The clear bright eye of the sea bass stared up at me. On the other side of the counter, the chef reached for the whole fish. His knife flashed in the kitchen light that bounced off the pots and pans as he skillfully sliced it into fillets. How did I want it done? Grilled, please, with the lemon aspen vinaigrette.
The beauty of the recently launched Fish Market buffet at the Sofitel is that you pick the seafood you want and then you watch it being cooked. Choices seem to go on forever: sea bass, grappa, crabs and clams are sourced locally; the oysters are from France; the octopus and tuna from Japan; the langoustines and prawns from Vietnam and the salmon from Norway.
The adage ‘You wouldn’t eat here if you could see the kitchen’ doesn’t apply to the open stoves where the production process is part of the dining experience. As well as cooking, the white-hatted chefs are performers who flip and stir and drip sauces across the well-presented plates. Their culinary acts add a theatrical note to the evening. Blue-and-white-striped sailor types clear the dishes as people saunter back for the next course. Like a well-run ship, the dining room at La Coupole sails along smoothly.
If you aren’t a seafood fan, don’t worry because there are other options, including a pasta section, meat offerings, salads and cheeses. The choice of bread cuts across all types and grains. The dessert station is so tempting you will have to promise yourself you’ll go to the gym every day next week to make up for being excessive. No shortage of food choices and to eat your way through it might take a week.
“This buffet is absolutely amazing,” offered Todd, the photographer and my dining companion. “I’ve never seen anything quite like it. The prawns were unbelievable.” Despite consuming a hefty portion, he sauntered back to the dessert station three times. “The chocolates are exquisite.” True. Bite-size dark chocolates that squirt the liquid centre in your mouth without being too oohey-gooey sweet.
The ambience at La Coupole makes you want to hang around for the evening. The dining room has a high ceiling, spaciously placed tables and various food areas. No rush; no hasty decisions. Pick, nibble or tuck right in, depending on the course.
The Fish Market is an ideal place to take someone you want to impress or to celebrate your special family whatever. Reservations are recommended for large groups so they can be accommodated. Plan on making an evening at the Fish Market an ‘event’. Expect to pay $38 per person, whinh includes a glass of white wine.
La Coupole, Sofitel Phnom Phen Phokeethra; 023 999200.