As a pub, Soho’s Sun & 13 Cantons isn’t necessarily one we’d run to for a Friday afternoon pint, but as a breeding ground for some of the finest restaurants in London, it’s unbeaten.
Over the past decade, this boozer’s angular back room has been home to a run of astounding food residences, hosting pop-ups by everyone from Asma Khan’s Darjeeling Express through to Mandy Yin’s Sambal Shiok. Both chefs now have (extremely popular) restaurants to call their own, and from the moment that a fizzy, Technicolor pickle plate is laid in front of us, it’s obvious that Kaneda Pen has similar designs on the London food landscape.
If deep fried panko pork toast wasn’t so delicious you’d have to have it arrested for crimes against arteries
Former head chef at Flank (RIP), Kaneda has set out to create the only dedicated Cambodian eatery in London, starting with this 12-month residency. It’s long been hard to find Khmer food in the capital, but rather than offering super trad dishes, Kaneda has brought a few soulful twists to the table. Named in honour of his mother, Mamapen also serves up other dishes inspired by another woman in Kaneda’s life, his Scottish girlfriend. We dare you to find us a dish in London with a cuter origin story than the braised beef tattie mince noodles, a bowl of endearingly sloppy, meaty noods given a Caledonian makeover, then lavished with cucumber, a riot of spring onion and ribbons of red chilli, combining the couples’ cultures in a bowl.
But before we slurp on such edible romance, there are pickles and skewers to devour. Charred carrot and lumencent chilli are the kings of the platter, and the skewers that follow; dank and hefty hunks of pork neck and juicy, almost candied, mushrooms set the high bar. Sweetness hums through most, if not all, of Mamapen’s dishes. Personally, I’m a big fan of food with the palpable twang of candyfloss, but those with a more savoury tooth might not dig it quite as deeply. Which is a shame, because this is effortless, enticing cookery, done with a coy wink and a classy shimmy.
Take, for example, deep fried panko pork toast with a perfectly puckered fried egg and drunken master xo sauce. A veritable heartattack on a plate, if this offering of sweet and crunchy mayhem wasn’t so delicious you’d have to have it arrested for crimes against arteries.
We’re here at lunchtime so sadly can’t sample such dinner delights as sour pineapple curry with roasted sweet potato and pickled mango, or Khmer BBQ half chicken with Shaoxing teriyaki glaze. But we do meet our new favourite central London lunch dish; a chicken thigh bowl with tender, juicy meat, chilli vinegar, half a righteously jammy, soy-cured egg and pickles, laid over rice. Virtuous? Almost.
Next time we’re coming back for dinner, and maybe at Mamapen’s very own restaurant, too.
The vibe A Cambodian pop-up in a Soho pub.
The food Classic southeast Asian dishes with a dose of experimentation.
The drink It’s in a pub, so you can score pints galore, as well as spirits and a couple of not terrible wines.
Time Out tip The skewers are a must. No Mamapen meal is complete without at least one per person.