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    Bong

    4.3 (38 reviews)
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    Josephine L.

    Sigh. I'm not sure any of the hype-drinking sheeple calling this place the second coming of Jesus...'s kitchen...or whatnot can even find Cambodia on a map. They've probably never been to the country either. If they had, I don't see how they could be impressed with Bong's offerings. Look, I get the NYC mark-up when it comes to Southeast Asian cuisines. To please the affluent, melanin-challenged majority, some upscaling (i.e. "elevating") and fusion-izing is inevitable. I can live with that. I didn't expect anything at Bong to taste like the street food and market fare I noshed on throughout Phnom Penh and Siem Reap (yes, Virginia, there really IS a Cambodia)--but I hoped there would be *something* authentic in the inauthenticity, you know? I'm too annoyed by my overpriced, mediocre meal to write a long review, so here's the Tik Tok version: - Best item: Fried Fish. Closest to authentic Cambodian cuisine you'll get. - Respectable mentions: Oyster (though charging $4 for one is highway robbery), Na Taing (at least channels Cambodian essence), Pomelo Salad (fresh, if not generic). - Waste of stomach and wallet space: Scallop Plea (forgettable), Crabbage (charging $32 for napa cabbage stir-fry with a fingernail's amount of crab meat is surely a crime), Kampot Pepper Steak au Poivre (too much cream, not enough pepper), Mama Kim's Lobster ($95 for half a small lobster over white rice with oily, browned fish sauce...seriously?) Where was the fresh lemongrass? Where was the Loc Lac or Amok? How do you design a Cambodian menu without any of these items--or at least interpretations of them? The space is cute, if you like being packed like sardines under kitschy abstract sculptures that double as barely functional coat hooks (mine fell three times during our dinner). The staff are nice, but definitely look like cover models from Brooklyn Hipster Monthly. I wouldn't have minded any of this if the price : portion : flavor ratios had been fair. As it was, I basically schlepped to Crown Heights to get the mediocre Manhattan meal experience. I think that's what annoys me the most.

    crabbage
    Morlene C.

    The talk of the town lately is Bong, a nondescript Cambodian restaurant with just a few seats serving the likes of durian cake and head on shrimp to those willing to wait. Reservations are hard to come by, and it's hard to believe the mainstream NY palate is clamoring for these funky Southeast Asian flavors-- I think they would've shied away from them just a few years ago but I welcome this era of open mindedness. I credit the chef/owners, who ran a pop up called Kreung Cambodia for several years that successfully branded themselves as a very cool eatery, partnering with some of the trendiest restaurants and nightlife venues to throw exciting pop ups leading up to the opening of this brick and mortar location. My family's country of origin--Burma-- is quite close to Cambodia, so I'm quite familiar with these flavors and am excited it's not only considered palatable but also cool now. I was notified first thing in the morning that a 10pm slot had opened up that very night, and though it was out of the way and on a snowy Sunday night, I made sure to clear my calendar. I ordered 5 things for two people, which was more than enough food. 2 out of the 5 dishes were amazing, 1 of them satisfactory, the other 2 quite disappointing. This has been my general experience with Kreung Cambodia-- they don't blow it out of the water with everything. First, what was amazing-- the fried fish was quite bony (I don't agree with the folks saying you can chew the bones, they are waaaay too hard and pointy), but the meaty parts do pull right off. Wrapped in basil and lettuce and topped with the accoutrements they pair it with, this dish had some satisfying bites. This and the salt and pepper head on shrimp saved the meal for me. The crabbage and clams disappointingly fell quite flat for both me and my dining companion. Both were so heavily salted without much umami, and just didn't come together in a cohesive way. I think both were just saucy but the sauce did not have good flavor. The durian cake was pretty good but the star fruit slices didn't really make sense with the flavor profile of the cake. I'm sorry to say but I've had dozens of SEAsian meals in NY I enjoyed heaps more than this meal, which I think I will promptly forget about. The hype for me, was not met.

    Jason L.

