Phnom Penh

There is some outstanding food to sample on the streets of Phnom Penh. Authentic Khmer cuisine or Cambodian food are both delicious and there are plenty of tasty options to try in this exciting city which is brimming with excellent restaurants. Cambodian cuisine is influenced by Vietnamese, Thai, Indian, and Chinese flavors and traditions using fresh ingredients and imaginative recipes fused to create delectable classic dishes like Fish Amok, Lok lak, and Kuy teav. The city features plenty of restaurants, great cafes, markets, and street food stalls that showcase local ingredients and traditional recipes. There are some weird and wonderful things to try when visiting Phnom Penh, if your palette is feeling adventurous then try some Prahok (fermented fish paste), Pong tia koun (fertilized duck eggs), or snails. Phnom Penh is a great destination for food lovers with a variety of tasty street foods to try including interesting delicacies, the cuisine here is full of exotic, and different flavors, with dishes made from the freshest ingridients from the surrounding countryside. Cooking classes are a great experience in Phnom Penh, one of the best ways for visitors and food lovers to learn about the country’s rich history through the eyes of a local.

Must Savor Specialties: Fish amok (creamy curry with freshwater fish, made with coconut milk, eggs, fish sauce, and palm sugar with lots of spices and other ingredients like turmeric, kaffir lime, lemongrass, and shallots), Kuy teav (noodle soup made from pork or beef bones and rice vermicelli, a flavorful broth topped with fried shallots, garlic, bean sprouts, green onion, and aromatic herbs with pork or fish balls added), Lok lak (cubes or slices of marinated beef in paprika, Kampot pepper, tomato, fish sauce, served with rice or French fries, and a soft fried egg on top), Chicken and banana flower salad (sliced chicken with crunchy banana blossom flower, fried shallots, garlic, chili’s and lemongrass), beef loc lak (stir-fried beef on top of lettuce, with sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions with a fried egg on top and dipping sauce of lime and pepper), crab and pepper (fresh-caught crabs, stir-fried with Kampot pepper), Khmer curries (chicken, coconut milk, shredded banana leaves, beansprouts, cucumber, mint and basil topped with green fish curry), bai sach chrouk (thinly sliced marinated pork in garlic and oil, slowly barbecued and served over rice with sliced cucumbers and pickled vegetables), prahok (crushed, salted, fermented fish paste with seasoning served alongside rice and salads with a strong smell).

Siem Reap

Siem Reap is not only the gateway to the famous and fascinating Angkor ruins, it is a foodie paradise offering up tasty healthy regional cuisine. The quaint resort town is filled with great food and authentic places to eat from high-end Khmer restaurants, fine dining at luxury hotels, roadside stalls, and bustling markets, the sensational city has it all. Noodles, soups, curries, rice, salads, protein, and freshwater fish from the nearby Tonle Sap Lake, the dishes served up here are delicious and healthy. The city’s cuisine is heavily influenced by the French, as well as a plethora of Southeast Asian dining options, and appetizing original cuisine. Dishes and menus contain a myriad of fresh vegetables and herbs like lemongrass, kaffir lime, galangal, and shallots. The mighty Mekong River cuts straight through the country so it is no surprise that the water, rice, and freshwater fish dominate the menu’s in Siem Reap, along with 275 miles of coastline the country is also blessed with plenty of seafood. Street food is popular and plentiful in Siem Reap with unique and surprising delicacies and an authentic culinary adventure to taste the “real” Cambodia with the Khmer street food culture. Phsa Chas is the Old Market where hawkers sell fried banana kebabs, roasted corn on the cob, banana-chocolate pancakes or crispy fried tarantulas, and delicious octopus meat.

