I Heart Cambodia

Just ate here and I definitely recommend it especially if you are looking for something different in taste. We ordered the tilapia and the pork ground beef with veggies. Everything tasted delicious. They are not stingy with rice and the owner is very nice.
They only accept cash and their ATM charges $ 4 so the owner gave me $ 4 for the ATM charge which she didn’t have to do.
I did not drink but they have really cheap beers. Corona, Heineken, etc are $ 3 and they have $ 5 shots.
Great venue. Quick service. I would go back to taste different dishes.

Went here on holiday since most of the restaurants in Philly was close that day. I’m glad we did because it’s one of the best Cambodia food i ever had. Highly recommend the papaya salad. Much better than any other place I tried it. The whole fried fish was good too. Nice clean restaurant and the staff is highly attentive. Overall good restaurant.

Wasn’t able to find an online menu, which was one of the reasons for losing a star.
The food was so good which is the reason for the 4 stars. I got an order of spring rolls which may be the best spring rolls I’ve ever had, and an order of the chicken stir fry noodles. The portion was huge so I had leftovers for two more meals. I ordered and my food was ready within 10mins— although not surprised because the dinning room was completely empty.
While waiting I was brought water which was very sweet of them. It is cash only though, which I wasn’t prepared for because I thought I read they took cards… But maybe I ready wrong. Plan to order take out again, can’t see myself eating there.

This place has improved since the change of owner. I recommend the fried tilapia with tamarind sauce $ 20 and steak, both were better than Khmer Kitchen, but KK still has the better prah hok kateeh. I would definitely be back though.
Food was excellent. Sauce is spot on and a nice variety of veggies accompanied the steak & fish.

Delicious foods, clean and fast service. My favorite khmer restaurant in Philly so far…

You need to try Phnom Penh rice noodle soup here. It’s very authentic and home-​cooking style. Keep in mind that the place is cash only. The servers are all super nice. I will definitely come back to this place!

This place was clean, the people was nice and the food was good. The price is reasonable but be sure to bring cash because that is all they will take. They were the only place that opened in the morning around 930 – 10 so the schedule works for me for a late breakfast. Overall, I would come back to this place for sure.

Great service and decent food. I would come back again and try ordering different dishes, as I didn’t love the Phrohok Ktis (which I’ve lived other places). But the papaya salad and a stew we had were good. The food was fresh and the staff couldn’t have been nicer!

Excellent Cambodian food. The staff is very friendly. And the food comes out fast. It is a relatively new Cambodian in the Bella Vista neighborhood but very worth to check them out.

Great family owned restaurant in South Philly. If you like real Asian cuisine, this is your place. They can make anything as spicy or hot as you want. Worth the stop for something different !!

Pretty legit place. Very nice, family-​owned business. The kind where grandma is in the back cooking. The owner gave us a round of beer on the house and asked for feedback. We only waited 10 minutes for our food. Parking is tough at night. Two big TVs for watching whatever you’d like. No ATM on site yet (cash only). But… the food is well worth it!
Try the Prahok Ktis if you’re looking for something to get with fresh, raw veggies. Best Prahok around for sure! The family will customize each dish to your liking, especially if you have a friend who doesn’t like spicy food. Papaya salad is legit too.
Go relax and enjoy some authentic Khmer food. Excellent spot.

Was really expecting something great based on all the reviews here, but was really let down. Asian food is my favorite type (Thai, Schezuan, Vietnamese, etc.) so I was really expecting to get some good, authentic Cambodian food. There weren’t many people in the restaurant but the waitress looked like she was in the weeds. She took forever to take our order, brought out the appetizer with the food and took a long time to bring the check. So, 1 star for service.
Onto the food. We got the beef salad to share as an appetizer, but it came with all the food, fried ginger fish and steak w/​pak hok. Everything came out at the same time, the only plus was presentation was really good. The steak w/​pak hok was just bland as a boiled steak. The ginger fish had really good topping on it (ginger and bean), but the fish tasted like algae. The beef salad AKA beef ceviche was nice and spicy, which I love. However, it was soaked in lime juice to the point everything was overpowered with citrus. Food gets 2 stars.
Lastly was the price. When I ordered the ginger fish, the price on the menu was $ 15. As I ordered it they told me it was now $ 20, never have I been somewhere where the waitress tells me an item jacked up 33%. At $ 20 this dish is a rip off. The salad is $ 13, which I could get from any Thai resaturant (only difference is the beef is minced up in Cambodian dishes) for $ 7. The «boiled steak» was $ 14. Total bill was $ 47 for 2 entrees and a salad from a small hole in the wall restaurant, a bit ridiculous. Value is 1 star.