    So good! Bong has been on my list of places to try for months so I was excited to see a last minute resy on a Saturday at 5:45pm. This is a tiny hole in the wall spot with no signage and only a handle of bar seats and small table seating inside. It was packed when i got there! I got the clams, plea satch ko, fried fish, and lobster fried rice. The clams were delicious and reminded me of something you would get on the side of the street in southeast asia. Perfect balance of sour, sweet and spicy and was perfectly paired with white rice. The plea satch ko was also delicious and was kind of like a beef carpaccio. Fried fish was the star of the show! We made lettuce wraps, I do wish they gave some more pieces of lettuce though since we ran out pretty quick. Lobster fried rice was immaculate. A little salty, but its fried rice! It was nice that the lobster was also pre-cracked.

    Fruit plate
    Gab G.

    Best meal I've had in a while. Got lucky and snagged a same-day reservation for a Friday night; they turned away all walk-ins while we were dining so I wouldn't try it (place is tiny). My boyfriend and I shared: + Na taing - pork dip + Scallop plea + crabbage + fried fish + Durian Tiramisu + Fruit plate Everything was a banger, though the pork dip stands out in my memory as being the absolute best dish. Amazing soundtrack and friendly service, too. They were just named a James Beard semifinalist - super deserved!!

    Scallop plea
    Huiwen C.

    Bong is vibrant and it can be seen in the dishes served here. Every dish was full of flavor, but there were some hits and some misses. We ordered 5 dishes for 2 people: - Scallop plea $26 - Salt & Pepper Head on Shrimp $22 - Crabbage $32 - Pork Chop $42 - Kampot Pepper Steak au poivre $40 The favorites were the shrimp, pork chop and steak. The scallop plea was a light, refreshing starter that set the mood, but not a must order. The shrimp on the other hand is a must order. The flavors were on point and every bite was full of umami. The Crabbage unfortunately did not work and was our least favorite dish of the night. There was very heavy white pepper used, a bit too much that overpowered the entire dish and made the crab lose its sweetness. Both the pork chop and the steak are great options for entrees. They were both tender - the pork chop was on the sour side due to the tamarind (but a much needed acidity) and the steak was delightful due to the coconut cream. I will say the dishes tend to lean towards the salty side and that's where you will need some rice to accompany them. The service was fine, but we did have to wait for 30 minutes for food. The table next to us came in 15 minutes after us and got 3 dishes, but we hadn't gotten a single dish yet. We had to ask what was going on. The server said there was a ticket mixup in the kitchen and after that, the food came relatively fast. The interior of the restaurant is small, but very cozy and feels like you're in someone's home!

    Fish
    Udochi M.

    We were lucky enough to snag a reservation at bong. It's a cute tiny restaurant located in bedstuy. There isn't much space, but I did love the vibe inside the room. We ordered a bunch of stuff, including the crispy shrimp, clam machew, pork chop, fried chicken, and the crispy whole fish. I unfortunately left disappointed with the meal. Most things lacked flavor and was pretty bland. I will say the pork chop was good but way too salty. My favorite thing on the menu was the fried chicken and the mango ice cream. Maybe today was an off day, but regardless, this was not a hit, unfortunately.

    Bathroom art
    Andrew P.

