It’s always fiesta time at Cambodia’s leading Latin restaurant
Phnom Penh’s premier Mexican restaurant has been a presence in the Cambodian capital for nearly a decade.
So now it’s time to take a slight turn to the left.
Fans of Mexicano needn’t worry. Neither the riverside restaurant on Sisowath Quay, nor its original sister near the Russian Market, are going anywhere. But owners Mario Galán Ibarra and Jovany Antonio want to introduce their distinctive Latino cuisine to a wider range of Cambodian diners than they can do at the larger establishments.
Thus: COMPAS was born.
In the Spanish language of Mexico, “Compas” means “The Friends” or “The Companions.” The new-concept restaurant brings affordable Mexican food to the local Khmer market, with taco prices capping at about $6.
The first Compas, on Bassac Street, opened in late November, while the second location is now welcoming diners in the Treellion Park area of Koh Pich (Diamond Island). More outlets will follow.
“It is our goal to approach this as a business model,” said Jovany, who represents the business side of the culinary partnership. “Compas will serve smaller meals and we will operate from a common kitchen.”
Mario, 55, is a native of Puerto Vallarta, capital of the state of Jalisco on Mexico’s Pacific coast. He began his career as a chef at the age of 17, worked in kitchens across Mexico, and found his way to Southeast Asia in his 30s.
After nine years in Singapore and a few more in Ho Chi Minh City, he landed in Phnom Penh in 2014. He opened his first small Mexicano restaurant in BKK1, catering mostly to expatriates, and subsequently moved to a new location in Toul Tum Pong.
Jovany, 44, is a Salvadoran-American businessman and real estate broker who was born and raised in Hollywood, California. He met Galán in 2014 after he had arrived in Cambodia and gone in search of Latin cuisine. He counseled his new friend on the wisdom of opening a riverside location, and when the space became available, the pair partnered in September 2022.
“We are the first and only authentic Mexican restaurant in Cambodia,” Mario boasts, and Jovany concurs: “This is as authentic as I’ve found,” he says.
The secrets to success? “Passion. Timing,” Jovany says, enthusiastically. “Following the recipe,” Mario says, candidly.
“He understands how the ingredients and flavours need to be,” Jovany says of his partner. “Mario’s presentation is what sets it apart. In Cambodia, you must often pivot to find an alternative to the ingredients you need. Mario always goes out to meet the suppliers and get as close as possible.”
Homemade corn and flour tortillas are the foundation of the menu. Tacos are the mainstay, served in more than a dozen varieties, including slow-cooked pork carnitas, tacos al lengua (traditional beef tongue), and marinated tacos al pastor with dried chilies and pineapple juice. They’re always a bargain — especially on Taco Tuesdays, when they’re priced at just $1.50 a plate.
The menu also features crab and chicken enchiladas, burritos, chimichangas, quesadillas, Azteca soup, seafood ceviche and a delicious queso fundido for dipping. There are several options for vegetarian diners. And the last day of the work week is celebrated as Fajita Friday.Décor is bright and whimsical in the Riverside restaurant, with lucha libre designs (think Mexican wrestlers) incorporated into the faces of animals — a cat, a dog, a panda, even an elephant — and a large Day of the Dead skull. And a mirrored passageway that winds around the kitchen to the restrooms adds an extra touch of festive quirkiness. It seems to suit a restaurant that is halfway around the world from its roots.
This is a sponsored article from Mexicano.
