After its debut at Ecoworld, Kampot has opened its second outlet on Haralur Road, simply off Sarjapur Road. The restaurant brings collectively Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Korean cuisines with a stay ramen, sushi, and dim sum bar, curated wine cocktails, and an ambiance that balances stylish modernity with a relaxed, ethereal vibe.
We arrived on a sultry afternoon and opted for the alfresco seating. With a wave-patterned ceiling and pastel tones, the place felt brilliant and inviting. It was not significantly crowded, which was a bonus — there’s something mildly liberating about having house to get pleasure from a meal with out the standard din of a bustling restaurant.
Our initiation into Vietnamese and Cambodian delicacies began with drinks. The Kampot cooler, an orange-based drink with a jalapeño kick, was refreshing and simply spicy sufficient to get up our style buds. The Vietnamese chilly espresso, made with condensed milk and ice, was pleasant but not fairly the thick, wealthy brew we have been anticipating.
Kampot Cooler
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The katsu hen maki roll regarded promising but turned out a bit chewy and powerful. The scallion prawns siu mai, whereas delicately crafted, was a little too delicate for our liking. Then got here the jiangs chilli hen, which, regardless of its fiery-sounding identify, shocked us with a delicate, well-balanced flavour — surprising, but welcome. The Taipei hen, then again, was a little too salty.
By this level, we have been deep into the meal, but there was extra to come back. The Vietnamese caramelised pork with rice, made with sugar, soy, and garlic, was simply a contact too candy for our palates. And then there was the much-hyped mango sticky rice — our first time attempting it. Maybe it was the burden of expectations, but it didn’t fairly blow us away.
The Taipei Chicken
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Kampot is an bold enterprise, providing a number of lesser-explored Southeast Asian dishes to Bengaluru’s ever-curious foodies. There is not any denying the trouble that restaurateur Priyanka Bonick has put into curating the menu. A chartered accountant and IIM Bengaluru alum, she first fell in love with Khmer delicacies again in 2012 and spent years researching and perfecting the idea earlier than launching Kampot. “I realised that to create a unique menu, I needed to deeply understand the cuisine. I wanted people to choose my restaurant over others. To build a strong brand, I knew I had to immerse myself in the cuisine,” she says, explaining how she has skilled in Vietnamese and Khmer cuisines and continues to refresh her information with annual journeys to Vietnam and Cambodia.
Her dedication reveals in Kampot’s strategy to authenticity. The pho is made utilizing a recipe she discovered from a chef in Ho Chi Minh City, and the Vietnamese coconut curry is positioned as a Southeast Asian different to the much-loved Thai curry. The restaurant has additionally embraced gluten-free options, with 90% of its dim sums being made with out gluten — a selection, Priyanka says, has confirmed well-liked.
Mango sticky rice
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But right here is the factor: not each dish hit the mark for us. Some felt a bit too delicate, others too salty or candy. That mentioned, there’s sufficient selection to make a return go to value contemplating, particularly in case you are somebody who enjoys exploring new flavours. The vibe is ethereal and inviting. It is nice for dates, informal catch-ups, and even work lunches. For its value vary, Kampot affords good worth, and whereas not each dish will likely be a winner for each diner, there’s sufficient right here to maintain issues attention-grabbing.
Would we come again? Probably, but subsequent time, we’ll persist with the bestsellers — possibly the Vietnamese pho, bun cha, or that well-known coconut curry. And, after all, one other Kampot cooler to beat the Bengaluru warmth.
Published – March 24, 2025 03:43 pm IST
