Not that you ever need another excuse for visiting Khéma, but our chefs thoughts they’d give you something to chew on anyway. That’s why they’ve refreshed Khéma’s popular menu of Cambodian, French and international classics with a whole new selection of delicious dishes to choose from. But don’t worry, we’ve kept all your favourites too. But first, to whet your appetites, here are a few things you might not know about some of the dishes we’ve got lined up.
Chicken Cordon Bleu
The term cordon bleu was a title reserved for the Chevaliers of the Order of Saint Esprit, the highest order of chivalry under the Bourbon Kings, perhaps a reflection of the — doubtless handsome — vivid blue sash they wore. However as time marched on towards the end of the 18th century, the term came to be applied to anyone who excelled in a particular field of activity, including cookery and over the next century, the phrase came to be exclusively focused on cooks alone, especially female ones. While some have suggested that the heartwarming original dish, veal cordon bleu, was developed at one of the cordon bleu cookery schools that first emerged in 1895, that is unlikely. Instead, the first description of an escalope wrapped around a cheese and ham filling before being rolled in breadcrumbs and baked resulting in a divine melding of crisp, melting, rich and savoury flavours, can be traced to Switzerland in 1944. Those clever Swiss.
Faux Filet Frites
A piece of prime quality beef, the Faux Filet, is also known as sirloin steak. Coming from where the T-bone is cut, a good Faux Filet is tender, juicy and full of flavour. The marbling makes it perfect for fast, hot cooking, which is exactly how we do it at Khéma, perfectly paired with a portion of fries, and maybe a creamy béarnaise or spiky peppercorn sauce. Perfect the moment with a warm, weighty red like a Syrah, Malbec or cabernet sauvignon.
Classic Mussels
Tender, with a little bit of meatiness, and briny flavour of the sea, mussels are a perennial favourite in French bistros all over the world, where a menu minus the ‘moules frites’ would be considered a sign of dangerous deviance. Their rich flavour makes them the perfect canvas for many ingredients (especially Khmer and Thai as it happens), but for many there is only one way to enjoy them and that is the classic way, à la marinière, with nothing more elaborate than white wine, shallots, and parsley. A dry, tangy muscadet is a classic pairing for this dish, but you’ll find it’s also great with an Alsatian Riesling. And you don’t have to have it with wine if you prefer not. Try the 1664 White beer, whose delicate hints of citrus and coriander are a perfect for the warm, earthiness of this all-time favourite.
John Dory Fillet
John Dory is highly prized for its delicate but firm white flesh and mild, sweetish taste. It is not for nothing that a 19th century Swedish specialist chose to ascribe to John Dory the genus name ‘Zeus’, i.e. the king of the Greek gods.
With regard to the name, no one is sure where it came from. It could be a corruption of ‘jaune dorée’, a reference to the fish’s golden bronze hue. Or it could be something else entirely. In French, John Dory is called St. Pierre, a reference to a legend in which Jesus asked St. Peter to pick a fish out of the Sea of Galilee. St. Peter duly did as he was told, but on pulling out a John Dory was so shocked by its ugliness that he promptly threw it back in again. His thumb however left a mark in the fish’s side, leaving a large dark blotch surrounded with a white halo. According to the legend. In reality, there would never have been a saltwater John Dory in the freshwater Sea of Galilee, and the blotch is a clever evolutionary adaptation that looks like an eye and tricks predators into attacking the wrong spot, giving our delicious friend John Dory time to get away.
At Khéma, we pan fry the fish and serve it with a delicious Champagne sauce, a fitting end for a Greek god, surely.
Steak Tartare
The origins of steak tartare are shrouded in myth. According to some, the Russians learned the recipe from the tatars, descendants of the tartars who had ruled Central Asia in the 14th Century, before they were defeated in turn by the Russians under Ivan the Terrible. The legend goes on that several centuries later, the Russians then transmitted it to Europe via the Germans. The dish consists of coarsely chopped raw meat (traditionally beef or horse), accompanied by a raw egg, capers, pickles and other seasonings, though the extra garnishes were probably added by the Germans. We’ve refined the dish a little, but you’ll have to order it to find out how.