Must Savor Specialties:Rice, Noodles, fish, shrimp, salads, chicken feet, crispy fried tarantulas, banana kebabs, roasted corn on the cob, banana chocolate pancakes, Lok Lak (stir-fried beef dish, marinated overnight in a mixture of fish sauce, lemon, oyster sauce, and pepper), Prahok Ktiss (fermented fish dipping sauce with a variety of sliced vegetables, rice or noodles), Bai sach chrouk (breakfast staple, pork slices with scrambled eggs and rice), Fish amok (creamy curry with freshwater fish, made with coconut milk, eggs, fish sauce, and palm sugar with lots of spices and other ingredients like turmeric, kaffir lime, lemongrass, and shallots), Khmer curries (chicken, coconut milk, shredded banana leaves, beansprouts, cucumber, mint, and basil topped with green fish curry), Khmer noodles (rice noodles, mint leaves, bean sprouts, green beans, banana flower, and cucumbers in a fish based green curry), Samlor machu kroeung (diced beef ribs and succulent trip stewed in kroeung paste, lemongrass, turmeric, morning glory, and coriander leaves), Samlor machu trey (fresh herbs, fish fillets, and vegetables in a clear broth seasoned with sugar, fish sauce, and salt), Lap Khmer (Cambodia’s version of ceviche with raw beef slices marinated in lime juice, lemongrass, shallots, garlic, fish sauce, Asian basil, mint leaves, green beans, and green pepper).

Sihanoukville

The sparkling coastal city of Sihanoukville is a dream destination for foodies, situated on the Gulf of Thailand, one of the only coastal cities in the country. The city offers food lovers authentic Asian Khmer cuisine and other culinary delights including French, Italian, Japanese, and Russian cuisine. There is an abundance of great restaurants in the beach resort destination offering varied cuisines in spectacular settings, including high-end restaurants, romantic beachside eateries, downtown cafes, beachside shacks, hawker stalls, and vibrant marketplaces. All of these locations offer excellent quality food with a great diversity of seafood with the sea close at hand, dine on the finest and freshest squids, prawns, crabs, lobsters, and fish. There are some spectacular and luxurious hotels in the city, many are nestled along the beach with unobstructed views of the waters, Queenco is one of the leading hotels on Independence Beach with a bar directly on the beach where phenomenal sunsets and happy hour cocktails go hand in hand. In the markets in Sihanouk where tons of seafood is on display, the markets offer the opportunity to choose beautiful fresh food that can be cooked right in front of your eyes. Grab some fried rice, noodles, or soup with chicken, seafood, or eggs from several street stalls or hawker stalls as they are known.

Must Savor Specialties:Noodle soup, stir-fried rice, spring rolls, curries, dtray-meuk (grilled squid), bai sach chrouk (rice and grilled pork), Khmer curry (coconut-milk based curry topped with beef, chicken, fish, vegetables, and kroeung), nom banh chok (rice noodles with a fish-based green curry gravy), delicacies like shark, snails, and turtle, Fried Fish Sour Sweet (deep-fried fish), salads, pizza, lamb shanks, steaks, pasta, coffee, smoothies, bongkong Park or lobster Horley (fried shrimp/lobster), octopus, seafood fried rice and shrimp in garlic.

Battambang

The city of Battambang is nicknamed the rice bowl of Cambodia, home to sprawling verdant rice paddies, spectacular countryside, and the country’s second-largest city. Battambang is a charming city, home to a delightful swathe of restaurants that cater to all types of taste buds, dine on delicious Khmer desserts, and contemporary Cambodian cuisine. The region is one of the best places in Cambodia to try the traditional rural Cambodian way of life and its cuisine, with some very interesting dishes to try. The city offers an excellent culinary adventure with plenty of exotic restaurants to eat at, street food stalls to browse, fresh markets, local eateries, and foodie tours. In the city of Battambang, food lovers will find everything from pizza to Indian food, juicy burgers, ice-cold beers, and some of the best coffee in the country.

Must Savor Specialties: Bobor (rice soup or Smokin Pot), Khmer curry (usually beef, chicken, or fish seasoned with coconut milk, lemongrass, and kroeung sauce), fruit drinks, Apple pie (an apple tart, a long dessert rolled up on a baking sheet and then baked in the oven with multi-layered pastry and filled with chopped apples, cane sugar, cheese, cinnamon, and raisins), Amok (meat wrapped in a banana leaf, add coconut milk, lemon leaves, and local vegetables and spices), Kuy teav (pork noodle broth served for breakfast), youtiao (Chineses doughnuts, or deep-fried breadsticks for dipping in soup), fresh produce from the countryside such as coconuts, pineapples, oranges, and corn, Coffee, Cambodian Cappuccino (pineapple syrup, palm sugar, and frothy coconut milk).