Cambodia Restaurants
Cambodia Restaurants
Some guide books say Cambodia's cuisine is nothing to write home about. Now, that is completely untrue.
A thousand years ago the Khmer Kingdom, which centred on Angkor, ruled an empire that included most of south-east Asia. Hence, many of the Thai and other regional dishes have their roots in Khmer cooking from that time!
Food & Cuisine in Cambodia
Khmer cuisine resembles that of Thailand and Laos, especially in its abundant use of coriander, mint leaves and lemon grass. Overall it is less spicy than Thai food, but there are dishes with some real heat.
More unique to Cambodia is prahoc - a spicy, pungent, fermented fish paste condiment very popular with Cambodians but difficult for most foreigners to tolerate. Some popular Khmer dishes that are a must for gastronomes are khao phoune, a dish made with fine rice noodles in a coconut-based sauce, and trey aing which is grilled fish, pieces of which are eaten wrapped in lettuce or spinach leaves and dipped in a fish sauce condiment with peanuts.
Rice is the staple and freshwater fish from the Tonlé Sap or Mekong River is the most popular source of protein, with chicken, pork and beef being far less common. Tropical fruits are abundant including pineapple, mangoes, durian, jackfruit, mangosteen, rambutan, bananas and coconut.
Popular drinks include soda water with lemon and sugar, coconut juice and an alcohol made of fermented palm sugar. Tukaloks are smoothies made of fruit, sugar and often an egg but you can request less sugar - they can be very sweet - or no egg, if you don't need the extra frothiness.
Some of the best and cheapest places to eat and to sample authentic Khmer food can be found at local markets, and snacks, desserts, fruit and drinks can often be gotten from individual stalls or walking vendors.
Tipping
Tipping is neither customary nor obligatory in Cambodia hotels and restaurants, but always graciously appreciated as local salaries are very low. You usually do not need to tip in upscale restaurants or where there is a service charge on the bill, but feel free to reward excellent service.
Dine with a conscience
You also have the option of 'dining with a conscience' by patronizing any of Cambodia's cafes and restaurants run and owned by aid organizations. The proceeds from the restaurant go toward their humanitarian operations and their staff are often disadvantaged or poor Cambodians receiving skills training in the hospitality industry.
When in Cambodia, keep an eye out for 'The Best of Friends The Restaurant' cookbook which is for sale now at all Friends outlets in Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and Sihanoukville. All proceeds of this book go to support Mith Samlanh projects.
