🇰🇭 CAMBODIA 📍 2150 E. Anaheim Street, Long Beach, Harbor. 🅿️ Small, crowded lot 🥤 Bottled beer

HISTORICAL ARTICLES are brought over from eattheworldla.com to make sure our Substack content is constantly growing and as full of depth as possible. These will never be behind the paywall. 📆 Original Article 31 March 2019

One of the best reasons to fly into Long Beach rather than LAX, other than the ease of entry and exit unknown at the latter, is the chance to pop into one of the area restaurants. You may even want to drop a friend or family member off to give you an excuse to come to Cambodia Town. Settle into a lunch before noon and find yourself amongst a busy dining room dominated with big groups.

Around 60 years ago, and well before the mass exodus from the country that resulted from the reign of the Khmer Rouge, students from wealthy families started showing up in Southern California as part of exchange program with California State University, Long Beach. The ones that stayed and settled in the area were the origins of wider settlement in the 1970's and 80's when many families came to escape conditions back home. Nowadays Cambodia Town is generations old and has everything that goes along with that.

Senmonorom is the capital of the eastern Mondulkiri Province, which borders Vietnam and is home to the indigenous Pnong people and was my first guess about the origin of the name. Upon further inquiry, the owner tells me this word means "delightful," and conjures up a feeling of peaceful simplicity. I think this works well and the menu sticks to a Khmer hit list which is very popular with the community here in Long Beach.

Despite having tried boat noodles all over Thailand and in many places throughout the United States, this was my first bowl of Cambodian-style boat noodles ($12.95, above and below). Despite coming out a glowing red, the dish needed some work with the condiment caddy to fill out the flavors. The noodles themselves are very nice, springy and chewy and giving the feel of being made in house.

After having the life-changing bowl of loat cha at Phnom Penh Noodle Shack, a few blocks north on Cherry Avenue, it is very difficult to resist a plate of it at any Cambodian restaurant. While the version here may not have the same effects, lot cha ($10.95, below) with chicken still was easily finished and enjoyed.

By the time the food came it was noon and that of course was good enough reason to enjoy a cold Angkor Beer. You can find a lot of reasons to relax in Long Beach, but good Cambodian food and drink is at the top of any list.

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