    Whenever I visit the city, I always check what's hot and new in the neighborhood. My friend who lives nearby is usually on top of hitting all the new spots, but I realized she hadn't made it here yet. And I saw Cambodian cuisine and that got my attention. That's a cuisine I've never explored before! I tried hard to get a reservation, but the slots just weren't budging. So my buddy and I decided we were just going to show up around 7:00 and attempt a walk in. We had backups in case it went south. We arrived, and I saw immediately why they had no room. You can fit maybe 10-12 people inside the restaurant max. Outside actually has more seating, but... the weather. It was pretty lively though. So we talked to someone with a tablet, and said we had no reservation but wondered if they would be room. What did she say? As long as we were okay sitting outside, we'd get seated within 5-10 minutes. YAY! And thankfully we were bundled up with hoodies so the wind wasn't terrible. We got our colorful menus (green for food, orange for drinks). We were told everything is small through the chicken -- everything after is bigger. So we decided to grab like 4 things and share: Cambo corn- corn on the cob, which I'm usually not a fan of... but the oil and coconut milk made it so... DELICIOUS!!! Shrimp toast- mango and shrimp on a baguette? Yes please. But... the shrimp was kept in its shell. Normally I don't like this, but it was fried just enough and worked with the ongoing texture as is that it was fine. Impressive! Prahok ktis- a ground pork dip with a giant shrimp cracker and 'veggie chips', if you will. The dip was really good! Confit chicken- Had to do a little bit of knife work to split it, but it was tasty. Loved the pickles on top! Everything was delicious... now, mind you, it turned out a bit pricey, but split between the two of us it wasn't that bad. And I'd be curious to try some of the other items. A $95 lobster?! Who's gonna treat me? XD Btw the bathroom was artsy and lit with a blacklight... very cool.

    Maricar T.

    Snowstorm Luck I took advantage of the snowstorm to get a table in one of the hardest restaurants to book this year. And my winter walk-in gamble was well calculated because at opening, right before the place got filled by eager diners, we got a table! This restaurant offers Cambodian cuisine in a small and but hip space in a residential neighborhood in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. The seasonal dishes served by Chef Chakriya Un @kreung_cambodia isn't small nor humble at all, it delivers big and bold flavors that left me slightly sweating in winter cold but still wanting more. We probably ordered all except one on their appetizers list and every single dish was wiped out as soon as it came out. My favorite is the pomelo salad with tiny shrimps, fresh leaves of mint and that umami flavor of fish sauce that I love in most Asian dishes. I will try again, only if tables aren't scant. @bong.nyc #curious_eater #bongnyc #khmerfood #kreung #cambodianfood

    Will N.

    Was really looking forward to checking out this place since it's received a lot of accolades/recognition recently. While there are certainly standout dishes/elements, I could go without a couple as well. I recognize there isn't much Cambodian representation, at least to my knowledge and exposure, in NYC, so I do give Bong its flowers there. Since it's relatively similar to Viet cuisine though, I do know elements that could've been refined, especially at this price point. Specifically the fried fish. I think the kitchen should have spent more time and craft cooking it before sending it out. Its accompanying sauces were amazing though. On the other hand, the shrimp appetizer was a top eat this year. Juicy, flavorful, and crispy. If that dish could be essentially perfect, I made me disappointed that the fish, a main dish, was not at the same caliber.

    Cambo Corn
    Nathaniel P.

    Cambodian fine dining is something I haven't had before. Loving all these great southeast Asian spots opening around the city in the last few years. Melon and crispy jowl salad was one of my favorite things this year. It was sweet, refreshing and savory, kind of like prosciutto and melon but make it Asian. I'm a sucker for corn, so of course I loved the coconut milk and scallion corn. I could eat 12 plates of those. The ginger lobster dish reminded me of a crab dish I grew up eating from the Philippines, in a good way. It's messy but addictive and fun. Service was friendly and informative. Wish there was dessert! Also wish they were easier to book, I'd go every time I'm back LOL So far from Manhattan but I think worth the trip.

    Bone-In Heritage Pork Chop- Tuk trey ping poh. $42. Best of the main dishes. Excellent
    Glenn C.

