There's a dearth of Cambodian food in New York City. That said, Lula Mae does a great job of introducing Cambodian flavors to the neighborhood. My partner and I made a reservation via OpenTable for Saturday evening. The ambience was delightful-- from the lighting, to the wallpaint, and table setting, it was clear the owners really thought out every single detail. There's a beautiful back cocktail lounge area that i'm excited to check out in the future. As for the food, it was a 10/10. My partner and I ordered the crudo, 50-50 fried chicken, stir fried morning glory, lort cha noodles, and duck salat with market greens. Every item was delicious but I was especially impressed with the duck--- it was perfectly tender and the market vegetables were super fresh. I especially liked pairing the duck with the perilla leaves! A nice added surprise was the staff-- they were so friendly and attentive. I'm excited to see this new restaurant succeed! read more

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I just had one of the best dining experiences ever!!!! Asian cuisine namely Vietnamese and Thai are my go to but I've always wanted to try Cambodian and Lula Mae definitely came threw with great food and drinks! The food was fresh and delicious and everything was well balanced. My favs are THE OYSTERS! The crab fried rice! The duck! The steak! The sauces are bright and fresh!!! I want to give a special shout out to our sever Reno!!!!! I highly recommend Lula Mae for good food and great ambiance!!! Honorable mention the Steak Tartare which I was skidding to try but was Amazing!!!!! read more

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Had the pleasure of attending this new restaurant for a walk in dinner for 2. The stand out here is the food. We started in hot with the cucumber. Not to be missed! The crunch and flavor are spot on. We also had the fried rice with crab, which had some heat and offered a cozy feeling on a cold and rainy day. The place was busy, so service was sometimes slow. But, our waiter was attentive and polite. He made great recommendations. It was stuffy to sit at the high top right behind the bar, but as long as you don't mind the classic tight spacing of a city restaurant you'll be great. We will definitely come back :) read more

Lula Mae - Holiday in Cambodia - Cambodian Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Probably one of my top 5 meals this year. The food was phenomenal. I definitely see the influence from Tyger (also another favorite) on this menu. The two of us got the fried bread with tom yum butter, crudo, fried chicken, loat cha noodles, duck. The chicken, duck and the loat cha noodles are heck yeses for me. Actually, the noodles were next level and so unique. I can easily house a tub of the noodles on my own. The drinks were also very tasty- we got the tokeyo mae, lula dirty, abuelita's paloma and the spiced mezcal mule. We had dinner in the front/bar area and it was cool to be able to see the chefs work but the back was so gorgeous, perfect for a cozy date night. read more

Delish! Meals are shared. Limited menu. Portions are okay.. but so savory.. must try the fried chicken..

Holy f this place is so good. I had never had Cambodian food before, and was so beyond impressed. Reno, our server, told us to order the perfect amount of food, and made balanced recommendations. The back room is so cute and romantic but also perfect for a group dinner. We loved the tuna rice and pork belly curry the most but everything was beyond. Wow wow wow wow wow read more

Great ambiance and delicious food! A wonderful neighborhood spot with a great happy hour

Happened upon Lula Mae during happy hour and am grateful for it! It was a Wednesday which meant they were offering $2 oyster and $5 rosé in addition to their regular happy hour menu. The oysters were fab and dressed with mignonette and fried shallots which are great for people like me that aren't fully into oysters yet. Happy hour is at the bar only and included cocktails, wine and food - all at $10. We ordered the loc lac skewers (steak skewers), shishito peppers, & wings. The peppers were covered in this light but zesty sauce that was so good. Loved everything -- will be back :) read more

Cute as heck, great vibe inside, busy but on point. Not your average meal in a good way, peanut sauce on the endives could be sold for gold. Not pictured is the chicken, the tendies are like chik fil a nuggets on roids. Foods so weirdly unique it's amazing. Get a resy and enjoy read more

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Went here on a date as well as to celebrate a birthday. Lula Mae can support a party of ~8 well with the back room if you get a rez. Really fun vibe for a date, cool interior and can see into the kitchen. Cocktails are great. Standout appetizers are cucumber salad (really refreshing and inventive), heirloom tomatoes, lort cha noodles (chunky in such a good way). My go to main is the crab fried rice. Great vegan options and menu has vegan labeling. Service is normal and good. read more

Great place for Cambodian food. Came with a group of three and got the papaya salad, steak tartare, lort cha noodles, and duck salat. All were wonderful and you could not go wrong ordering any of them. Personal favorites were the lort cha noodles and duck salat. Lort cha noodles were very chewy and in a great size to eat each noodle individually. The duck was very tender and flavorful. read more

