My StORy
Hi my name’s Neri!
​
Proud owner of Angkor Café & Restaurant
A modern Cambodian eatery
Located on Spencer Street!
Be honest with me here.
When you think of Asian cuisine…
What pops up in your mind?
Chinese?
Vietnamese?
Thai?
Cambodian is rarely in that convo
But let me try change that
You see,
I was born and raised in Cambodia.
Post-war.
Imagine being a little girl
Raised in an extremely low income family.
That was me.
It was pure survival mode.
But the one thing that kept us going…
Was grandma’s cooking.
The unique flavours and special sauces.
The tantalising spices of the curries.
The fish amok’s and the prahok’s.
It was a bonding experience for the family
And has stuck with me ever since.
When I was a young adult
I had the dream of moving to Australia.
It was the single best country
To improve my education
And really make something of myself.
I was initially studying psychology,
But after years of being here
I realised…
That the food that I grew up with,
Everything I had experienced up to that point,
Was not readily available in Australia.
After many years of careful preparation
Angkor Café & Restaurant was born
And I’ve poured my heart into it ever since.
Here’s an interesting fact.
Our main dishes were passed down
From my aunty.
Who happen to serve in the kitchen
…Of the Royal Cambodian Family!
(She’s 85 years old right now)
Even our Cambodian customers are shocked
At the differences in quality and fresh ingredients used
To bring our dishes to life.
In a good way of course Haha
But most importantly, i get my joy
From seeing people’s faces light up
As they experience Cambodian cuisine
For the very first time.
Which was why I created the business.
Introducing Cambodian cuisine
To Melbournians just like yourself
One person at a time.
I look forward to saying hi to you...
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Regards,
Neri
from Angkor Café & Restaurant
389 Spencer St, Melbourne VIC 3003