Caramelized Palm with Ice Cream

Caramelized Toddy Palm with Vanilla Ice Cream

by Banteay Sray, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

I returned to one of my favorite restaurants in Phnom Penh, the capital of the Kingdom of Cambodia, for a fantastic meal of ants and beef (don't knock it 'till you've tried it!). After lunch, I decided to try one of their signature desserts - caramelized toddy palm with vanilla ice cream.

Banteay Sray always delivers, serving up traditional Cambodian cuisine with a modern twist. I was excited to see what they were going to set before me as I eagerly awaited my dessertdessert.

caramelized toddy palm with vanilla ice cream in Cambodia

If you haven't had palm fruit (toddy palm or palmyra palm) before, the flavor is a bit difficult to describe. It's got a very mild natural sweetness to it and a pleasant almost jelly-like texture.

The palm fruit in this dish was caramelized slightly and served warm with a delicious palm sugar caramel sauce. While the fruit itself isn't super sugary, the caramel added a nice, toasted sweetness, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream added a rich contrast of both flavor and temperature to the dessert.

The dish is seasonal, the restaurant's owner told me, and only appears on the menu during this time of year.

Cambodian caramelized palm dessert with ice cream in Phnom Penh

Location

Banteay Srey Restaurant is located at Preah Ang Eng St. (13), Phnom Penh. It's in a convenient location very close to the National Museum and the Royal Palace.

Banteay Srey Restaurant, Phnom Penh, Cambodia (Royal Palace neighborhood)

See the map for the exact location.