While the Ferry Building Farmers Market was fun, we couldn’t stay for the whole time. Not only did we have to be out of our room at the 1 Hotel SF, but I wanted to check out Lunette Cambodia for lunch. Luckily, like the farmers market, Lunette is located in the Ferry Building, making it super convenient for us.
As you may all know, Chef’s Table on Netflix is one of my favorite shows. It’s how I’ve been discovering newer to me dining options when we travel, such as Atelier Crenn, among others. But the show doesn’t cover only Michelin-starred types of restaurants and experiences. They do feature much more humble options, such as an open market stand in Korea, and, in this case, Lunette.
Lunette Cambodia Location & Ambiance
As I mentioned earlier, Lunette is located in the Ferry Building Market. However, unlike Arquet, the restaurant is open to the rest of the market. Further differentiating the two is the fact that Lunette is counter service. You queue outside of the restaurant, order and pay at the register, grab a number, and find a table. Water is also self-serve. That said, service here is very good.
Menu
If you’ve seen the Netflix episode, you’d know that Lunette is know for its KTPP noodles and Khmer Fried Chicken Wings. However, they do have other options under their “Eat Rice” menu heading, which includes a curry, chicken, pork, and beef dishes.
What We Ate
Having just had an amazing plate of smoked salmon, we weren’t particularly hungry. As such, we opted to keep things simple and ordered both the KTPP soup and dry noodles. They’re both virtually the same thing – rice noodles with pork cooked three ways, shrimp, crispy garlic, cilantro, and green onions. The original version comes in their 8-hour pork broth, while the dry version is dressed in a sweet soy, and is served tsukemen-style with a side of the 8-hour pork broth for dipping.
Given the similarities, both dishes taste quite similar. The dry version does have a hint of that sweet soy, but it isn’t as intense as you’d think. That said, both are DELICIOUS and were perfect for what was a chilly Bay Area morning.
In my opinion, the original KTPP are somewhat similar to Vietnamese Pho, just made with pork instead of beef or chicken. The flavor profile is a bit different, as pho definitely has more of a warming spice quality to it, but I think I prefer KTPP to pho (minus the fact that I can no longer eat beef). It’s also worth noting that the soup itself is fairly light and clean. It’s not as rich or greasy as I wouldn’t expected, especially when your main perception of long-simmered pork broths is Japanese Tonkotsu.
Final Thoughts
In a city filled with fantastic, yet often pricy dining options, Lunette Cambodia stands out as a truly remarkable dining destination at much more affordable prices. We spent $42 before tax and tip on our two noodle dishes, which I think is entirely reasonable for the quality that you receive, and is among the more inexpensive sit-down options in the area.
Naturally, I’d definitely return to Lunette next time I’m in the area, especially since there are other things I’d like to try on the menu, such as the Lort Cha stir fry pin noodles and the Prahok Ktiss pork belly.
I must say, though, this was the first time I’ve ever had Cambodian cuisine. Lunette has opened my eyes, and now I lament the fact that we don’t have options like this back home, even though we do have a Cambodian diaspora. Heck, I have Cambodian friends! Perhaps, one day.
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