It was the first time to have a dinner there We ordered crudo ,loat cha noodles, papaya salad, and sambal crab fried rice. All foods are delicious! Specially papaya salad and fried rice. One thing overall is too salty. If it is less salty it will be perfect! Service was good and polite. read more

I made a reservation on Friday afternoon for a 615pm dinner for two people but at the last minute I added a third person when we showed up and they were accommodating and were able to fit us in a booth. We did have to make sure we were out in an hour and 15 minutes which was a good enough time but we didn't get a chance to have dessert offered which is OK because we were pretty full. We got the fried bread which was delicious. Also got the tuna Crudo, which my friend thought was a bit salty and I somewhat agree. The fried chicken was delicious, it was in two flavors, wings and boneless with a dipping sauce that was great. The bok choy was delicious. The fried tofu was pretty good but the center was a bit mushy. Maybe I'm just not used to fried tofu since I don't get it often. We also got the noodles which were great, nothing out of this world but a solid dish. When we left at 8 o'clock the place was packed and there were people waiting inside and outside for a table so it's definitely a place where you need a reservation for a Friday and Saturday night dinner but not as crazy that you need to make it days ahead. When I looked for a reservation at 1 PM on Friday there was a 6 PM, 6:15 PM and an 8:30 PM since I didn't want to be out late I took the earlier reservation but 830pm wouldn't be so bad either. There were three of us and with the fried bread, tuna Crudo, bok choy, fried tofu, noodles and fried chicken we were pretty full and satisfied. read more

Lula Mae - Cha Kwai with Tom Yum butter - Cambodian Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Wow! This little Cambodian gem is awesome. I generally temper my expectations with new places, especially those with a lot of hype. ATMOSPHERE: it's a seemingly small space but has more seating in the back. I love the open kitchen, too. The vibe feels chill and waitstaff definitely perpetuate that vibe. We were seated in the window area and I do think it was a bit cramped. However, it provided a nice view of the floor and kitchen plus the sidewalk outside. It can get a bit hard to hear once it picks up (and it does!), so maybe not the best spot for that first date or overdue catch up with a friend. SERVICE: all of the staff were lovely. I swear every subway was running with issues on the night we went, and I was about 10 min past my reservation time once I arrived. I was ready to apologize profusely and the host kindly told me it was no issue. The servers and runners were all attentive and friendly, even though they were clearly busy! FOOD: A-mazing. We got the oysters, cha kway with Tom yum butter, lort cha noodles and duck salat (I obviously didn't eat the meat). Everything was delicious that I tasted and really flavorful. My only bummer was that I didn't get carrots and bean sprouts on my noodles (I love those!) but I saw how busy the kitchen was and didn't mention it. I also had the Teetotaler N/A drink, which was so delicious that I had 2! OVERALL: definitely recommend that you check out this spot! It's one of the few Cambodian restaurants in nyc and well worth the visit. Make a reservation! read more

I am so excited that there is a new Cambodian restaurant in Clinton hill, Brooklyn --close to where I live. I've gone a couple of times and it's always been a great experience. The dishes are modernized Cambodian dishes. They are small plates so make sure to get a bunch to share with your table so everyone can try everything. If you are familiar with Cambodian, make sure to let the chef know so he can add those extra elements to make you feel like you're there ;). My personal favorite is the chicken--the sauce that it comes with reminds me of my favorite sauce growing up, a citrus lime and pepper sauce that my Cambodian mom made. We were sitting next to a large party in the main room and so it was hard to hear ourselves, but once they were gone, it was much more pleasant. They have a back room too. Make sure to make a reservation in advance it's a hot location! read more

So they earned the last star.... Oh Lula can you please make your chicken wings in orders of 6/12/18, I know I know I'm being presumptuous but, I have to have the wings. Maybe I can ask to work here in the kitchen (and I don't do kitchens anymore but, I will here) cause the chicken has me morning, noon and night. Ugh read more

Lula Mae - Chicken a Tini - Cambodian Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

What happened to this restaurant? I came here ~3 months back and it was one of the best dining experiences i've ever had. Came last week and the quality dropped so much. It used to be the only authentic tasting cambodian spot in NYC. Also they have a C rating from the health department? Will not come back again. read more

Love the jazz they play every Tuesday! Great little stage in front of the resto, really creates the vibe. Best Asian fried chicken in the city. The service is amazing. Really down to earth and genuinely nice bartenders/servers. Nice to see an owner who helps his team out instead of being on their asses. Keep it up y'all read more

Lula Mae - a band playing in a cafe - Cambodian Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Wonderful service and great ambiance. The crud I had a lovely lemongrass aroma. We also met Johnny Cash! read more