    I went to this hard to get into Cambodian spot last week with a group. The place is tiny with one six top which could maybe be expanded to seven (but likely not) along with maybe 10 to 12 other seats inside and another 10-sh seats outside. The menu is also quite small and while the spot is listed as Cambodian, it's more fusiony compared to some other Cambodian/Khmer spots I have been too such as Bayon which I don't mind. I would say overall that the main dishes were much better than the appetizers but it was all tasty and worth it outside of maybe the clams. Outside of food, they have a small selection of wine both by the glass and bottle along with a handful of beers and a couple non-alcoholic drinks. The best of the small plates was the Grilled Pork Jowl & Melons for $24 with pickled chili dressing and herbs. The pork was fried almost like bacon and compared to the rest of the menu, it have a very nice kick of spice. The melon consisted of watermelon and honeydew with me preferring the honeydew of the two as the crunch went well with the pork. This was a nice mix and my favorite of the night along with the pork chop and flank steak. The rest of the people shared the Golden Squid for the same price with fried squid, salted duck egg, curry leaves, and scallion oil. The portion was pretty generous and they liked the texture but they found it a bit too salty as there almost was too much salted duck egg. As I can't have squid, I had with the Cambo Corn for $14 listed as sweet & salty coconut milk and scallion oil which came with three pieces of well grilled corn. The friendly waiter said that the corn was made with a mixture of coconut milk and fish sauce and it did have a nice sweet and slightly sour flavor with the scallion oil being a nice addition. I think it would be easier to split off the cob (like in esquites) but it was nice to much on and a few people could split this. There was finally the Clams Machew for $32 with sour tamarind kreung, celery, and water spinach. I liked the Thai eggplant in there as well as the celery as the mix of veggies had a bunch of textures with the slightly sour sauce working with the clams. It was a bit small though so I would recommend the other dishes more and one other person found it a bit too sour. My favorite of the main dishes as well as everyone else was the Bone-In Heritage Pork Chop for $42 with tuk trey ping poh. The pork was sliced in many different pieces and it was cooked absolutely perfectly reminding me almost more of jowl due to the fattiness and texture and was excellent. The sauce was salsa like with some sourness as well as some heat and sweetness and the plum tomatoes were nice to munch on to help with the richness. This was delicious. Also very tasty and the best representation of Khmer food on the menu was the Flank Steak & Tuk Kreun for $38 with charred eggplant and fermented fish dressing. Said fermented fish dressing (made from prahok) was handmade with it adding a nice slight fermented flavor which was good with the steak which again was cooked very nicely. There was also some leafy greens for texture which was nice. This was my other favorite as was with most of the other people outside of one person who didn't like the fermented flavor as much. The last dish was the Crispy Whole Fish for $48 with a whole dorado, tuk m'pil, tuk trey koh kong, lettuce wraps, and herb adventure (with shiso, rau rum, and fish mint) As per the description, the dish came with two dipping sauces, a spicy fish sauce/said tuk trey and the former which was tamarind with peanut. The fish was fried quite well with many of the small bones being essentially small chips and was nice with the sauces with my preference being the spicy one of course. It was a bit hard to eat as it was topped with so many herbs but they added good texture and flavor. This was also good. We would have gotten dessert possibly but the main person wasn't there for reasons (congrats!) so we went to Island Pops instead (highly recommended.) I can see why this place has gotten really hard to get into. Would recommend if you want a fun excellent spin on Southeast Asian food.

    Olivia N.

    overall rating: 4.6 Paid $70 pp (total of 3) My friend was able to snag a 9pm reservation on the weekend. I know the background and I know how popular the place is, & getting a reservation is hard - but eh idk if it's worth it to me. I don't think it's overhyped at all, I just don't see myself visiting again. It's too small and cramped for the pricing I'm paying. I went with a group of 3 which was the perfect size to try all the popular dishes: - cambo corn: 3.5/5 - a fun twist on corn - Shrimp toast 5/5 - so effing good - Plea satch ko - 4/5 - solid - Lobster- 3/5, was it good? Yes. Was it worth it, eh. It being over just plain white rice didn't do it for me. I think they could have had a better twist. There was only 1 waiter who was also the host, so service was a bit spotty. Someone additional came towards the end and things started pickup but by that time we were done. Both were very friendly, but it's a one-time spot for me.

    Jowl and Melon
    Ingrid H.

