As a South Austin resident, I’m always eager to welcome a new addition to the area’s Asian food scene. I had the chance to do exactly that at Blue Apsara, a fantastic Cambodian food truck currently parked on South Lamar.
Blue Apsara can be found in the parking lot of Frond Plant Shop, a charming boutique for houseplants and succulents that recently welcomed a higher-profile parking lot tenant: the sole South Austin location of Desnudo Coffee. Crowds regularly line up in front of Frond to get their (admittedly excellent) miso brown sugar lattes and to chat with the wonderful Desnudo staff members … but if they’ve never bothered to shift their gaze 45 degrees to the right and spot the bright blue food truck also in the lot, I hope I can urge them to change that behavior, as Blue Apsara deserves all of the attention it can get.
Cambodian food tends to get far less American food-world representation than neighboring countries like Thailand and Vietnam, which makes very little sense when you consider the fascinating blend of influences that make up this Southeast Asian nation’s cuisine. Chinese, French, Indian, and even Portuguese flavors and ingredients make their way into Cambodian cooking, and you’ll also find plenty of dishes that will remind you of your favorite Thai and Vietnamese menu items. Blue Apsara keeps their menu tight and focused, which gives them the chance to really dig into each recipe and showcase Cambodia’s rich culinary traditions.
The team seems aware that many Austinites aren’t familiar with Cambodian food, so they provide a sampler platter-style Taste of Cambodia menu item that can quickly get diners up to speed. This huge order (which really should be shared unless you’re a big leftovers enthusiast) includes egg rolls, Khmer-Lao sausage, Cambodian beef sticks, and a minced pork dip known as Prahok K’tis. The tightly rolled egg rolls boast a crunchy outer shell and a tender, if mild and indistinct, filling, while the kebablike beef sticks are aromatic, herb-packed, and almost jerkylike in texture. The Khmer-Lao sausage is easily the spiciest item on Blue Apsara’s menu, with a touch of hot pepper and some fish sauce funk.
This Cambodian truck has impressive clarity of purpose and a menu that’s both unique and accessible.
But the star of the Taste of Cambodia has to be Prahok K’tis. This pork “dip” has a smooth and spreadable texture similar to Italian ’nduja, and the Blue Apsara menu urges you to either pair it with the sliced veggies provided with the dish or to scoop it into white rice. In terms of flavor, Prahok K’tis proves savory, herbaceous, and slightly sweet, thanks to the addition of coconut curry. A Cambodian fish sauce known as prahok brings a potent undercurrent of umami, and pork belly offers plenty of fatty richness. It’s a memorable bite and one that you shouldn’t miss when visiting Blue Apsara.
Coconut curry also shows up in two entrées on the menu. The sweet and very coconut-forward curry sauce offers traces of lemongrass and makrut lime, and the texture and flavor profile is delicate enough to allow your protein of choice – chicken or fish – to shine through. Should you opt for the fish version (known as Fish Amok), you’ll get a curry parcel wrapped in a banana leaf, while the chicken rendition comes with potatoes and vegetables that could be more finely diced for easier eating. Both curries are served with a side of perfectly cooked jasmine rice.
Blue Apsara also serves a spin on Weeping Tiger Steak, a famous dish in Thai and Laotian cuisines. Their version packs less heat than others I’ve tried, but as part of a consistent Blue Apsara theme, the herb presence is huge. Cilantro is the dominant flavor, along with a bit of fish sauce and a trace of garlic. The beef itself is a bit well-done for my personal taste, but because the sauce is the clear star of the show here, I didn’t feel inspired to share my usual well-done steak objections.
And finally we come to my absolute favorite item on the Blue Apsara menu: the Nom Pahng. If you’ve ever had a Vietnamese bánh mì, you’ll have some sense of what this sandwich offers: an airy baguette loaded with spiced ground pork, steamed pork roll, pickled carrots and jicama, fresh cucumber slices, coconut sriracha sauce, plenty of cilantro, and a thick spread of butter. This combination hits on every sensory wish you could have for a sandwich: The pork and butter bring richness, the pickled vegetables bring crunch and tang, the coconut sriracha sauce offers sweetness and a trace of spice, the cucumber lends a fresh dynamic, and the plush baguette cushions all of these flavors without muting or interrupting them. This sandwich is a triumph and I want to order it every week.
Austin’s Asian food naysayers – especially those located in South Austin – owe it to themselves to make a trip to Blue Apsara. This Cambodian truck has impressive clarity of purpose and a menu that’s both unique and accessible. I’m rooting for them to become as big a hit as their parking lot neighbors at Desnudo, and once word spreads about their dishes (especially the Nom Pahng sandwich), it shouldn’t take long for them to catch up.
This article appears in November 7 • 2025.