I am beyond disappointed which is upsetting because I really wanted to like this place.
For starters the area is sketchy. I knew that going in but was willing to deal with it for amazing food.
When we sat down there was one large party who appeared to have been there awhile, otherwise it was just us.
The service was just ok. She brought us what we asked for but didn’t check back until I made eye contact about 5 times. Never once smiled, wasn’t friendly at all. Might have been understanding had they been busy but they weren’t.
They were out of summer rolls. We ordered the beef ceviche salad, the fried ginger fish and the steak & pak hok. When we inquired about the seasonal vegetables that came with the steak we were told they’re lettuce & cucumber, which was disappointing. I mean I understand that a lot of things come with those items but the way it was listed on the menu made you think it was a side dish of veggies. When we ordered the fish that was $ 15 on the menu, the waitress said, «That costs $ 20 now, is that ok?» I mean I guess? $ 5 is a pretty big jump but at least she mentioned it beforehand.
The best thing about the fish was presentation. I couldn’t wait to eat it! But it tasted the way a dirty fish tank smells. The steak dish was ok & cooked how we wanted it but so so bland! We made our own sauce out of the condiments on the caddy. The beef salad was soggy and unappetizing. I ordered hot tea which just tasted like water. I couldn’t eat anything except the bland steak. Spent $ 50 & went home & ate a 2^nd dinner because we were still hungry. Don’t waste your time!

Parking is tight in areas like this, just like Northern Liberties or Center City. The restaurant is located in a predominate Cambodian neighborhood and I didn’t realize that there was another Cambodian neighborhood in the city, other than the Logan area. The area itself, is kinda sketchy, because the roads aren’t that maintained and the other stores are old looking. if you’ve ever been to a Cambodian area, then you know what I’m talking about.
The décor and storefront is very modern and americanized. Their POS system is electronic and requires customers paying with a card to sign the screens instead of signing an actual receipt. I thought this was cool!
We ordered the beef salad, boklahong, prahok, salaw machu, and beef steak.
Beef salad: was spicyy! Not alot of beef, included a bunch of onions
Boklahong: we got mild, but it wasn’t a pungent as I was expecting, the flavors wasn’t comparable to getting Boklahong from vendors at FDR park or homemade.
Prahok: was good, can’t go wrong with that. Good amount of spice!
Salaw machu: again, the flavor wasn’t as strong. it didn’t taste like how we would make it at home, but it was alright.
Beef steak: was good, just regular steak with lettuce and cucumber. BUT the sauce that came with this dish was SOOOO GOOD!
Service was alright. The two girls were nice but they didn’t really refill our waters until we asked.

First time down in the Cambodian neighborhood along south 7^th Street. A bit sketchy, but plenty of street life with cafes, food stores, fruit mongers, and a lot of action down in the park at 6^th and Wolf.
I Heart Cambodia has been in operation since December last. It is bright and cheery, if a bit noisy due to constant drone of homegrown music videos and poor acoustics. The folks operating the joint are friendly and amenable to longer discussions about their plans (a bar) and their kitchen (broadening the menu). As a first timer, I had more than the usual questions about ingredients and spiciness.
When it was time to order we found out there were no Summer Rolls available. Small disappointment. But, we moved on to select Papaya Salad, Stir Fried Flat Rice Noodles with Chicken, and Prahok Ktis (the «s» is silent). They were all okay, but nothing was exceptional. The Papaya Salad was spiced by something that tasted like radish. It didn’t work for us, especially compared to similar dishes in Thai houses. Even allowing for cultural differences, it just wasn’t a pleasant flavor. The Stir Fried Noodles was the best dish; well prepared, but still not as good as others I have had in Philly and in Asia. The sauce for the Prahok Ktis was tasty with a mix of Pork, Coconut Milk, Lemongrass, Kaffir, Fermented Fish Sauce and Peanuts, but the slices veggies to be used as scoops were very small, making it awkward to use as intended. Everything was fresh, but perhaps measured for smaller fingers.
It became clear looking around the room that the most exciting dish was the Ginger Fried Fish. It looked great. Next time that is where we start.
I would also skip the Thai Iced Tea and the extra bowls of rice as unnecessary for the meal at hand.

Hot damn! This place is freakin’ amazing!!! Why did I have to discover it like, 2 weeks before I move?
Got takeout — lemongrass stir-​fried chicken, spring rolls, and a Vietnamese coffee. The coffee was fantastic, the spring rolls were a bit on the starchy side because I believe they contain taro, which is unusual and not totally my thing, but the flavour was good. The chicken though, good lord. I and my roommate have ordered it several times since that first try. You get a huge styrofoam container packed with chicken, bell peppers, and a delicious lemongrass curry sauce, rice in a separate container. It is so spicy and complex-​tasting, I can’t get enough of it. The portion is plenty for 3 meals, which at $ 10 is a serious bargain.
Go here. It’s fantastic. If the weather is nice and it’s not too late, try walking down the 800 block of Jackson to see if the lady selling grilled meat skewers on the sidewalk is there.