Lula Mae - Cambodian Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Lula Mae has fantastic food, service, and music (if you like chill hip-hop and throwback 90s/00s R&B). We ordered: - Lula No. 11 - I would describe this as slightly bitter yet somehow manages to be refreshing. - The Lula Mae Express - This sounded like it would be sweet but it wasn't at all. It was unique and I felt it would be best as a nightcap or pairing with dessert (once they have these offerings!). - Boch La Hong (Papaya Salad) - This was full of flavor but a bit too salty based on my personal preference. My partner really enjoyed it though and felt it was perfectly salted. - Crudo - A refreshingly light fish that came with a spicy sauce and cherry tomatoes, which added the right amount of acidity. - 50-50 Fried Chicken - AH, SO GOOD. This dish included wings and tender-like boneless pieces, each of which had the perfect balance of salty/sweet and the most satisfying crispiness. I couldn't get over how tasty this was and told our server how I was salivating as I was eating it, lol. - Lort Cha Noodles - The noodles had a peppery, robust, and well-rounded flavor that kept me coming back for more. I really enjoyed the noodles on their own but also felt they paired well with the fresh greens - not sure but I think it was broccolini?- and bean sprouts. For this visit I would actually rate 4.5 stars because the table we were seated at near the front window was a bit too cramped - my partner and I had very little to no wiggle room. Our server; however, was so kind and attentive so I felt my review was worth rounding up! When we return to Lula Mae, I hope we can get a table in the back room since the space looks inviting. I highly recommend coming here but do make a reservation if you can. read more

Lula Mae - Left: Lort Cha Noodles, mixed together. Top right: 50-50 Fried Chicken. Bottom Right: Boch La Hong (Papaya Salad) - Cambodian Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Fairly confusing experience recently at Lula Mae. The food is pretty good, a bit on the sweet side, but I gather that's standard for Cambodian and it's cool to see them have such a specific regional focus that isn't everywhere in NYC. The 50-50 chicken was nicely done, if not revolutionary. We sat in the back room, which was admittedly stylish with dark velvet curtains and a disco ball (very different than the bright front room, a deliberate almost speakeasy-vibes shift). But there's a weird lack of attention to how tiny the tables are-- the chairs don't even fit to scoot under, so diners are forced to sort of awkwardly crouch forward over their own laps. And then there's the small/large plates concept, which a waiter will proudly declare means you should order "a bunch to share," specifying that it's not coursed as appetizer/main but instead just sent by the kitchen in their own prescribed order. Ok. But if you're playing that game, here's what you really can't ever do, as staff: simultaneously deliver 3 dishes, all on super-large plates, plus a giant bowl of rice (which you're encouraged to also order), onto the afore-mentioned tiny table, while your diners are clearly still eating their fried chicken-- and then stand and stare blankly when the dishes don't even begin to fit. Yes, this happened to us (and to the table next to us). Multiple nearby wait staff, including what appeared to be the manager, were so passive about it we basically just had to make it work ourselves, incredibly uncomfortably. It really soured the experience. Seems like service 101 at this (fairly significant, not everyday casual) price point to make sure you know what fits on your tables, to have your chairs fit under tables so crumbs don't fall in diners' laps, and to help smooth out problems if issues arise. I hope they solve it for future diners, it would be nice to see them succeed. read more

I went for the first time and then went back again 3 days later! Loved the tuna rice cakes, lort cha noodles, cucumber salad, and red curry. slowly trying everything on the menu!! atmosphere is also really warm and cute and the people are very friendly! read more

Food was delicious, atmosphere was electric. It's quaint yet buzzing. The bartender is a delight and was wonderful to chat with, and the staff were kind and accommodating. So fun! Will go back here at my next chance. read more

The food was amazing. Best restaurant I've ever been to. The waiter was to kind and made a funny joke which I loved. I loved the way the place looked and how it was dimly lit. read more

Good food but small servings. Was still hungry after sharing 3 dishes with friend. Recommend - crudo bluefin. Good - lord cha noodles (even though you can get similar for much cheaper at most Chinatown places) Skip - duck salat. Good but not worth the price Small tables and bar. There seemed to be a bigger and dimly lit dining room in back read more

The food is good. Not good enough for the service to be as cocky as it is. Our server failed mention the fluke a special to us, which we would have ordered. The coursing was poorly executed. Dishes were dropped clumsily without clearing finished plates. Restaurants close so easily in New York, good food is easy to find. For a chef's first solo project, more intention should be placed on steps of service and hospitality. read more

Fried chicken, crispy tofu, stir fry noodles were all suuuper tasty. Great vibe in there as well.

