(This venue is closed.) Supposedly this was a less spicy option.
I'm well-acquainted with prahok, a Cambodian preserved-fish paste that's cooked with ground pork, chiles, garlic, and coconut milk to prepare the often-fiery dip called prahok ktis. On this afternoon I turned the heat down a notch and ordered tuck krueng ($12) instead. It, too, featured a "special fish paste," in concert with minced fish, likely tilapia, and one of the many herbal combos collectively known as krueng. Often the name of this essential seasoning is styled "kroeung" or "kreung"; by any spelling, mine was heavy on the garlic.
The texture can range from soupy to pasty. Once I dug down with a few fresh vegetables, the standard accompaniment, I found my tuck krueng more substantial than it first appeared (see photo below). More spicy, too. Mindful that I'd be eating all day, I declined white rice, which would have help quiet the burn.
Mittapheap
877 Western Ave. (Cottage-Nelson Sts.), Lynn, Massachusetts
781-477-6045
(From a summer 2009 visit)
