As you stroll around Phnom Penh's busy markets and bustling streets, you will pass hundreds of food stalls selling delicious morsels, ranging from pat on fresh bread to barbecued shrimps. It seems as if the charcoal powered woks, grills, and ovens never have a chance to cool down.
Phnom Penh's food culture is a product of the long and rich history and influence from its neighboring countries. The Khmer period, from approximately 800 to 1400, is considered one of the most defining in Cambodian history in terms of art and culinary development. This is why many traditional Cambodian dishes are referred to as Khmer style.
Apart from Khmer and street food, Phnom Penh is quickly becoming a modern city with a wide range of international cuisine. However, Phnom Penh has long been influenced by China, Thailand, and Vietnam in terms of cuisine, and it is easy to find Cambodian versions of the Vietnamese Bah Minh and cold Thai Salads.
What is Cambodian food? Cambodian cuisine (commonly referred to as Khmer cuisine) is the traditional food of the local people. Most meals consist of multiple dishes, eaten in family style. Khmer cuisine features contrasting flavors like sweet-sour, spicy-savory, and bitter-creamy. The cuisine is heavy on herbs and spices, as well as on dipping sauces, garnishes and condiments.
When traveling, it is often most convenient to eat in your hotel. If you travel with Asia Highlights then every hotel you stay in will offer a full breakfast with western and local options.
While not every hotel will have the same spread, below are some of the dishes you might find in the morning. In addition to these, you can expect your traditional western fair like eggs, toast, and maybe even a little bacon.
Rice Porridge
Walk around any market (they open at sunrise) and you will quickly find a vendor slopping porridge into cheap throw-away bowls. The porridge itself is standard but the proof is in the condiments. Lime juice, spices, fresh herbs, and pickled vegetables are all offered as toppings.
Kuy Teav
Although you can find it all day, most locals prefer Kuy Teav soup for breakfast. This is your standard pork and noodle soup with a dash of Cambodian condiments. Nourishing and filling, this dish is a great way to start a day with something hearty yet simple.
Kuy Teav has been compared to Vietnamese Pho but anyone who has sampled both will advocate their differences. Toppings include: beef, pork, fried garlic, scallions, and even meatballs so you can try it in many different ways.
The standard Cambodian lunch is rice, the staple food, with some meat and vegetables. While there are more delicious dishes to try that deviate from this model, this is the standard lunch fair. You may be tempted to try something more interesting than a simple meal of rice and vegetables but do not shy away from the chance to eat like a local.
You might find yourself thinking, "is this Chinese food?" when looking at the simple meal of rice and vegetables. While Cambodian food has been heavily influenced by Chinese cuisine, you will find that the flavors are very different.
Green Mango Salad
Do not confuse this with Thai Mango Salad, especially not in front of a Phnom Penh local! Cambodians love the mangos that grow regionally, and this salad is made with magnum opus.
Sweet and sour, savory and tangy, crunchy and refreshing - Green Mango Salad has it all. Shaved green mango, fish sauce, lime juice, carrots, peppers, and fresh herbs like mint, make this dish a wild ride of flavors but without a heavy caloric intake to regret later.
During the middle of a hot Cambodian afternoon, a bowl of noodles might sound like a bit too much, so do not forget about this dish.
Try it at Friends' Restaurant. Friends' is a special restaurant that works to benefit local disadvantaged youths by offering them employment. They are also famous for their delicious Khmer style food.
Rice with Vegetables and Meat
Why get fancy with a dish like fried tarantulas or fish Amok (fish curry)? At RomDeng Resturant you can experience both of these options, or you can settle down to a simple lunch of rice with your choice of meat or fish and vegetables.
If you travel with Asia Highlights, our helpful staff can help you order just what you want! RomDeng is the sister restaurant to Friends' and also works to help get street children employment in the restaurant industry.
So no matter wether you are interested in the fancy, the exotic, or just in plain veggies and rice, then Cambodia, and RomDeng in particular, is a good place for you to eat lunch.
China Highlights, Asia Highlights, and Global Highlights collaborate to provide families and couples with personalized and stress-free experiences in diverse destinations.
