Update – 7 January 2011: Word on the Twitter-vine is that the owners of Akashi are moving on to Japan early in 2011. The restaurant is up for sale, so it may continue in some form under new management, but if you’re visiting Kampot after February 2011 be warned that Akashi may not be around, or may be different than what’s described here.

I’m sure you’ve seen reviews where some restaurant is described as like "eating in someone’s home." Well, that pretty much sums up the experience at Akashi Café. The restaurant, in an old house next to Kampot’s main hospital, is run by a British couple who do everything themselves. He takes the orders while she mostly stays busy in the kitchen.

The menu at Akashi, which is displayed on a blackboard just inside the door, is completely European, although it obviously changes from time to time. It was heavy on quiches, with some pasta and sandwich options as well.

Pumpkin Feta Quiche

I went for the pumpkin feta rosemary quiche, which I guess is a rather popular option. As you can see in the photo, it has big chunks of pumpkin in it and came with a rather nice salad on the side. It was wonderfully light and delicious.

Orange Chocolate Almond Cake

The lightness of the main dishes makes the dessert menu all the more attractive. While the molten chocolate cake sounds very good, I decide to give the orange chocolate almond cake a try. Desserts come in "full" or "half" portions, which I’m sure is appreciated by those trying to watch their weight. The cake is a somewhat heavy flour-less slice of heaven, full of chunks of orange, chocolate and almonds. The little dollop of whipped cream goes really well with it, as did the honey-laced latte.

Akashi is only open for lunch, from about noon onwards, and they will stop selling main courses around 2:00 pm or so, although you can still get drinks and pastries after that. The restaurant is located in a old purple house on the street along the north side of the old hospital, which faces the river between the old bridge and the new one. A sign on the front gate will indicate whether they’re open or not. If they’re open, walk through the gate and into the house. This is easily the best restaurant in Kampot, so it’s worth the effort to find.