Chingaaaang!

I have eaten scorpion, snails, and crickets, but none compare to this.  Tarantula!

Roasted, covered in salt and tangy spices, and served with tangy spider sauce.  We really enjoyed the legs; crispy and with a surprising amount of meat in there.  The abdomen packs an eggy surprise.

Ok enough pretending like that was easy.  It took several minutes for us to get over the creepy crawly feeling.  But it really was worth it in this case because the things were so good.  It was mostly the preparation.  I wouldn't trust any old roasted tarantula.  But at Romdeng restaurant, they do it right.  The place is run by a nonprofit.  It is staffed by former street youth who are being given a new chance.  It was really adorable to watch the waiters in training, as they nervously shifted the napkins around on the table trying to find the right place for them.

Cambodia is awesome so far.  Knowing a little Khmer goes a long way.  I can make the little girls laugh when I say hello.  And Josh is slowly letting go of Japanese phrases in favor of nasally ones like som toh (sorry) and chingaang (yummy).