Amok is the pride and joy of chef and owner Woody Chet, originally from Cambodia. After stints at places including Tonka and Coda, Woody decided to branch out on his own and introduce more of his native cuisine to Melbourne. Amok is a traditional dish of coconut milk-based curried fish, steamed in a banana leaf cup. You can definitely try it here, but there’s also much more than that.

The menu at Amok features food based on traditional Cambodian dishes and flavours, using local ingredients. We start off with a few different buns and bao. The Soft Shell Crab Roll has a fresh and vibrant flavour, and the juicy crab is coated in a batter that stays crispy for quite a long time. One of the better soft shell crab rolls I’ve had. The Crispy King Prawn roll is full of banging flavours thanks to its chocolate bacon, gherkin and smoked paprika mayo. Both of these are delicious, but our favourite is the BBQ Pork Belly Bao. The protein is well-salted and tasty, and our palates are brought alive by the spicy kick of the chilli jam. The savoury elements are balanced by the freshness of Vietnamese mint, pickled daikon and cucumber. In each of these dishes, there’s a complexity of flavour from both the combination of ingredients used, and the formulation of their sauces.

The Twice-cooked Beef Rib is most certainly tender, and the meat falls off the bone with little prompting. Its sauce is salty with a slight tang, and the pineapple, morning glory and crispy chilli and coconut break up its boisterous character a little. Perfect with rice.

Amok’s signature dish is the Cambodian Duck Curry. The curry sauce is rich and thick, and there’s a touch of sweetness to it, together with a slight herbal kick from lemongrass. The duck is tender and moreish. It’s their signature dish for good reason.

Be sure to check out Amok’s mouth-watering modern Cambodian menu. Woody’s twist on Khmer cuisine is full of punchy flavours that are just waiting to be explored, and I wouldn’t hesitate to re-order any of the dishes we tried today.

Disclaimer: I was invited to Amok as a guest, however, opinions expressed here are purely my own, and are based on my experience at the time

Amok
119 Chapel St
Windsor, VIC, 3181
(03) 9525 0499
www.amokrestaurant.com.au