Hella Chluy
Hella
Chluy
— one bowl of kuy teav at a time.
Cambodian-American creator and food vlogger hunting down Khmer kitchens, pop-ups and festivals, from Seattle and Long Beach to Philly, Brooklyn and Atlanta. A comedian's timing, 10 million+ views on YouTube.
A Cambodian-American creator eating his way through the Khmer diaspora — and bringing everyone along for the meal.
Hella Chluy is Phanit Duong: born in a refugee camp on the Thai–Cambodian border, raised in Washington State and, after 16 years on the East Coast, back home in the Pacific Northwest. His channel is a food and travel diary now — oxtail kuy teav in Long Beach, roast duck in Seattle's Chinatown, Khmer pop-ups in Brooklyn, festivals and family-run diners — told with a comedian's timing.
He broke out in 2012 as a parody rapper, the “Khmer Weird Al,” and the skits still land on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube Shorts, where a new wave of fans has found him, including viewers in Cambodia. On the side he hosts Chluy Talk, a podcast with AAPI creators and business owners. The goal hasn't changed: lift up Khmer food, Khmer businesses and the next generation of Khmer creators.
Hella Chluy
aka Phanit Duong — formerly Memo Jackson
Recent stops
YouTube subscribers
YouTube views
States on the food map · 2026
Views in 24 hrs · 2012 breakout
YouTube numbers as of 03 Nov 2026
Parodies first, plates now, and always a little disrespect — the good kind. Every video is a love letter to the Cambodian diaspora.
Small town, big voice
Phanit was born in the Khao-I-Dang refugee camp on the Thai–Cambodian border after his parents survived the Khmer Rouge. The family rebuilt in Kelso, a small town two hours south of Seattle, where he worked through hard times with comedy, music and martial arts, and started writing songs at 15.
New name, no filter
After rapping as Memo Jackson, he started playing with comedic lyrics in 2011 under a new stage name. “Chluy” loosely means “disrespectful” in Khmer, and the jokes lived up to it. The first parody rode the beat of Lil Wayne's “How to Love.”
Hello
my name is
Hella Chluy
chluy(Khmer, loosely) — disrespectful
100K views in one day
“Sh*t Cambodian Folks Say” went up on January 16, 2012 and passed 100,000 views in its first 24 hours. The mixtape Get The Memo? dropped that year and the album Plz Confirm followed in 2013, alongside unscripted skits shot run-and-gun on an iPhone.
Views · first 24 hours
100,000
Putting Philly on the map
Filmed around 7th Street in South Philadelphia and directed by Jeff Lek of Planetary P, “Cambodia Town” flipped Drake's “Controlla” into a Khmer-language shout-out to the neighborhood. It came close to 250K views in a week and backed the push to make Cambodia Town an official name.
Beats to bowls
Then the food took over. Vlogs, travel and mukbangs brought Khmer staples like prahok, kuy teav and offal dishes to viewers around the world, and the Chluy Talk podcast sat down with AAPI creators and business owners such as Mayly Tao, the “Donut Princess.”
Back home, still hungry
After 16 years in New York and New Jersey, he's back in the Pacific Northwest. The channel is a food diary now, from Long Beach kuy teav to Seattle roast duck, and Shorts and TikTok keep finding new fans, including viewers in Cambodia. In September 2026 he co-emceed the pregame party at the Mariners' first Cambodian Heritage Night.
Food vlogs, travel and the music that started it all. Pick one from the list and it loads in the player.
Long Beach’s Insane Oxtail Kuyteav + Cambodian Food Festival
Oxtail kuy teav with the Battambang BBQ crew, then a day at the Cambodian Food Festival in Long Beach.
Every spot from his recent food vlogs. Pick one to zoom in, watch the vlog or get directions.
Outlines: US Census Bureau · pins are approximate — use Directions for the exact spot
656 S King St, Seattle, WA 98104
A Chinatown–International District staple for decades. He took the light rail in for the classic combo.
Pre-game kuy teav with Cambodian vendors and artists before the Mariners’ first Cambodian Heritage Night.
The old Angkor Wok from the UW area, reopened in Burien with a full bar, Khmer decor and a few new dishes.
24228 104th Ave SE Ste 106, Kent, WA 98031
His first stop whenever he visits family in Kent: the old-school Khmer dishes that are getting hard to find.
Great Wall Shopping Mall, Kent, WA
Rare Vietnamese street food in the Great Wall Mall — his first food run after moving back to Washington.
NE Sandy Blvd, Portland, OR
The best kuy teav Phnom Penh he has had in Oregon, by his own count.
Heist Food Cart Pod, 4727 SE Woodstock Blvd, Portland, OR
A food cart with beef salad, laap and nam khao — the soft-shell crab stole the show.
Breakfast in the heart of the Cambodian diaspora before the Cambodian Food Festival.
Ten Mile Brewing, Signal Hill, CA
Battambang BBQ’s short rib with house-made prahok, a Cambodian taco and num banh chok.
116 Anderson St, Hackensack, NJ
Pho with a Korean spice kick and beef dumplings.
139 Franklin St, Bloomfield, NJ
A hole-in-the-wall Filipino breakfast spot. Get the mini lumpia Shanghai.
A downtown deli where the owner mixes classic deli plates with Korean flavors.
Downtown Newark’s banh mi and coffee spot finally added pho.
Can a $20 buffet in the Ironbound actually be good? Crab legs, hibachi and an honest verdict.
190 Academy St, Jersey City, NJ 07306
He came for pho and left raving about the beef stew and the banh mi.
195 Mallory Ave, Jersey City, NJ 07304
His first-ever sisig, plus two all-time favorites: balut and crispy intestines.
Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NY
NYC’s first and only Cambodian-Japanese izakaya, with a look inside Chef Dan’s kitchen.
Chef Pauline Buth’s Khmer pop-up. He ordered the whole menu.
Red Hook, Brooklyn, NY
Chef Bun Cheam’s Khmer restaurant: a weekly pop-up in Park Slope first, then a Red Hook space he toured while it was being built.
Gather Food Hall, 3025 Market St, Philadelphia, PA 19104
The viral Cambodian cheesesteak, put to the test.
FDR Park, Philadelphia, PA
Khmer street food at Beez Kitchen and the Crab Guy stall, with JL Jupiter.
New Jersey’s first Cambodian restaurant, from the family behind Heng Seng in South Philly.
5116 GA-85, Forest Park, GA 30297
Atlanta’s only Cambodian diner, in a former Denny’s by the airport. Chef Kree cooked a feast.
The spot his followers kept recommending. The platter feeds five, and the eggplant salad brings the heat.
Features, interviews and coverage from Philly to Phnom Penh.
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Updated 5 November 2026 ·