80 Time November 25, 2019
COOKING FOR
CAMBODIA
NITE YUN | 37
By Samin Nosrat
My favorite dish at Nyum Bai, chef
Nite Yun’s Oakland, Calif., restaurant,
which opened in 2018, is a pile of
shredded cabbage, vegetables, herbs
and poached chicken on a plate.
It’s deceptively simple-looking, but
upon first bite, the layers of flavor
and texture begin to unfold. First,
a wave of salt and umami from the
fish sauce hits, then sweetness. Next
comes crunch from the cabbage and
peanuts, a floral burst of air from the
Thai basil, and finally, a satisfying
smack of acid from rice vinegar and
lime. It’s a revelation.
To anyone who’s not familiarwith her, Nite might seem similarly
understated. At first glance, she’s just
cooking the food of her homeland
in her tiny restaurant a stone’s
throw from the BART tracks. But
for some Americans, a mention of
Cambodia brings to mind little more
than violence and genocide. For
Nite, cooking is a way to tell another
story about Cambodia—about its
beautiful culture, resilient people
and unbelievably delicious cuisine.
And people are listening. In the past
two years, she and Nyum Bai have
been honored by just about every
food publication in the country. But
more importantly, she is changing
America’s relationship to Cambodia,
one exquisite dish at a time.
Nosrat is a chef, author and host of
Netflix’s Salt Fat Acid Heat