Lon and I planned a double date with Sheryl and Wymen. First stop, Kampuchea Noodle Bar. According to a couple of different press pieces, it's the first and only Cambodian restaurant in NYC. I'm not an expert on Cambodian food but it seemed a lot more fusion to me. The food is good but not outstanding so I left feeling like I paid too much. I was also disappointed in how few noodle selections there were for a noodle bar (Click here to link to a menu).

So, we shared 3 starters: the skirt steak (grill section), Tiger Shrimp Savory Crepe, and the Crispy Skin Pork (share plates). The skirt steak was cooked perfectly and served with nicely pickled vegetables. The shrimp crepes looked like a great concept but lacked flavor. The pork came in a really small portion (1 bite for each person) and was not crispy as the name suggests. We each ordered a noodle-based entree: Sheryl had the chicken katiev. Wymen had the duck katiev. Lon had the prawn katiev; and I had the chilled rice vermicelli. All were good but nothing special. Overall, the flavors were disappointingly conservative. The service was a bit below average and the backless wooden stools were uncomfortable, and left us wondering where we should put our coats.

In the end, I'm not mad that I went to Kampuchea but I'm not recommending it. It's only a few blocks from Congee Village so I recommend going there when you're in the area.

After dinner, we looked for a dessert spot (Lon found on Vindigo) and ended up at Cake Shop. It's a really crappy looking place, but their Vegan Peanut Butter Bomb (recommended by the girl behind the counter) was really good. Lon found his second love and dared to compare it to the peanut butter cream I had made a few weeks ago.

After eating the enormous piece of bomb, we wondered in to a place called Organic Avenue (101 Stanton St.) and met Doug, the owner, who really knew his products well. He answered every question; Lon asked about at least 20 different products from Maca to Mulberries. The store had clothing, bamboo dishware, and ofcourse food products. We bought some wild mulberries and will probably go back again. They really have some interesting items that you won't even find at Whole Foods.

What a great night! Dinner, dessert, and a lesson on some lesser known organic products. That's my idea of fun.