There are some places in Phnom Penh that momentarily make you forget where you are. Che Culo, in all its Mediterranean-influenced glory, is hands down one of them. Stepping off the street and into the courtyard is a welcome change of scenery, temporarily escaping the daily hustle of this city. From the mosaic floor, sea-glass colour scheme, and archways framing intimate enclaves, there’s a romantic ease about it all.
To set the record straight, though, it’s pronounced “keh-cooloh” (meaning “What luck”) – something I’ve been butchering since they opened in early December. This simple correction adds to the slightly pretentious vibe surrounding a tapas bar in Phnom Penh, but after one espresso martini and a bite of their Mama’s Meatballs it’s hard not to let that one slide. If you’re not convinced, get an order of the zucchini fritters and try not to think the little wooden forks aren’t the cutest.
Adding to their perfectly succinct list of cocktails and tapas is the spontaneous, live entertainment of co-owner Nick Hattingh, who can be occasionally found karate-kicking along to classic hip hop tunes while affirming his self-appointed role as host with the most. The evenings are undoubtedly a success, but the $5 lunch menu challenged me to see if all of the flair from happy hour translated to a quieter noon bite.
One simple chorizo and chicken sandwich and an order of lamb ragu pasta later and I was pleasantly surprised. It was a close one deciding between the other full plate entrees – the contenders being a basil pesto pasta or the meatball sub with “Che Culo! sauce” – but we couldn’t pass on lamb and chorizo. While we began our snobby assessment of the not-so-snobby dishes, a few other tables filled, allowing me to abide by my rule of never eating at an empty restaurant.
Having an Italian name (that also, apparently, roughly translates to “lucky bastard”) means the bar is set pretty high for signature items: namely starches. To get a perfect pasta, it needs to have texture, a certain amount of life left in it. The fusilli that happened to be substituted in the lamb ragu achieved that coveted al dente finish and held up to the richness of the twice-cooked lamb, a meat that is either off-the-charts good or a major miss. Let’s just say they know what they’re doing.
Though my usual instinct when getting a plate with a version of a fried potato side is to sneak a taste, I’m going to recommend resisting that temptation. Skip the overly seasoned bits and go straight for the main. The dense ciabatta, soaked in the succulent flavours from the chorizo and chicken, offered up the perfect vessel to dip into the excess juices of the sandwich. Pairing the two meats with cheddar, avocado, and a jalapeno mayo sounded a bit heavy, but the ingredients were left to speak for themselves and they proved to be quite harmonious.
Fresh ingredients – light, yet filling – and a coffee to finish the meal? Che Culo can definitely do lunch.
Che Culo. #6B Street 302.
070 389 583