Hi my name is habibi and I visit from Dubai my friend recommended this place to me who is Cambodian. I got the oysters, fried chicken, lot cha, and steak tartar. OMG IT IS THE BOMB DIGITY! My favorite was the tar tar it was so delicious. Took a bite and it changed my mood! And Oh Yea the drinks tho! I forgot what I got I think it was mezcal or something . It came with a lady on the cup! So gooood! Food 10/10 Drinks 15/10 and the staff were professional and awesome! This place is straight vibes!! I can't wait to tell my 5 wives about this when I go back to Dubai! Much love! read more

I love it here lol. so let's jump straight into the cuisine. I'm going to describe the food here as tasty and delicious. I've been here several times in the past month, and I would say I've always had a great experience. The menu is very much sharing style, which I do appreciate so it allows me and my guest to try a bit of everything. Great proportion dishes and the cocktail are amazing! The best restaurant on the block. read more

My girlfriend and I came here last night for a date - really great experience - Fried chicken not to be missed, other favorites were the papaya salad and the cucumbers. We kept ordering food because it was so delicious. Crudo was incredible too. We didn't order the duck but it looked amazing and we will be back for that. Had a night cap in the back room which has a 70's lounge vibe and stayed till midnight. Feels like the spot this neighborhood has been missing. Overall 10/10 read more

First thing out of the way is the ambiance and service. Our servers were great and attentive and I love the ambiance of the establishment. It felt cozy and the music was not so loud that I had to struggle to hear the people I was with. Now on to the food, the food here is great. We had the 50/50 Fried Chicken, Sambal Crab Fried Rice, Stir Fried Morning Glory, and Somlar Machu Krueng- Sour and Savory Beef Stew. The 50/50 Fried Chicken was hands down my favorite dish. It was savory and the chicken was juicy. The lime pepper dressing added a nice depth to the flavor. The Sambal Crab Fried Rice was probably my next favorite dish. I loved the addition of the tempura crunch and I thought it added a good texture. While the Stir Fried Morning Glory was tasty, it does not hold up by itself by worked well when paired with the other dishes. The Somlar Machu Krueng- Sour and Savory Beef Stew was also very good. The braised short rib was tender but it was difficult to get the stew. Over all a great experience. read more

Wow! This place is amazing. Very cute spot, with a cool dining room in the back. The food is delicious, drinks are super tasty. Highly recommend! read more

Went there September 8 with 5 people in our group. This was a good idea because we ordered a variety of dishes to sample. Pacing of our orders was almost a science. There was never too little or too much food to sample at one time. It was hard to pick a favorite dish. People in out group were not tofu fans have a new appreciation for this food. Tuna was great, sauteed morning glory was a fun new food experience. Don't get me started about the duck breast! Wow! We will be back! read more

New to the neighborhood but already a staple for my crew. Roof is known in many circles as the best bartender in the city so make sure get drinks and and say hi! The food gives truly vibrant flavors that I keep coming back for. The design in the dining room is clean and simple, a 180 from their back room which is covered in rich velvet walls. One of my favorite places in the city hands down. Do yourself a favor and go asap!! read more

THRILLED to have a new Cambodian spot. Great food and vibes! Super accommodating for a bday dinner

I never write online reviews but my experience was so unpleasant I feel the need to warn against hosting any kind of event at Lula Mae. I chose to have a private event in the back room for my birthday. The space is cute but the way they handle "platters" for events makes no sense. It's far too much food for grazing, and there were no proper utensils or plates. There was a minimum food and drink order, but at the end of the night it became clear they hadn't been tracking my party's drinks and grossly underestimated the consumption bar. On top of it, when I was simply asking for clarification on the bill, the manager, Mark Roof, got aggressive and petty, ultimately storming downstairs in a huff, leaving his poor bartender to try and wrap up. I believe I ended up being overcharged by hundreds of dollars. I have tried to resolve it with the other owner since, but have been put on ice for a full month with basically no apology much less a refund. Like other reviewers I agree the food is wonderful - but the management sucks and they have no business hosting events. read more

This place is great and has so much potential - cute restaurant, very nice and accommodating staff and good food. It's clearly got a lot of buzz around it because it was hard to get a reservation and was packed when we went on a Friday night. My only note is that maybe they shouldn't try to be so ambitious and accommodate *so* many people at a time, especially when you're just getting up and running. We were packed in like sardines between two tables of 3-4 people - 9 people in total sat at tables that were clearly meant for 6 people at most. It was very loud, and I could barely hear my partner over the table of 3 basically dining with us. And while our server was very apologetic and as attentive as she could be, the service was clearly strained, delivering our dishes to the wrong table and almost giving us someone else's dishes a few times. Everything was ultimately delicious and our server was so nice and took off the dish that came late and gave us a free plate of very tasty vegetables. Personally, I would rather them limit the number of seats per night understanding that it will be harder to get a reservation if it means we'd be spared the hiccups/being packed into such a small space. But the service and food were good enough that I will definitely give them another shot. read more