In this episode, I interview Mo & Naran Tan of Long Beach California. They are the co-founders of Phnom Penh Noodle Shack. A local community favorite and family owned restaurant since 1985. They serve some of the most authentic and wholesome Khmer comfort foods that we all love and their famously known for their “Phnom Penh Noodle,” (house special)which consists of a pork broth soup with pork meat, sliced ground, stomach, and liver) Mo & Naran shared their experiences growing up Eastside Long Beach which is the home of the largest Cambodian population in the US, officially becoming the 1st Cambodia Town. It was interesting learning about their family story, the challenges of running a business, dealing with the loss of both their parents, while expanding a 2nd location (Rice Strings Noodle Shack) on the day their mother passed. It was a tough time for their family and Mo, Naran, and the their siblings made sure they continued their parents legacy while continue to serve the community they know and love. I personally met Mo in 2013 during Khmer New Year and we’ve been good friends ever since and it was his idea to make a bowl for me which we named the “Chluy Bowl” it’s loaded with beef intestines, quail eggs, pork, and pork rinds and can be either be served dry with bone soup on the side as well as “wet” soup version. I’m thankful for the Tan family and Mo & Naran has a lot of good advice for anyone in the food industry as well as life advice on dealing with adversity and being humble through it all. Make sure you follow Phnom Penh Noodle Shack & Rice Strings on all socials and add them to your bucket list to visit when going to Long Beach.