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I can’t seem to stay away from Zaferia — good coffee shops, a French wine bar, and great food, including Sophy’s: Cambodia Town Food.

As a transplant, I know I need to take advantage of all the Cambodian cuisine Long Beach has to offer. And as I’ve started the journey of eating my way through the city’s lauded establishments, Sophy’s came to mind. 

Actress and cookbook author Tiffani Thiessen recently ate there, saying she had been told by so many friends about it. I’ve heard the same, so I asked Visuals Editor Thomas Cordova to come with me and be my guide, since he’d eaten there before.   

But it turns out I didn’t need Thomas at all, although I was happy he was there. Our server was incredibly helpful in guiding us towards our picks. We wanted something light and fresh to balance our craving for noodles, so we went with the neoum green mango and the loudchah, sometimes written as “lort cha.” 

The neoum green mango consists of matchstick strips of unripe mango tossed with red onions, basil leaves, crushed peanuts in a sweet and tangy lime sauce and the choice of dried fish or dried shrimp (we went with the shrimp). 

A fair warning, the dried shrimp is fishy so if that’s not your thing, that may not be the best pick for you. But the dried shrimp, which is given generously, add a nice substance to what is essentially a very low-calorie salad. 

I found myself eating it every which way — by itself, on top of rice and mixed with the noodles. Its acidic crunch was addictive. 

But the noodles were easily my favorite part of the meal. The menu describes them as “short and stumpy” which is accurate, but to my surprise they’re simply rice noodles in a peculiar shape. 

While many rice noodles are thin and flat, these are tubular noodles that have pinched ends as if squeezed through someone’s fingers instead of chopped. The dish comes with egg, bean sprouts, crushed peanuts, a sweet and sour sauce, lime and we picked chicken as our protein. 

The noodles were wonderfully soft and chewy, the bean sprouts added a necessary crunch and all the fixins on top kept me going back for more. I didn’t find I needed much of the sweet and sour sauce, partially because I was mixing the noodles with the green mango, but also because it had a wonderful rich umami that I didn’t need anything else except an occasional pinch of lime because I’m an acidity fiend. 

And perhaps best of all, the atmosphere of the restaurant is warm and inviting. It was clear that Thomas and I were a little overwhelmed encountering a menu filled with over 100 options, but our server was kind and excited to share the cuisine with us. She steered us away from more Thai-style dishes (the restaurant offers things like papaya salad and pad thai) and encouraged us to try authentic Cambodian dishes, which was our goal. 

So if you haven’t been, and are worried about being out of your depth, don’t. It’s the perfect place to start exploring Cambodian cuisine. 

Tell me which Cambodian spot to go to next by emailing me at [email protected].

New eats around town

Coffee Station, a new coffee shop in Downtown brings together Turkish traditions (and coffee) to the heart of Pine Avenue. Former UFC fighter Alptekin Özkılıç and his brother Engin hope it will eventually be a place for people who want to avoid bars to hang out in the evening. Read more about it here.

Hawaiian Gardens is getting a new concept from Michelin-recognized Khan Saab in Fullerton. SHOR Bazaar will have a craft mocktail (alcohol-free) bar and a chef-driven menu that draws upon the cuisines of Afghanistan, India and Pakistan. Read more about it here. 

Have you been to any new restaurants or have some recommendations for me? I would love to hear your thoughts. Make sure to reply to this email or reach me here: [email protected]. 

Events and Specials

McDonald’s is bringing back their breakfast bagel sandwiches for a limited time only to all Southern California locations beginning Monday, Feb. 5

Super Bowl Sunday is quickly approaching so I’ve rounded up 10 places in Long Beach where you can watch the big game on Feb. 11. Trademark Brewing will have a free bounce house for kids, food vendors and seating you can reserve for free, Altar Society Brewing Co. is also offering table reservations with a full meal, snacks and more. Visit the Hi-lo for more details.

Want to learn more about fermentation? Culinary bookstore Kitchen Lingo is hosting a class on the subject. Tickets cost $85 and include a two-hour master class from the people behind Fermentality and an edible fermentation to take home. Space is limited, tickets can be purchased here.