KHMER CUISINE
Siem Reap has many great restaurants and quaint cafes , some celebrating traditional cuisine and others focused more on contemporary fine dining . So , if you consider yourself a bit of a gourmand , you ’ ll have plenty of choices to plan a few romantic meals during your stay .
Khmer cuisine is generally more subtle in heat and spice than Thai cuisine but no less flavorful , with bursts of piquant notes derived from fermented pastes and fresh herbs . Start your exploration of Khmer food at Sugar Palm , where owner and chef Kethana Dunnet serves dishes — many learned from her mother and grandmother throughout her childhood — in a dimly lit dining hall . Be sure to order the restaurant ’ s Fish Amok , a velvety soufflé of mashed snakehead fish , prahok ( fermented fish paste ) and coconut cream in a shallow palm-leaf tub . It can take over 40 minutes to prepare and cook , but we hear the wait is worth it — it ’ s their signature dish that chef Gordon Ramsey asked to learn to cook during his visit to the restaurant in 2009 .
Another stellar option for Cambodian cuisine is Malis , a stunning restaurant overlooking the Siem Reap River where Chef Luu Meng has crafted an extensive menu of delicate dishes based on traditional recipes with a contemporary twist . Book ahead to grab a table in their al fresco garden for a memorable meal ( contact the restaurant in advance if you want to time it to sync with Malis ’ regular Apsara performance , a majestic show of traditional Cambodian dances and Khmer martial art ).
To sample authentic Cambodian flavours fused with
French haute-cuisine style , Cuisine Wat Damnak is a must-visit ( it was the first Cambodian restaurant to be included in Asia ’ s 50 Best Restaurants list !). Set in a wooden Cambodian home , this fine dining restaurant features multiple-course set menus prepared by celebrity French chef Joannès Rivière , with dishes changing fortnightly to use the best of seasonal ingredients , almost entirely sourced from nearby farms and villages around Siem Reap and Phnom Penh as well as other provinces . It ’ s a dining experience like no other in Siem Reap ( bookings are essential !).
Our go-to place for long , languid lunches was FCC Angkor , the elegant former home of the French Colonial Governor , originally built in 1917 and now a chic hotel with a restaurant and bar . Relaxed and inviting , the menu here at The Mansion is fresh and enticing , with elevated cuisine , and the breezy verandah proved a welcome perch for cold drinks and bites to break up all the sightseeing . You can also dine inside the colonial-style dining room or head to the Scribe Bar for a tipple or two ( the name plays on its former life as a base for the city ’ s foreign correspondents during the war ).
It ’ s not all fine dining and designer drinks in Siem Reap , though — the city ’ s famous Pub Street caters to the budget end of eating out , washed down with raucous , loud music and neon lights ( it reminded us of Khao San Road in Bangkok !). Head here for cheap and cheery pizza , burgers and beers , and stay on to play at the pubs and clubs into the early hours .
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