Buddhist temple, Angkor Wat, this restaurant is open for business in a small strip mall along North State of Franklin Road. The menu offers a selection of appetizers, salads, soups and entrées.
Angkor Bistro quickly shot to near the top of my favorite Asian restaurants soon after its opening. I’ve been working my way through the array of curry dishes available, but many of the noodle dishes and stir-fries have also won my approval.
The eatery’s focus on Cambodian culture and cuisine extends to the pleasant, tranquil atmosphere of the restaurant. The dining area offers modern design touches, including seating at contemporary-styled tables with geometric, bright yellow, utilitarian chairs. Bright leaf-green and pale-gray walls offer a neutral and tranquil atmosphere. Some framed artwork of Cambodian scenes are also displayed on the walls. Decorative touches include potted bamboo plants and Buddha figurines.
Massaman Curry at Angkor Bistro in Johnson City.
A sampling of recorded instrumental music plays softly in the background to offer a soothing, relaxing atmosphere for diners. There’s also a wall-mounted television in one corner of the dining area that plays a continuous loop of scenic Cambodian vistas interspersed with photos of menu items. Free w-fi is offered for the use of patrons.
The servers have always impressed me as polite, friendly, and attentive, but not at all intrusive. They are more than happy to answer questions about menu items and even make accommodations to personal tastes.
In addition to soft drinks, the menu offers a mix of other beverages, including Thai Iced Tea, Thai Iced Coffee and a variety of Bubble Teas, a Taiwanese tea-based drink mixed with fruit and milk and served over small, chewy pearls of tapioca.
I like to start off a visit with an appetizer, and Angkor Bistro offers a modest selection of tempting meal-starters, including Egg Rolls, Fresh Spring Rolls, Fried Pot Stickers, or Gyoza, Cheese Wontons and Fried Shumai Dumplings.
A sampling of appetizers at Angkor Bistro, including Spring Rolls and Egg Rolls.
The Spring Rolls rank as my overall favorite among the appetizers. These meal-starters consist of rice-paper wrappers filled with chilled shrimp, cucumber, lettuce, cilantro, basil and carrots. These light, delectable morsels are served with a peanut-peppery dipping sauce.
On a recent visit, a friend and I shared an order of Fried Shumai Dumplings, which consisted of five crispy morsels served with a flavorful soy sauce for dipping.
The Egg Rolls, which feature wrappers loaded with minced meat, herbs and spices and fried to a crispy, golden-brown, are another favorite. The same soy sauce for dipping accompanied this appetizer, but upon request, a bottle of hot Sriracha sauce will also be provided to spice enthusiasts.
As I mentioned, the eatery’s curry dishes have become such favorites of mine that I am sometimes hesitant to branch out beyond them. Some new house specials, however, have persuaded me to occasionally deviate from my fondness for curry. The Braised Beef Rice Noodle Bowl turned out to be an amazing discovery.
This dish starts out as a rice noodle soup blended with a harmonious array of many of the common ingredients found in the Southeast Asia region, including lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, paprika, star anise and turmeric. These ingredients defined the color, aroma and amazing taste of this unique dish. Although the broth is red, it is not at all spicy like the kind of dishes flavored with hot chili peppers.
Still, I often find myself leaning toward the curry dishes. My favorite is the Panang Curry, which is an intensely flavorful blend of boiled potatoes, yellow onions, chicken and the perfect combination of spices. I’ve tried four of the five curry dishes. I still need to sample the Green Curry.
My most recent visit introduced me to the Red Curry, which is moderately spicy and features green bell peppers, yellow onions and squash sauteed with chicken and spices. I found the Red Curry a strong, sharp, fresh and flavorful dish, and a definite rival with the Panang Curry for my favorite. I prefer chicken as the protein for the curries, but other options include pork, beef, shrimp and tofu.
The Red Curry at Angkor Bistro is exceptional.
Several Cha, or Stir Fry, dishes are also available, including Snow Peas Stir Fry, Ginger Chicken, Bamboo Shrimp, Pineapple Fried Rice, Chicken Basil and Pork in Chili Paste. Most of the stir fry dishes can be ordered with the same choice of proteins —chicken, shrimp, pork, beef and tofu — as are offered with the curries.
The stir fries and curries are accompanied by a choice of rice: jasmine, brown, fried or, for a modest additional charge, coconut rice. It’s worth the extra cost to get the coconut rice, but I’m also a big fan of the jasmine rice.
In addition, the menu offers a handful of noodle stir fries, including Drunken Noodles and Phad Thai.
Most of the dishes I have tried have been served warm, but Angkor Bistro recently added a cold salad dish to the menu that I think is a real winner: Vermicelli Rice Noodle Salad. This salad features lettuce, basil, cilantro, cucumber slice, ground peanuts and vermicelli noodles to which a couple of egg rolls, cut into bite-sized portions, are added. Chicken, pork or shrimp can be added to the salad, too.
The Pad Thai at Angkor Bistro in Johnson City.
If I’m feeling extra hungry, I also like to add a bowl of soup to my meals when I visit Angkor Bistro. Choices include Tom Kha, a delicately seasoned soup blended with chicken, coconut milk, mushrooms and other vegetables, as well as the Tom Yum, an aromatic and hearty soup of plump shrimp, mushrooms, scallions and various herbs and spices in a rich, savory base. Tom Yum is a staple at most Thai restaurants, but this is one of the best I’ve sampled anywhere. I relish every spoonful of this bold soup.
Tom Yum Soup at Angkor Bistro.
Angkor Bistro deserves a loyal embrace from lovers of Asian cuisines. Give them try and get a taste of the cuisine of Cambodia. If you go, let them know they were highly recommended.
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AT A GLANCE: Angkor Bistro, 600 N. State of Franklin, Johnson City. 929-1001. Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Menu items $7.59 and under. Credit cards accepted. Carryout available.
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Bamboo Shrimp at Angkor Bistro.
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