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My experience in Thai
All of this was well organized by the local office. The holiday was wonderful. Our guide, Mr. Longdy（ Siem Reap）were exceptional. He shared his extensive knowledge of the many wonderful places we visited, and were flexible to take us to additional places along the way based on discussions. Thank you so much .shared their extensive knowledge of the many wonderful places we visited, and were flexible to take us to additional places along the way based on discussions. More
kelli,
Jul 2023
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Seamless Planning
From the day I submitted an inquiry request, I instantly received a response from Monica asking my preferences for my trip. She has been attentive and responsive to our every needs and we very much appreciate it. Looking forward to our trip in November but many thanks to Monica for making this experience to seamless thus far. More
Sana Samhouri,
Jul 2023
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Very professional agency for a memorable trip to Asia
A special thanks to Albee who worked with us and helped to tailor the itinerary to our taste, she was amazing and always available for whatever we needed. The trip would not have been the same without her and her team. Thank you! More
Daniela,
Jul 2023
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It was our first time in Cambodia and …
It was our first time in Cambodia and we had a wonderful time. The accommodations, food, and sites were really beautiful. We ended our trip with a relaxing massage. Sam was very accommodating to our needs and knowledgeable. Thank you for the laughter and for being so kind. More
Amy Oakes Moon,
Jun 2023
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Our guide Borin - never boring!
Our guide Borin, in Cambodia, was knowledgeable, understanding and thoughtful in every aspect of the plan he put together for our trip to Siem Reap and in its execution. He can read the room, and knew exactly how to pace the tour, when to pause, when to break, and how to prepare us for the maximum benefit. He is extremely kind and caring, and it showed at every turn. He also is a dab hand with the camera, and we have a lot of great pictures to show for it. Kudos to my Asia Highlights coordinator - Cathy Chen, for picking Borin. Borin works with a driver (007) who was also very kind and caring. Whenever we returned to the car, he would have cold towel rolls and chilled water to refresh us. So amazingly considerate. It was an unforgettable experience More
David Muliyil,
Jun 2023
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Great visit!
Our guide, Anna, was fantastic! She was highly informative and a delight to spend our days with. Would request her again if we were to return! More
Alejandra M Almonte,
Jun 2023
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We've had such a great experience…
We've had such a great experience planning our honeymoon with Alisa at Asia Highlights! We gave her our dream itinerary, thinking that it might be impossible to do all the things we wanted, but Alisa made our dreams a reality! She's gone so far above and beyond to answer ALL of our questions and make little adjustments that will make a huge impact on our experience. More
Lauren,
Jun 2023
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Alisa knows how to work fast and please a customer.
Alisa is very helpful and works very fast. I am a very difficult client because Inknow what I want in therm of hotels and comfort. She had a lot of patience with me, and moved a lot the plan of the trip, always following my requests. It was a pleasure organizing my trip with her. I recommend her a lot! Thanks Alisa. Malala from Argentina. More
maria laura artola,
Jun 2023
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Trip-of-a-lifetime
In addition, I want to specifically mention the guides provided in certain locations. Rum, in Siem Reap, made the most memorable experience possible. His positivity was contagious - even when it felt like 1000 degrees and we were tired. He brought it all to life, and created a couple days of Ankor Wat, etc. that we will never forget! He heard my daughter's request for specific Cambodian food, and changed our itinerary to go to a village and eat at a locally known shop. He brought the dessert she asked about to us in the car! Overall, he and his driver "Lucky" were a reason to go to Siem Reap. In addition, the other guides (minus one which was switched out immediately) were stupendous. Mon in Bangkok was friendly and provided a great day there; Eak in Chiang Mai gave us a world-class food-tour and day touring the city and its surrounding temples with lots of laughs; Tommy in Hanoi kept us from getting killed in the traffic and gave a stupendous food and architecture/history tour - so very friendly and funny; the fishing village tour in Hoi An, as well as the side-car tour in Saigon, were both unforgettable! Thank you Sharon, and Asia Highlights. Would definitely use again for future trips! More
Teri Simpson,
Apr 2023
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Cambodia and Vietnam adventure!
