Organization
Phnom Penh Noodle House
Phnom Penh Noodle House is a family-run Cambodian restaurant in Seattle's Chinatown–International District, opened by Sam Ung in 1987.[1] The family traces its cooking back three generations, to a noodle cart on the streets of Battambang, Cambodia, in the early 1940s.[1] As of 2026 it is owned by Sam Ung's daughters, Dawn Ung, Diane Le and Darlene Ung.[2]
History
The Battambang cart was a two-person business that grew into a full restaurant serving noodle soup, congee and desserts.[1] Sam Ung and his wife fled the Khmer Rouge genocide as refugees and reached Seattle in 1980. They saved for years before opening their first noodle house in 1987.[3] The first menu had seven items, and the room held 30 to 40 seats.[1] Seattle Magazine lists it among the earliest Cambodian businesses in the Seattle area.[4]
After about ten years a snowstorm collapsed the roof of the old building. In 1997 the restaurant moved to a larger space on South King Street, with room for 120 diners, and the menu grew alongside a catering business.[3][1] Diners came for birthdays, graduation parties and anniversaries, students gathered there after kung fu class upstairs, and Cambodian associations held their meetings there. Through the Asian Counseling and Referral Service, Sam Ung also volunteered and donated food.[1]
Sam Ung retired as owner and head chef in 2013. Dawn and Darlene took over the daily work, with help from Diane, and Peng Liu became chef.[1] In 2017 a car struck a member of the family, who suffered a severe traumatic brain injury, and the family closed the restaurant to care for him.[3] The last service was on May 28, 2018.[1]
The sisters looked at sites in Renton and Kent before choosing a space on South Jackson Street, in the newly built Thai Binh building.[1][4] An Indiegogo campaign, space for pop-ups, free legal help and a fundraising dinner put on by another small restaurant helped pay for the return. A $140,000 grant came from Seattle's Office of Economic Development, and SCIDpda, the preservation and development authority for Seattle's Chinatown International District, also helped.[1][3] The grand opening planned for March 14, 2020, was stopped by the COVID-19 pandemic. The restaurant began serving takeout in April 2020, and by August it offered some indoor seating at half capacity.[3][1] The new space has a redesigned logo and a more modern look chosen by the second generation.[1] KING 5 called it Seattle's only Cambodian restaurant in 2020.[3]
Food
The dishes follow Sam Ung's original recipes from the 1987 menu, cooked by a chef who trained with him for years.[4] The reopened menu is shorter but keeps the favorites: honey-black pepper chicken wings with jalapeño, Sam Ung's own creation; mee katang, a dish of wide rice noodles with gravy; prawn and fish cake noodle soup; and beef lok lac, wok-tossed cubes of marinated steak.[1][3]
Visiting
It offers takeout by phone and online, and delivery through Grubhub, DoorDash, Postmates and Uber Eats.[5][6]
See also
References 6
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 Megan Hill, Eater Seattle, The Story of Beloved Phnom Penh Noodle House's Emotional Comeback (August 17, 2020)
- ↑ Intentionalist, Phnom Penh Noodle House (2026)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 KING 5, Phnom Penh Noodle House re-opens in Seattle thanks to resilience and community support (April 2020)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Chelsea Lin, Seattle Magazine, Phnom Penh Noodle House plans to reopen this winter (October 4, 2019)
- ↑ Phnom Penh Noodle House, home page (2025)
- ↑ Phnom Penh Noodle House, Visit us
Sources
Know something we're missing? Send a tip