Korean barbecue meets Swiss fondue at new Korean restaurant Saranghae Cambodia.

Saranghae’s Barbecue and Cheese Bomb incorporates a hot plate surrounded by metal troughs of cheese, steamed egg and other sauces. Diners cook up their beef, pork or vegetables and then dip them in the gooey melted cheese.

According to Korea’s Joongang Daily, cheese was first made in Korea in the 1960s by a Belgian missionary, Didier Serstevens, who started with just one pair of goats in a small struggling agricultural community called Ismil. The company he founded, Ismil Cheese, is now one of the country’s largest cheese producers.

Cheese has exploded in popularity in recent years, driven primarily by Koreans’ love of pizza, but it is also being incorporated into other local dishes – which are now in turn being exported overseas.

Lim Che Kong, the owner of the restaurant, said that Saranghae Cambodia was the first restaurant in Cambodia to offer the Barbecue and Cheese Bomb and he said it was the most popular item on the menu.

“I bought the franchise from Korea,” Che Kong said. “There are already three branches in Thailand, but it is the first Korean Saranghae brand in Cambodia.” T

he restaurant is bright and modern, decorated in a family-friendly style with sofas and Korean songs on the sound system.

When customers arrive, the staff serve up seven side dishes and then it’s just a choice of which meat to cook on the grill – either as a set or ordered individually.

Customers can also order sets, for example, $25 for three to four people including four of the seven cuts of beef, or $20.80, for three cuts of beef.

Aside from the Barbecue and Cheese Bomb, there are also Korean soups, bibimbap, bulgogi, and many other dishes.

Saranghae Cambodia is located at #125 Street 1986. Open 10am to 10pm every day.