    I ate dinner here with a friend and we just kept saying "Wow this is so good" back and forth to each other for the entire meal. Pork jowl and melon appetizer was incredible. The sweetness of perfectly ripe melon was tempered so well by the bold spicy vinegar dressing and salty crunchy pork belly. The n'gom salad was well seasoned and delicious, but wasn't as unique and interesting as some of the other menu items and in hindsight I would have ordered something else instead. The whole fish had an impossibly crispy texture and when eaten as a lettuce wrap with the two sauces and the provided herbs it was such a perfect bite that I've been having taste flashbacks to all day. This is one of the dishes that I left the restaurant wishing I could eat it again right away. Even the bottom side of the fishes was crispy. Everything here is seasoned super aggressively but perfectly. It feels like really expert cooking. Even one more pinch of salty would make this food too salty, but instead it's just bright and bold and so so good. Truly lives up to any hype you may have heard.

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    Employees there were so incredibly kind and welcoming. Food was fantastic. The place was small but warm and cozy

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    Michelin Guide restaurant, 100% worth going. First time having Cambodian food and so many of the…read moreflavors remind me of home. Food 5/5 Prahok Crudite - My first time having this dish so I have nothing to compare it to. I enjoyed trying these flavors. Flavors are very light and not as rich as they may look. I only took a liking to one of the dips. Amok Fish - Sea Bass - Chef's kiss. How can you not love the little hearts? Noodles - YUM!! Can't remember the name of this dish but it tasted like home. Everything was perfect: flavor, heat, texture. Same flavor as Singapore mei fun. Sago Dessert - Soooo delicious. Perfect level of sweetness. Service 5/5 Our server was Cambodian and very knowledgeable about the cuisine. We talked a lot about the Southeast Asian culture and history. Really friendly and respectful guy! Ambiance 5/5 We sat by the window booth where there were many cushions and pillows for comfort. Really cozy space inside. Definitely will be back!

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    I'm embarrassed: a couple of weeks after Lula Mae first opened, we went there and really enjoyed…read morethe food, and then...didn't go back. It's been open several years now less than a 10 minute walk away, and for some reason we just never went back. Well thanks to the storm boxing in our travel distance, we looked closer to home and rediscovered Lula Mae last night - it was fantastic! The vibe is really pleasant, cool-Brooklyn vibe with some of their own takes on it. We hit the happy hour menu hard, getting almost every food item, and also got their Lort Cha (which I remembered liking from 3 years ago). Everything we got was delicious. The Tahini Cabbage Salad was so different than anything we've had! First bite we both kind of looked at each other confused, but by the last bite we were scraping the bottom. Chicken wings (& nuggies) were delicious, as was the Spinach/Artichoke toast. Cocktails (and mocktails) were also very good. Highly recommend! Kicking ourselves for not coming more often the last 3 years. Another note: The Tiger Den (a new Disco Bar they opened?) wasn't open in the back when we were there, but I am curious to check it out.

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    The Tyger

    The Tyger

    4.2
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    I was there a week ago with a group and we were taken care of by Sarah …read more She was Amazing without her we would have been lost . Every thing she recommended was so on point and she was soo lovely !! Will definitely return .

