Singapore already does inventive pizza well. But a naturally leavened Napoletana-style pie inspired by Cambodia’s national dish, made in support of a rural Cambodian NGO, in a collab with a Japanese stuffed toy icon? That is a new one.
Chooby Pizza at 127 Owen Road is launching a limited-edition Fish Amok Pizza from 1 to 31 July 2026, in partnership with Smiling Gecko Cambodia — an NGO working to create sustainable opportunities for rural Cambodian communities through education, hospitality and vocational training.
What Is Fish Amok?
Amok is Cambodia’s beloved national dish — an aromatic curry with roots in the ancient Khmer empire. It is built around a flavour base of kreung (a traditional Cambodian spice paste), lemongrass, fish sauce, and galangal, with the result being sweet, spicy, and deeply fragrant at once.
For the pizza adaptation, Chooby founder and pizzaiolo Mason Lim developed a base of kreung coconut sauce, topped with tender chunks of hake fish and finished with wild leaves (sansho and marigold), fresh herbs, a kick of chilli, and delicate marigold flowers. It is a thoughtful translation rather than a gimmick — the flavour logic of amok expressed through the structure of a Napoletana pizza.
The People Behind the Pizza
Mason Lim, the force behind Chooby Pizza, is no stranger to unexpected collaborations. Known for seasonal specials that push the Napoletana format without losing sight of craft, he worked closely with Smiling Gecko Cambodia to ensure the pizza honoured the dish’s origins rather than just borrowing its name.
“At Chooby, we’ve always enjoyed exploring flavours that people may not immediately associate with pizza,” Mason said. “Khmer cuisine has so much character, from its herbs and spices to its balance of freshness and depth. Collaborating with an organisation that shares our passion for Cambodian culture and hospitality gave us the perfect opportunity to showcase the country’s food heritage in an approachable way.”
About Smiling Gecko Cambodia
Founded in 2014 by world-renowned photographer Hannes Schmid and Cambodian lawyer Sokleap Ngon, Smiling Gecko Cambodia (SGC) operates on a 150-hectare cluster project in Kampong Chhnang province that impacts approximately 30,000 nearby residents. Its work spans an innovative school serving 500 children, an agricultural complex, a manufacturing facility, the award-winning Farmhouse Resort & Spa, fine dining restaurant UN, and a cultural centre called The Gong.
Sokleap Ngon, SGC’s co-founder, shared: “Food is one of the most powerful ways for people to connect with a culture. Partnerships like this help introduce more people to Cambodia beyond tourism, through its flavours, hospitality, and stories. We’re grateful to see Cambodian culture interpreted in such a thoughtful and accessible way.”
Where and When
The Fish Amok Pizza is available for the month of July 2026 only at Chooby Pizza, 127 Owen Road, Singapore. If Cambodian food culture is on your radar — and it should be, given the quiet surge in Singapore travellers heading to Siem Reap and Phnom Penh — this is a timely chance to encounter it in a format that needs no introduction.
More information at choobypizza.com and smilinggecko.asia.