For the most part, I enjoyed the food. Nice environment. Nice service
Papaya salad — too fishy for my tastes
Raw beef salad — good
Ground pork with veggies — good (but we didn’t get the one carmelized one so i wonder how it would compare)
Lemongrass Chicken — so flavorful — HIGHLY RECOMMEND
Beef Curry — also a good one. i would recommend
Ginger Fish — VERY CRISPY which I liked. Maybe the seasoning was a bit weak but overall still tasted good.
I really like papaya salad so that was the only disappointment for me

At I Heart, the prahok comes two ways; our pick, Prahol Ktis, is made with coconut milk which balances out the fish sauce and chilies well. I could’t stop dipping my cucumber slices into and spooning my white rice with this caramelized pork mush, though I avoided the bitter krasang. At another table, a family was disappointed the kitchen ran out of green beans– apparently that’s the best dipping tool for your pork.
Raw beef salad ($ 12) came as a generous pile of thin, marinated beef strips with bits of basil, a dusting of peanut, and some clumsy pieces of raw red pepper that I picked around.
A bowl of beef stew with carrots is served with either bread or noodles here, for only $ 6 and $ 7 respectively. The meat inside the thin, tangy broth was slowly cooked and tender. The warm, french bread crunched as I ripped pieces to dip in to the red stew. It’s a small bowl of soup, but with the bread, makes a perfect sized lunch on its own.
Up at the counter, I picked up a pork bun ($ 2) to go and was told I could heat it up in the microwave. When I did later in the day, I found a unique and spicy mix of mushrooms, pork, hard boiled egg, and a single piece of sausage inside. On its own, it was deceptively filling, thanks to the fluffy dough.
Given that I Heart Cambodia nailed all dishes I tried, including some that other Cambodian restaurants in Philly did not, I would suggest you all give your heart away at this new «Lomo» (lower Moyamensing) restaurant.
And coming soon, beef skewers and a liquor license.

We walked in and this place is bigger then I expected. Bright and clean. Very nice Cambodian artwork.
Staff here is friendly. Cute «I Heart Cambodia» t-​shirt uniform.
Order a Thai tea, coffee and was also served hot tea. Drinks were good.
I ordered beef stew, fish vermicelli noodles and a seafood rice noodle dish. My friend had the quail and a spivey rib stew soup.
The beef stew was good. Lighter in flavor then what I am use to but good. Tender and soft brisket and carrots served with warm bread. It was very good after we finished and our next dish.
Fish vermicelli noodles — my friend was like no way. He didn’t want to try. Lol. But he did try and it was very good. Not too heavy on the pallet but just enough flavor. Very well balance noodle dish.
Quail was deep fried. Salt and pepper flavor and a dipping sauce of salt, pepper and lime. This is how my parents cook and served this dish. This brought childhood memories back. Very tasty.
The seafood flat rice noodles were a stir fried dish. Shrimp, squid and fish cakes or cha lua. This was ok for me. Not enough flavor to make this dish stand out from the others.
The spicy rib stew/​soup was pungent and full of flavor. Ribs were cooked till its tender. This dish had a slightly sour taste of either tamarind or lime taste. Very different for me but ooh so good. The ribs were so tender you just wanted to suck the flavor of the broth out of it and re-​dip it. Lol.
There is street parking but kinda scarce. It is in rather a bad neighborhood but is worth the trip. I would have given this place a 4 ½ star if I could. Everything was great. Good food. Good company and then the left overs. If our waitress could have packed our food and put it in a bag this place would have my whole heart. Never the less, their food is really good. I will give them a 5 star based on the food. Definitely a must try for those that are into authentic Cambodian food.
I will be back for more. Still have a few intriguing items I would like to try.

Off the usual beaten path, deep in the heart of South Philly, lies a random gem of a restaurant. I Heart Cambodia is a humble, casual BYOB (for now) that serves up some serious flavor. I’m going to cut the crap and just talk about the prahok ktis right now.
I loved it. I loved it so much.
So, here’s what it is. It’s a spicy pork sauce served with a variety of vegetables for dipping. I’m not exaggerating; when I saw this dish, I thought it was perfect. The coolness of the cucumbers pairs perfectly with the intense spiciness of the meat. I’m not kidding here. Get some of that fresh pepper in your mouth when you eat this, and you’re on your way to burn town. I think this is a good thing. I think this is a very good thing.
I could go on and on about how much I loved the prahok ktis, but that would distract from the rest of the food.
The stir fry chicken is the serious business. Cooked down with onions and peppers, it walks the line between Chinese and Thai flavors. I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The fried ginger fish is excellent.
Now, I’m a very lazy person. Since I am lazy, I don’t really like to eat around bones. That being said, I found the toil of rendering meat from bone to be worthwhile in this case. The fish was moist, perfectly cooked, and imbued with ginger-​y-​ness.
Just being honest here. The chicken lemongrass soup wasn’t my favorite thing.
All things considered, I heart Cambodia is fantastic. It’s an unbelievable value for the quality of food and uniqueness of flavor. They are in the midst of getting their liquor license at the time of this article, so go soon if you want to take advantage of them being a BYOB.