Cambodia.
I feel like Cambodia is such an interesting place. It’s gritty and beautiful, tragic and warm, it has so much soul but. I hate to say it but the food is not my favourite. I hate saying that because I LOVE food as most people know and I hate writing a whole cuisine off as I think its normally a bit narrow minded but I really tried with Cambodian food I honestly did. Having said that there are some awesome places to eat in Siem Reap. Here’s a mini guide, it’s by no means comprehensive but a bitesized (see what I did there) brief guide of 8 lovely local places.
For Dinner
Gratin at George’s
George’s Rhumerie and French Restaurant-Creole/French/Vietnamese fusion, awesome cocktails and they distill their own flavoured Rum. I recommend the Rum tasting, Planteur cocktail, Bananas Flambee, Creole Platter and their Gratins (Basically order menu). It’s not asian cheap but cheap compared to UK prices, expect to pay around $8 for a main. The service is amazing, the restaurant runs as a social enterprise and they are all amazing. If you want a special (albeit rich) meal this place is your dream.
Homemade cheesecake at Haven
Haven. For a long time this place topped the best restaurant list of Siem Reap. Slightly on the outskirts of the city but only 5 mins in a tuktuk. Another social enterprise ran by a lovely swiss couple, the head chef is Cambodian and it runs as a training restaurant for vunerable young adults, they train around 15 each year and their aim is to give them a chance to step out of the poverty cycle. I went with the aim of supporting a wonderful cause but soon realise the food was incredible. They have Cambodian dishes and ‘western mains’ (mainly swiss and central european dishes) Their Schnitzel and mushroom stroganoff were pretty much the best I’ve had and thats a big ask because my love of Romanian Schnitzel is deep rooted. Leave room for deserts too because they are awesome. Mains around $7-$8 USD and worth every penny, if you visit one restaurant in Siem Reap please make it this. Oh and make sure you book as they get busy.
A bit about Haven
Jungle burger-Where possible I have stuck to local restaurants or social enterprise’s but I have to slip Jungle burger in there. (I believe the owner is a kiwi) If you want some hearty, western fare and you like sports its definitely worth a visit. The burgers are big, made with real good meat and they have decent veggie options. The sides are awesome (see the homemade fish fingers and chicken strips) and JBs Moo Moo balls are super weird but super nice. You can even get a “happy patty” in your burger if you are into that. Burgers are around $7 so reasonable pricing and good if you are hungry.
Golden Pumpkin-It’s been a while since I ate here but the reviews are still really good so I’m throwing it in the ring. So cheap, right near pub street and it has a weird mash-up menu but a great place to find traditional cambodian food. A good Amok or curry will only set you back $2.50-$3 and noodles about $2. You can also get (half decent) pizza for around $6 and a pancake stack at breakfast will be about $2. Definately worth a visit if you are in the touristy part of town.
Breakfast/Brunch/Cafes
Bayon Pastry school Coffee shop-Cute decor, AMAZING patisserie and another wonderful training school/social enterprise. I believe (don’t quote me) that all the trainees are women and they train with some top pastry chefs with the aim to get jobs in some of the top hotels in the area. The coffee is good, service is great and the pastries so cheap, you could be in Paris they are that tasty. Check it out if you have a sweet tooth.
Missing socks laundry cafe-If you love waffles/need to do laundry or both you have to visit missing socks. They do serve mains but I can’t comment as I haven’t eaten mains (they look mighty fine though). Waffles are sooooo good, cheap ($2-$4) with inventive combinations, coffee is good and pretty cheap and you can wash your clothes while you eat. What’s not to love?
Fresh Fruit factory-I initially thought this place was a bit gimmicky but I think its actually really cool. Some dishes are too strange for me…..cold pasta with mango anyone? Having said that the drinks are really good and they do these awesome ice mountains I feel a bit similar to Bingsu? (if you know, you know) They also do some really cool bits to be sustainable, street clean-ups and a chashew nut project to provide local work. If you have $5 spare, are hot and want a refreshing treat head here for an ice mountain……you won’t be dissapointed.
Weird Cambodian drinks
So there you have it, I reckon this little guide would see you through 3 days worth of food in Siem Reap quite comfortably. It’s only a small drop in SO many restaurants there. There are quite a few western style coffee shops/juice bars but I think as travellers we have a responsibilty to try and invest in local people when we visit countries like Cambodia. It’s obviously just personal preference and no judgement here but out of all the countries I’ve visited in Asia I feel like Cambodia was the one I just wanted to give to the locals as much as I could. Either way you will definately eat well in Cambodia wether you love the local food or not. Let me know in the comments if theres anywhere I’ve missed.
Traditional food market