Theary Cambodian Foods offers traditional ingredients and family recipes. #k5evening
FEDERAL WAY, Wash. — Theary Cambodian Cuisine In Federal Way, there’s no shortage of steps to making good food.
“When we say enough is enough, we know it’s not enough,” the chef and owner laughed. Thearie Ngues“When we cook, we strive for deliciousness, and that means adding whatever extras are needed.”
Each of the many ingredients adds balance, texture and delicious alchemy.
But Nges’s unpretentious, upbeat service and vibrant food belie her own survival story.
She was just a child when the brutal Khmer Rouge stormed her village and, like roughly a million other Cambodians, she and her family fled, walking hundreds of miles to the safety of Thailand.
“We lost two of our brothers, and then me and my other brother got really sick,” Nges said. “Our culture, our country, everything (was lost), including our memories.”
But Nges also believes food can provide resilience.
After moving to the U.S., her mother cooked all the meals for community events, and as a teenager, Nges resented being asked to help. But as an adult, she realized the power of what she had learned.
“Eating my mother’s food and seeing her cooking methods somehow imprinted it in my DNA,” she says. “What I saw and learned from her is what I offer here.”
Her small restaurant specializes in the rich flavours of generations of traditional cuisine that long predates the Khmer Rouge.
The base of most of her menu is kroon, an ancient spice blend.
“It’s important because it’s the Khmer national food, my ancestors made it, it’s believed to have medicinal properties and we consume it every day,” Nges said.
Fresh chopped herbs and vegetables are also important ingredients, as they balance the spiciness and flavor of other ingredients such as prahok, a steak sauce made from fish paste.
“It’s a balance of flavor and taste,” Nges said. “We want the aroma, we want the flavor, we want the smell, we want that on us when we leave here, so that’s how it is.”
Customers rave about the restaurant’s signature stuffed chicken wings, a labor-intensive dish in which the meat is deboned and stuffed with a mixture of chicken, beef, noodles and bamboo shoots.
First-time customers Kevin and Kelly Castillo said each bite had a bold, unique flavor.
“It’s so delicious. I absolutely love it,” Kevin said. “The coconut chicken is perfect.”
“The addition of pickles especially gives it a cooling texture and adds extra flavour and juiciness,” Kelly adds.
Nges’ mother dreamed of opening a restaurant, and the space was created to pay tribute to her.
“I think first of all she will cry with joy and she will be so proud,” Nges said.
Theary Cambodian Foods is located at 2012 S. 320th Street in Federal Way and is open Tuesday through Sunday.