Paul Stammers finds the taste of Cambodia to his liking, but is relieved not to find tarantula on the menu.

Ginger beef with noodles, and a crispy fried spider to go, please!

Or rather not. Actually it's really only in one part of Cambodia that piles of crunchy tarantulas are a delicacy - a place called Skuon, about 55 miles north of the capital Phnom Pen, which has become something of a tourist attraction as a result.

The folk there have long used tarantulas in medicine; they were thought to be good for the heart, throat and lungs. But they really became a top treat in the terror years of the 1970s, under the Khmer Rouge.

With starvation rife, insects were snapped up by the hungry peasants and, after Pol Pot was sent packing, the people realised they had developed a taste for the arachnids.

Of course, at AK City, the menus don't boast anything as exotic. Mercifully. But the eaterie has a following, at least going by the trickle of customers last Monday night.

I didn't have massively high expectations, but thought it would be interesting to see how Cambodian grub compared with Chinese and Thai.

WHAT DID YOU ORDER?

The chippy does cater for those wanting British fare, but the sandwiches, fish, chips and pasties were passed over by my fellow customers.

A sign in the window advertised a takeaway box for £5, including a spring roll and a drink, which sounded like the AK City was determined to give The Rice Box, also in Cowley Road and which offers similar deals, a run for its money.

So I picked a couple of the few meals marked Cambodian curried vegetables, and spiced chicken. I would have liked to have sampled the fried veggie dumplings, but they had sold out.

I then faced a good 10 minutes' wait in the little, and rather unexciting, chippy. We didn't think it was worth getting a photo of the interior, as the most riveting feature was a plastic windmill in a plant pot.

Apart from that, it boasted two small tables by the window, photos above the counter showing the dishes on sale, and a couple of stools.

SO WHAT DID YOU THINK?

The grub came in two bulging polysterene containers that were bigger than I'd expected. I had not been asked to name which drinks I wanted, but was content to ride the wave of suspense: would I discover Tango, Pepsi, or Coke when I opened the bag at home?

Upon getting back to the old homestead, I found that my condensation-enveloped cans were in fact Seven Up and Coke, the latter emblazoned with French wording and a picture of the Gallic goalie, Fabien Barthez.

WAS IT WORTH ORDERING?

The portions were hefty they might not quite satisfy two hungry diners, but they were certainly enough for a couple with modest appetites. Slightly more than half of the portions consisted of sticky rice.

The spring rolls caught my eye immediately, for these were big fellas indeed they were coated in the sort of crunchy coating normally adorning fast food from KFC. Scrumptious, if greasy.

The vegetables were, if anything, tastier than the chicken: bulky pieces of onion, peppers, bamboo shoots, potatoes and aubergine, coated in a thick, greenish sauce that was mild and fragrant.

Plenty of star anise had been employed, as was the case with the soft chicken breast, which also came with peppers and onions.

It was all as aromatic as Thai food, but without the chilli tang.

VERDICT: Basic and not for those wanting fiery cuisine, but cheap and friendly. Recommended.