Recently, I was in Kingston, Ontario, and I was looking for lunch.

As I drove around town, I noticed a surprisingly large number of Cambodian restaurants. Not sure why this small city of less than 150,000, where the historic limestone buildings look more like Britain than Battambang, would have a sub-specialty in Cambodian cuisine, I decided to check it out.

I ended up at a place called the Royal Angkor Restaurant. Sandwiched between a barber shop and a boarded-up Chinese eatery, it looked far less royal than its name suggests.

But the sign promised “Exotic and Delightful Cambodian Cuisine,” so I was in.

When I asked the waitress for recommendations—for the most popular of their traditional Cambodian dishes—she suggested the “Kako Khmer,” which the menu described as chicken with green papaya, green jack fruit, green chili, eggplant, and long beans—a delightfully exotic-sounding combination.

But then she apologized and said, “Oh, sorry. We don’t have that today.”

“Golden Chicken is very popular,” she tried again. “Also, Samlaw Khmer.”

The spicy, hot, and sour golden chicken, with peanuts and lemongrass, did sound tasty, but I opted for the second alternative—a tamarind-infused mix of chicken, shrimp, bok choy, onions, and tomatoes that turned out to be slightly spicy, slightly sour, and entirely delicious.

What was one of the most surprising meals you’ve stumbled upon while traveling?

Please leave a comment and share the delicious details!

If you go…

The Royal Angkor Restaurant is at 523 Princess Street, Kingston, Ontario, 613/544-9268.

Photos © Carolyn B. Heller

I’m not even sure what to say about this. It’s cheap? Tastes like chicken?

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Life’s Short, Eat Well!

I learned from a friend many years ago how much fun grocery stores can be for providing insight into a foreign culture. I now keep my eye open for these anytime I travel, whether domestically or internationally.

In the relatively small town of Siem Reap, I stayed in a hotel that was just a couple of blocks from the local grocery store. It was located right next to a Swenson’s (!) ice cream shop, if you can believe it.

As I browsed around, I noticed a couple of unique drinks including the Kickapoo Joy Juice and both Soursop and Guava juice in cans. Sadly, I didn’t try the Kickapoo Joy Juice, I was too enamored with the FRESH banana shakes and watermelon juices that I consumed at least once a day!

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Life’s Short, Eat Well!

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