Following Laos, I crossed the Cambodian border by bus and made a stop at Phnom Penh. It was great to be back in a large city, especially coming from Si Phan Don (4000 islands). Streets were always filled with people and chatter and there was so much to see and do. One of those places was Central Market, a yellow dome shaped building that you can’t miss. Inside the building held goods like jewelry and clothing and outside had food stands and flower shops.
Central Market is the best place to go for a quick meal! There are plenty of stalls selling all types of delicious food. Many of them won’t have a menu, but it’ll be clear what they offer!
Eating this porridge with the fried dough (youtiao) was perfection. It softens as you dip it into the porridge, getting to the perfect texture!
There are many restaurants surrounding the neighboring streets of Central Market as well! My friend took me to this restaurant that served a sandwich similar to banh mi.
I also went to two restaurants that support the youth and offer training for their future: Friends the Restaurant and Romdeng! It was a nice surprise to see the servers, hosts, and chefs so young and learning to do something they’re interested in. The proceeds and donations from the restaurants go back to the programs.
From the two restaurants, Romdeng had a more adventurous menu…
My next stop in Cambodia was Sihanoukville, a small beachy town. It only cost $10 a night to stay beachside! Be sure to grab some grilled scallops and clams by the beach while watching the sunset! One place that served some authentic Cambodian food was Grand Kampuchea. When I went for lunch, I was the only table but I absolutely loved the food!
This was the most memorable dish from the restaurant; the curry was spicy and creamy and had the great aroma of coconut!
Kep is by far one of my favorite places in Cambodia and I cannot wait to go back! Upon arrival, I stopped by the crab market and there were so many people picking out crabs, buying steamed crabs, or eating at one of the restaurants.
This was the first meal I had in Kep and it was so delicious! Cambodia being known for their kampot peppers, it added a slight spiciness to the crab. It was so messy to eat but well worth it!
You really can’t go wrong with choosing any restaurant that offers a crab dish. I ate at another nearby restaurant and ordered more crab dishes to compare.
The crabs themselves weren’t extremely big, but they were full of meat. Each dish costs about $6 and what you get out of it sure beats the expensive Singaporean chili crab!
If you have extra time in Kep, visit Rabbit Island! It was nice to go somewhere with no electricity to really relax!
Up next was Siem Reap! All I did there was visit temples and it was definitely tiring! Hit up Pub Street for Cambodian barbecue or wood fired pizza.
This barbecue included kangaroo meat, alligator meat, and ostrich meat which tasted like pork, chicken, and beef (respectively).
For a fine dining experience, I ate dinner at both Viroth’s and Wat Damnak. Wat Damnak had a tasting menu for $26 and included 5 courses, which is superb compared to the tasting menus in America!
Before the first course, I actually got an amuse-bouche which consisted of a sesame chicken and greens.
I also got this additional dish and it was a great way to round off the dinner! The meal was well worth $26!
Has anyone been to Cambodia? What was your favorite part?
miniature bites. 