Bopha Devi – New Quay

Bopha Devi translates to ‘Goodness of Devine Heavenly Flower’, and aims to promote the blossoming awareness of Cambodia, its heritage and food. Cambodian cuisine offers familiar reassurance by the exotic fusion of Chinese, Indian & French influences. This was my first visit to this restaurant and first experience of Cambodian food.

Lucky for me my table were up for sharing, and after selecting a cold beer to quench our thirst we embarked upon the following dish selections:

Little bites:

Crisp delicate pumpkin filled parcels

K’dom: Chicken & crab meat rolled together in a crispy bread

Sait-Gor Ang: beef skewers in a lemongrass marinade

Mains:

Lort Char – rice drop noodles wok tossed with Asian broccoli, bean sprouts and egg (we chose prawns to accompany the dish, however there was a selection of chicken, beef or tofu).

Char Kroeung - wok cooked protein of your choice (we selected tofu) with crushed peanuts, lime leaves, lemongrass, turmeric, onion, bean shoots, beans, capsicum & carrots. Served with steamed rice or vermicelli (the latter was our choice).

Choo Chi – pan fried barramundi fillet in coconut cream, lemongrass, turmeric, lime-leaves and crushed peanuts. Served with steamed rice and green beans.

The food was accompanied with a bottle of Stevens Brook Rose and managed to work with the array of flavours in the food. For me the standout was the pan fried barramundi fillet in coconut cream, it was simply delicious, and several weeks on I can clearly remember the texture and flavours.

I would like to pass on thanks to Chan, who took good care of us and ensured we had a delightful experience of the wonders of Cambodian cuisine. Without doubt I would say that Cambodian cuisine is something to experience, and Bopha Devi certainly offers the relaxed environment for this to take place. I really look forward to visiting again soon to work my way through the menu.