On The Corner – Le Resto du Coin, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Ordered at the restaurant On The Corner - Le Resto du Coin, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

My trip to Cambodia had a specific purpose that involved little sightseeing: because I am on a tourist visa, every 3 months I must leave China, so this time I chose Phnom Penh as my visa getaway. Why would this trip involve little sightseeing? Because all I wanted was 3 days of relaxation in a destination that offered nothing but relaxation. I had read a bit about Cambodia, and having already been to Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand, I thought this 3^rd world country would be a perfect place to spend 3 days catching up on emails, reading some books, drinking cheap beers, and absorbing as much culture as possible.  I didn’t want late nights, I didn’t want early mornings, and I sure didn’t want crowds of tourists… except when it came time to try Phnom Penh’s best club sandwich.

I spent my second day in the outskirts of Phnom Penh ATV’ing (4 wheel drive off-road vehicles) with a guide and an American named Robert.  Robert and I struck up a conversation about the club sandwich, and, after he confessed to not having one in many years, we decided the next day to meet up for lunch. Since I was only there for 3 days, I dedicated my second day to trying some of Cambodia’s more “high risk” foods, and with that behind me, I thought a solid club sandwich on my 3^rd and final day would allow an easier 11 hour commute back to Beijing in the morning.

There are numerous cafes and restaurants catering to foreigners in Phnom Penh. Loads. Plenty of options to fit any backpacker’s budget. So where would the best club sandwich be? Probably at the busiest establishment of them all: “On The corner – Le Resto du Coin.” We got the last table – literally (see photo below) – and Robert and I both ordered the club sandwich.  After the first bite, I immediately realized this was not the traditional club, and Robert summed it up well: “You know when you take a sip of something you think is water and it turns out to be something else and you’re caught by surprise? That’s what I’m getting from this club.” He was spot on. This didn’t taste anything like your normal club; the sweet pepper (capsicum) and onions, plus the use of a Russian dressing styled sauce, gave this club an immediate distinct flavor far from the traditional taste one expects from a club. It’s especially surprising due to the fact the menu lists none of these ingredients. Beyond that, a noticeable 4^th layer of bread was lodged into the sandwich buffering the somewhat dry chicken from the scrambled, thin fried egg and poorly cooked bacon. I didn’t know what to make of this club and while we both enjoyed it, it was far from satisfying, and the leftover scraps of bread just showed how poor of a ratio of bread to ingredients there was… I’m still not sure why they chose to insulate an already dry piece of chicken. The tomato was typical Cambodia style: green and pale red; however cut so thin it was hardly noticeable, as was the 1 leaf of lettuce.  The crinkle fries weren’t bad, and both Robert and I had to fill up on them.  For such a popular establishment, we were both disappointed with this club. When done correctly, capsicum and onions can definitely add great flavor to a club, but this just wasn’t done in the correct manner to compliment the other ingredients. I just hoped Robert didn’t completely write off the club sandwich after trying this one…

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