Yet another new eatery has popped up along Street 308, this time devoted to the art of the quality fast-food burger. On a row of businesses that sometimes seems to change with the seasons – it fills a hole recently left behind by Bistrot Bassac – The Supreme’s owners wanted something classic, and attention-grabbing.
“We looked at the street and said, “What’s missing?’” says David Do, one of the burger joint’s co-owners and a first-time restaurateur. “There’s one of the best pizza [places] here, there’s French food. What kind of product can compete with the pizza?”
For the French-Cambodian Do and his partners, the answer was easy. “We are five friends who love to eat. We’ve tried many burgers in Phnom Penh, and we were always a bit disappointed,” Do says. So the group turned to Sovan Ly, a pastry chef, to devise his own secret recipe.
The result? Burgers made with 30 percent Australian beef and a clandestine mix of seasonings; a handful of specialty house-made sauces; and a sesame-seed bun which – a la Shake Shack – is connected at the back to catch any falling objects.
And The Supreme does in many ways resemble that sort of fast-casual chain: limited in scope, but tailored to a customer who wants a little something extra in his or her on-the-go meal. The surrounds are unassuming; pop music plays as meat sizzles in the background. The burgers arrived at the table within just a few minutes, served on a tray and wrapped up in paper branded with a hand-stamped logo.
They don’t disappoint. Post Weekend sampled the signature Le Supreme Burger ($4.50), which comes with cheddar, pickles and a signature sauce; and Le Gotti ($6.50), with bacon, goat cheese and honey mustard. The patties err on the thin side. While affordable, Le Classic ($3.50) was the only option on the menu with just a single, leaving one reporter feeling a little hungry.
Like any on-the-go eatery, The Supreme has its target set on a cross-section of city-dwellers, but it does hope to entice those who have grown peckish during a night out with its burgers, fries and small selection of beers.
Do sees The Supreme as part of a booming – though small-scale – district for business. He says he knows others interested in expanding the lane. “This street, it could be good as a bit of a pub street,” he says. “There’s a big potential here.”
For now, though, Do is focused on one thing: the burgers. “Did you see the bun?” he laughs.
The Supreme is located at #38 Street 308, in the spot previously occupied by Bistrot Bassac. It is open every day from 11am to 2:30pm and 6pm to 10:30pm. Tel: 077 607 622.
