Cambodia: Food and Drink

Cambodian cuisine, though uniquely Khmer, draws heavily on the traditions of both its Thai neighbours and Chinese residents. An oft-repeated generalisation which is, nevertheless pretty accurate, likens Cambodian food to Thai food but without the spiciness. The main national staple is of course rice, but French colonial influence has dictated that the Cambodians eat more bread--generally French-style baguettes--than any other Southeast Asian country. Because of the country's incredible richness in waterways including the Mekong, Sap and Bassac Rivers, not to mention the Tonlé Sap, freshwater fish and prawns are especially popular--in addition to which plenty of fresh seafood is available from the Gulf of Thailand. Beef, pork, chicken, duck and other poultry are widely available but generally more expensive than fish dishes, whilst other less well known Cambodian delicacies include locusts, field rats, snakes and land crabs.

Soup is served as an accompaniment to almost all Cambodian meals, though it is always served with the main dishes, not before as in the West. Some of the better-known soup dishes include somlar machou banle (sour fish soup), somlar machou bangkang (sour and spicy prawn soup, akin to Thai tom yam gung), somlar chapek (pork soup with ginger) and mon sngor (chicken and coriander soup). Num banh choc (rice noodle and fish soup) is a common and popular Cambodian breakfast.

David Henley / CPA

Crispy rice and duck.

Other common dishes include khao poun (rice noodles in a coconut-based sauce), hamok (fish with coconut milk steamed in a banana leaf), sach mon chha khnhei (stir-fried chicken with ginger), somlar machou sachko (sour beef stew) and choeeng chomni chrouc chean (fried pork spareribs). An sam chruk (pork & soybeans marinated in ginger and chilli) can be delicious, but packs a fairly hefty punch. Similarly watch out for pong tea kon (fertilised duck egg containing an embryo, like the Filipino balut) which is not to everybody's taste. Many dishes are served trey, or grilled. Thus trey aing (grilled fish) is available just about everywhere, as is trey chean neung spey (fried fish with vegetables). By extension, trey mon is grilled chicken, trey sachko is grilled beef, and so on. Fish and meat dishes not served with noodles are generally accompanied by rice. Indispensable condiments--certainly as far as the Cambodians are concerned--are prahoc (fish sauce just like Thai nam pla and Vietnamese nuoc mam) and tuk trey (fish sauce with ground, roasted peanuts added).

David Henley / CPA

Coconut vendor, Phnom Penh.

David Henley / CPA

Paté and baguette cart.

Travellers up country will generally find themselves limited to Cambodian cuisine or to the fairly ubiquitous baguette and paté. In towns of any size--all provincial capitals, for example--Chinese food is widely available, generally reflecting the southern coastal origin of most of Cambodia's Overseas Chinese migrants. Expect, therefore, Cantonese, Hokkien, Teochou and Hailam fare, but don't waste your time looking for Szechuan or Yunnanese cuisine. In the west of the country, notably at Poipet, Sisophon, Battambang and Siem Reap, Thai cuisine is widespread. Similarly in the east, at Kampot, Takeo, Kompong Cham and Svay Rieng, Vietnamese culinary influence is common. Sihanoukville excels at seafood cooked in every conceivable way, and also has a fast growing smattering of Western food outlets--French, Italian, British, German and Australian.

Phnom Penh has, naturally enough, the widest range of restaurants in the city. Here the visitor can find everything listed above as well as Greek, Turkish, North Indian, South Indian, Malay and-increasingly--'Fast Food' restaurants. The capital also serves some of the best French food available in Indochina, as well as some unexpected colonial hangovers from the Middle East and North Africa, notably cous-cous and merguez spicy Moroccan sausage. Pizza is increasingly popular, but the 'Pizza Hut' restaurant near the Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship Monument is, at time of writing, a copycat operation.

Fruit

There is an abundance of fruit in Cambodia. In the appropriate seasons--especially towards the end of the hot season in May--the markets overflow with a wide variety of exotic fruits. There's fruit to be had the year round, though, and it's generally both reasonably priced and (if carefully washed) healthy and safe. Amongst the most popular and widespread fruits are mango, coconut, rambutan, durian, mangosteen, starfruit, pineapple, watermelon and a wide variety of bananas.

Drinks

It's always best to drink bottled water in Cambodia. The traveller should also beware of ice of unknown provenance, particularly up country or at street stalls. Soft drinks like cola and lemonade manufactured by internationally known companies are available everywhere, as is canned and bottled beer. International beers to look for are Carlsberg, Heineken, Tiger, ABC, Victoria Bitter, Fosters, San Miguel and Singha; local brands include Angkor, Angkor Stout and Bayon. Draft Angkor is available in Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville and Siem Reap. Imported wine--shades of Cambodia's colonial past--is similarly available in major towns, whilst domestic varieties promising strength and virility are widespread. Caution should be exercised with fresh fruit juices and sugar cane juice, but cartons and cans of fruit juice, milk and drinking yoghurt are available on supermarket shelves in the capital and at Sihanoukville. Coffee--often very good--and tea are generally available throughout the country.

