6 Packs and Spicy Raw Beef at Khmer Sweet Basil

Khmer Sweet Basil is a 6 month old Cambodian and Beer take out spot (with a pretty decent beer election). A combo that would only fit in South Philly. The small amount of seating required a take out order, but the real issue was the insanely long wait for our order. We were told everything is made fresh as we waited. Most customers stopping in were looking for beer. Maybe the kitchen wasn’t ready for food seeking customers?

While the homemade beef jerky was fun to munch on, it was also dryer, more expensive, and not as drool producing as the stuff from Ratchada.

Beef salad (Pleah) came in the form of lime cooked beef and herbs, delicious, but I cut up the mint and basil to a more reasonable size.

Water spinach and pork belly was not the prettiest dish, but it had a nice oyster sauce coating. The pork belly was too fatty until I  finished the pieces off in a pan at home

The prahok katieh was a favorite along with the beef salad. The ground pork and coconut milk mixture had layers and layers of flavor. I still don’t get the whole raw eggplant as crudite thing that always accompanies this dish.

Given the wait and the influx of beer seeking people of questionable hygiene, I would not say this is my favorite Cambodian spot. If I lived closer though, I could see myself calling in an order of prahok and beef salad and then grabbing a 6 pack to pair it with.

Khmer Sweet Basil, 1801 S. 6th St,  215-465-2329

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