    We went for dinner on a Friday night, I would give 5 stars for service, 4 stars for the food and 3…read morestars for the ambiance. We enjoyed almost every dish we ordered, but holy moly was this restaurant LOUD. It was extremely difficult to hear our waitress and we were almost yelling at each other just to be able to communicate across the table. Not exaggerating, my ears actually hurt a bit and were sensitive to noise afterwards. That being said, the restaurant is nicely decorated and huge place albeit warm. They have AC, but they leave the doors open so if you sit in the front of the restaurant itself it is only a little better than sitting outside. The service was great, friendly, attentive and the food came out at a good pace and each course was explained. We ordered from the gluten free menu to accommodate a friend with celiac and honestly I would never know the difference. I was impressed they made a point to tell us what could possibly be cross contaminated with gluten. As a table of four, we ordered the papaya salad, sambal stingray, Singaporean chili crab rice (the crunchy topping has gluten so they put it on the side for us), crying tiger steak, short rib green curry, pad see ew (the tofu was possibly cross contaminated so they also put it on the side), morning glory and mango sticky rice for dessert. The star for me was the short rib green curry though others around the table thought the Singaporean chili crab rice and crying tiger steak were the best and honestly all 3 were excellent. The short rib is served on the bone and was cooked perfectly, soft and fell off the bone, you could cut it with a spoon. The green curry was thick so it stuck to the meat well. It came with thai eggplant (tastes like japanese eggplant) and yams and some green leaves that I think you are not supposed to eat. It was a pretty large serving of short rib which I appreciated and a fairly heavy dish. It was bursting with flavor and I would absolutely give this dish 5 stars. The steak was also cooked perfectly and had nice flavor that complimented the steak rather than overwhelming it. It came with a fresh herb salad and was a decent serving of steak. What I liked about the Singaporean chili crab rice besides the crunchy spicy topping which I could eat on it's own, was that the crab was evenly distributed throughout, so you got crab in each bite. This dish was also a pretty decently sized portion. As for the other dishes, I really enjoyed the sambal stingray although the skate was a bit too soft in terms of texture. Great flavor from the sambal sauce and a medium sized portion, more like a large appetizer or small entree. The morning glory was also good, but tasted different from other Thai places we have had it and was a bit watery. The pad see ew was okay, nothing special. I wanted it to have a bit more flavor, but it is nice to see a noodle dish on the gluten free menu. I didn't particularly enjoy the papaya salad as it just overwhelmingly tasted like vinegar and the mango sticky rice was a huge disappointment. It was not sticky rice at all, just regular white rice and it barely had any fresh mango in it. The mango sorbet is came with was delicious, but the fresh lime zest on top was unnecessary and I ate around it as it ruined the mango flavor. Great place to come if you have allergies and overall pretty good Thai food. Probably better to come during a weekday though so it is less loud.

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    5.2 mi
    $$

    Been searching for a solid bowl of hu tieu kho, which is virtually impossible and nonexistent in…read moreNYC. Had Em bookmarked for the longest time, because they seemed to be one of the few places that had it. I can attest that this place absolutely hits the nail on the head. We arrived as soon as they opened and it was rather empty, but customers slowly trickled in. The space is pretty small and tight -- probably fits ~20 people total. We were almost elbow to elbow with the table next to us, but don't let that deter you from a good meal. Service is quite fast, because our food was brought out almost immediately after we ordered. They serve hu tieu wet and dry, but I usually gravitate towards the dry noodle with soup on the side. The hu tieu could use a little more meat and toppings, but overall still a very solid and flavorful bowl with a lot of freshness from the herbs. The broth, served with a hefty chunk of pork bone, was very comforting and I usually like slowly mixing spoonfuls of the broth with my noodles to coat them a little more for flavor. Also ordered cha gio and nem nuong cuon for the table to share. Loved how refreshing the nem nuong cuon was and portion size of the nem nuong. I could've done without the cha gio; it was a bit on the smaller side and didn't really stand out to me much. Overall pretty authentic spot that has answered my calling for a solid bowl of hu tieu that I can't find anywhere else in the city.

    I've had better Vietnamese food that wasn't as expensive. I feel like they're upcharging for the…read more"beauty" of this restaurant (I can't lie, it's pretty in here). My bf and I shared a family-style Bo Kho (Beef stew), and it was tasty, but it wasn't really family-style. I could've easily eaten it myself, and they didn't give much food. Maybe I'm just a big back. We even had to order extra rice because it wasn't enough-- they said the stew came with banh mi, but they didn't even give a full piece of bread, like, bruhhhhh rationing I also felt like the soup wasn't thick enough to be called a stew; it was more like a broth. The workers also kind of ignore you, which is a double-edged sword because either you could be busy talking, or you could be waiting to order...

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    Pho Ga
    Pho Ga
    The Smoothie Lineup
    The Smoothie Lineup
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    Sandwiches!

    Bong - cambodian - Updated July 2026

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