David Henley / CPA

Le Tonkin restaurant, Phnom Penh.

Restaurants

This selection from Cambodia's principal centres is listed according to the following categories: $$$ = expensive; $$ = moderate; $ = cheap.

Phnom Penh

$$$ Café Monivong, Hotel Le Royal, 92 Rukhak Vithei Daun Penh, tel: 981 888. An elegant brasserie with an excellent daily buffet.

$$ Athena, 140 Norodom Boulevard. With a Turkish restaurant in town why not a Greek one? All the usual Greek favourites.

$$ Bayon Hotel and Restaurant, No 2, Street 75, (near French Embassy), tel: 427 281. Some of the best French food in town.

$$ Chao Praya, Mao Tse Tung Blvd, near Chinese Embassy, tel: 722 754. Best Thai buffet in Phnom Penh.

$$ Ettamogah Pub, 164B Sihanouk Boulevard, tel: 211 084. A great variety of international favourites, including the best fish and chips in town.

$$ Foreign Correspondents Club of Cambodia, 363 Sisowath Quay, tel: 210 142. Great setting overlooking the confluence of the rivers. In the early evenings watch the fishermen on the Sap River. Draught beer available and always an interesting international menu.

$$ The Globe, Sisowath Quay. European and Vietnamese food served in a beautiful old building overlooking the Royal Palace and the Sap River.

$$ Istanbul Turkish Kebab Restaurant, 315 Sisowath Quay, tel: 368 590. Real kebabs on the riverfront, the local waiters all dress in traditional Turkish clothing. Quite a sight.

$$ La Paillote, 234, Street 130-53, tel: 722 151. A fine French restaurant with a good wine list.

$$ Le Tonkin, Samdech Sothearos Boulevard, close to the National Assembly. Fine Vietnamese cuisine in a comfortable setting.

$$ Li Lay Restaurant and Night Club, 321, Street 128 (Kampuchea Krom), tel: 428 516. Popular with locals for Chinese and Khmer food and dancing on first floor.

$$ The Palms, 36, Street 214, tel: 720 273. Excellent French food in a French style house. Monsoon disco on first floor.

$$ Ponlok, 319-232 Sisowath Quay, tel: 426 051. Overlooks the Sap River. There are two air-conditioned floors and a terrace. An extensive menu with many Khmer specialities.

$$ Topaz, 102 Sothearos Boulevard, near the Hong Kong Centre, tel: 211 054. Popular with Phnom Penh's international community. Serves excellent Thai and French food.

$ The Crusty Rice Restaurant, Route 2, about 3km south of the Monivong Bridge. Crusty rice and other Khmer specialities.

$ Eid, 327 Sisowath Quay, tel: 367 614. Serves some very good Khmer and Thai food.

An excellent area for authentic Khmer food can be found by crossing the Sap River at the Japanese Bridge. Here you'll find 5km (3 miles) of restaurants on both sides of the road. Those on the right are on the banks of the Mekong River. There are many to chose from, but favourites include Kos Kong, Rainbow, Heng Lay, Heong Neak and Monyrath.

Siem Reap

$$ Banteay Srei, Airport Road, near the hotel of the same name. A classy restaurant serving both Khmer and European favourites.

$$ Continental, old French Quarter, next to the river, tel: 964 036. A varied European menu and one of the few places you can get Bayon beer.

$$ Marquee, Sivutha Street. Serves both Khmer and European food, and you will find it by the Swiss Centre.

$ Bakong Café, Sivutha Street, near the Ta Phrom Hotel. A cool place to sit in the heat of the day.

$ Bayon, just off Route 6, almost opposite the Chivit Thai Restaurant. Standard Khmer food and Western breakfasts.

$ Green House Kitchen, on the Airport road close to the Sivutha Street crossroads. Thai and Western food.

$ Lotus, in front of the Psar Tcha market, tel: 964 032.

$ Monorom, Sivutha Street, close to the Zanzybar Pub. Serves reasonably good Khmer food plus some Chinese dishes.

$ The Angkor Wat Pub, Street 362, near Psar Tcha market, tel: 964 032.

Sihanoukville

$ Angkor Arms, Ekareach Street, tel: 812 695. It's a strange place to find one but this is a traditional English pub.

$ Marlin Bar and Grill, Ekareach Street, tel: 320 169. Regular barbecues.

$ Mealy Chenda, near Victory Beach on the north-west side of town. Khmer and Thai food served. With its terrace this is a great place to sit and watch the sun go down.

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