A friend just e-mailed me for a recommendation near Bier Market in Ohio City. They don’t like the food at Great Lakes and heard Opa closed. I gave two suggestions: Flying Fig (with the weather being so nice, it’s the perfect spot to eat outside) or Phnom Penh. Since she’s never been to Phnom Penh, they opted to check that out. Great choice. Phnom Penh opened its second location near the West Side Market about a year ago. A good friend/coworker/fellow foodie turned us on to this gem. It’s Cambodian, Vietnamese and Thai. The place is small, the staff is slow, you often have to wait on the weekend, no alcohol (that could have changed since the last time I was there) and cash only. But the food is amazing and worth all the above. The egg rolls are like nothing you have ever tried. They have spices I’m not familiar with and you could almost make a meal out of two due to the size. The beef soup is also a must try as well as the pad thai and Cambodian crepe.
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The Bier Market has the worst service. I have been there a handful of times and it is always the same thing. Huge attitudes; walking around with their heads down. Can’t stand the place. Phnom Penh, however–awesome.
Wow, interesting feedback. I haven’t been there yet so I really can’t say anything. You’d think though that they would make good service a priority. This is such a small town and word of mouth is everything, especially for the mom and pop places.
I have got to try Penh! I haven’t yet, and we’ve been meaning to.
(Why do I always visit your site when I am hungry?!)
My fiancee & I went to Penh for the first time last weekend…it was nothing short of fantastic! No waiting for a seat (which was amazing since Open Air in Market Square and the WSM were busy), super fast service (got our food within 5 minutes of ordering), and the food was amazing!
PP surely blows away our Lakewood mainstay, Khiem’s.
any rec’s for korean food? i miss my kal bi. :(
Unfortunately, I don’t have any recommendations for Korean food. But if you find one, please share. And I’m glad David has a great experience at PP. It’s nice to hear the wait is down and service is better and that the food continues to be outstanding.
I prefer the Lorain Avenue storefront location, especially when the server ask, “Spicy?” as if she is challenging you.
I know of 2 places for Korean – Seoul Hot Pot on Payne and Korea House on Superior. I have been to Seoul Hot Pot a few times and we literally roll out of there stuffed!!! The bibimbap is really good.
Another idea near the Bier Market, while not exactly gourmet it “The Old Angle” For pub food it’s solid, largely portioned, and well-priced. The decor of the little pub is rather cute too, not what you’d expect from the outside, and the service is really friendly(though at times the kitchen seems a little slow–they tend to make up for it)
Bier Markt sponsored the 5K I just did Saturday night. It was crowded and I only got beer so I can’t say anything about the service or food.
OPA closed? I hadn’t even tried it yet. Bummer.
I’m so glad I found your blog but now I’m overwhelmed. Where do I go first ;) Seriously though, it’s great that we have so many awesome places to choose from.
I’m new to your site – but I love it already because I also love Mario Batali, Bongo Room, Sushi Wabi (a bit hip but good). I also heard that the chef at PP was leaving, but haven’t had that confirmed yet. I’m relatively new to Cleveland but I love PP.
Thanks for checking it out – and welcome to Cleveland! This is a great town to call home.