Our guide in Cambodia, Meas Darapolaith (Pol), was absolutely amazing. He was knowledgeable, friendly and so helpful. His English was excellent and he shared important insights about history and the magnificent sites we visited. We highly recommend him! More
Jennifer Roth Krieger,
Apr 2023
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My daughter and I wanted to discover SE…
My daughter and I wanted to discover SE Asia. Being the first in that region, we wanted to use a tour service company. We ended up using Asia Highlights. From the beginning we were impressed with their services. We left home with of mind because all the pre-travel arrangements were taking care and communicate to us efficiently. All our questions were answered promptly. Once in the countries, we were welcome by our excellent tour guides. Everything was taking care for us. We did not have one issue. They selected the right tours guides for us, they were highly knowledgeable and so much attentive to our needs. We had Dhat in Vietnam and Borin in Siem Reap, Cambodia. I highly recommend Asia Highlights. I came back home so much rested, and with plenty of wonderful pictures and memories. I will definitely use Asia Highlights again for my next trip to Asia. More
Isabelle Dessaux,
Apr 2023
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Fabulous tour and guide in Cambodia
We have been touring Cambodia, guided by Borin ( and driver 007) for the last 2 days. What a fabulous experience! Borin has been a wonderful guide, the best so far in Southeast Asia, explaining the history and culture of Cambodia through his tours of the temples in and around Angkor, as well as the Landmine museum. He has answered all our questions, made sure we were comfortable, and that we have had great food. 007 made sure we always had enough water and cool towels for our face/neck.We highly recommend Borin as a tour guide for Cambodia!! More
Monica,
Mar 2023
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Best Travel Service for Asia Travel
Alisa Liu was in charge of making the arrangements and she helped us from the start to make all of the arrangements and also helped us when we had questions and requested some adjustments. Her service is of the highest professional level. We are 100% confident that our trip will be perfect. We’re also 100% confident that, if anything comes up during our trip, that Alisa will be there to guide us through and take care of us. We won’t even consider using another agency for travel around Asia and we would like to have Alisa work for us again. More
Leo Pospichal,
Mar 2023
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Tour of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand
The tour guides and drivers were another high point. All were very good, friendly, knowledgeable and spoke English well. There were two that I want to call out for their excellence. Chan Sovannarith in Siem Reap was our guide in Cambodia. He really made the experience special. His knowledge, willingness to answer all my questions, helpfulness and general attitude made him fun to be around. In order to praise the second exceptional guide I have to explain about an unfortunate occurrence that I had. I'm normally a very active senior, but after leaving Cambodia for Laos I was suddenly struck by the most intense back pain I've ever experienced, couldn't even roll over in bed (turned out to be sciatica). The guide, Mr. Sonophet, really went the extra mile. He went with my traveling companion and bought a back brace and medications for me. When that didn't help much he took me to a clinic where I was seen by a doctor, given a shot and pain meds. He hand-made a walking stick for me that I'm still using! He made it possible for me to somewhat participate in the activities, i.e. a bed on the boat down the river. When it was time to move on to Bangkok he got me a wheelchair at the airport. I can't thank him enough for these kindnesses! This problem lasted for the remainder of the trip, through Bangkok and Phuket and these guides were also very helpful getting wheelchairs, etc. It was a terrible disappointment to have this wonderful trip disrupted, but it would have been SO much worse without the great help that I received from the guides and my poor travel companion! More
Deb M,
Mar 2023
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In good hands with Sam
Sam Ol took very good care of us - lots of information, listened to and answered all our questions, was passionate about the places we visited and about his people and country. He was kind, had a great sense of humor, and made sure we felt safe and comfortable at all times. He helped us to fall in love with Cambodia in 3 short days. More
Carol Jones,
Feb 2023
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Best tour guide in Cambodia
When we first arrived at the airport in Siem Riep it was so nice to be greeted by Mr Sam Ol. We instantly fell at home when we saw his friendly smile. We were impressed by his great English and knowledge of the temples. On the tour to the temples Sam took care of us every step of the way. He took awesome pictures of us. It felt like we were on a tour given by our brother who is also a professional photographer. Also, we appreciate his humor as well as the fact he had an answer for every question we had. I give Sam 5 stars, best tour guide ever :) More
Len S,
Feb 2023
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Mr. Sam
Mr. Sam our guide in Cambodia, he and the driver out standing service they went above and beyond touring, my wife so amazed beautiful country, we're planning back here near the futures. Thank Mr. Sam,We'll feedback the whole trip next week when we be home in US More
Pho Lover,
Feb 2023
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Vietnam/Cambodia/Thailand
We are still in the middle of our trip, but we are just finishing up our time in Cambodia and our guide, Borin, has been AMAZING!!! He has truly made our time here unforgettable and I plan on referring all of my friends and family to come visit this beautiful country! Thank you, Borin, for everything you did to make our trip so fantastic! More
Danielle Blount,
Feb 2023
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Excellent service and Wonderful Guides
All of our guides have been terrific. Mr. Sam in Siem Reip was especially wonderful. Both he and our driver were polite, safe knowledgable and informative. Sam made our trip memorable and enioyable. We will definitely recommend Sam and Asia Highlights to our friends. More
Kaaren,
Feb 2023
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Great tour guide Charity at Siem Reap
Our experience in Siem Reap could not have been any better thanks to our outstanding and cheerful guide, Charity. Her very good English speaking made it so easy to learn so much from her. She understood and answers all of our questions.She was relaxed and very knowledgeable. She went out out her way to help us make amazing pano photos of the cotton trees at Siem Reap and on our sunset cruise. She also advised us on Chanrey Tree restaurant—what we found to be the very best vegan restaurant on our first three weeks of our Asia tour. So glad to have vegan meals with very little oil!!! We are not supposed to have oil and is very hard to find vegan with no oil. Went went back the next night. More
Barbara Cornyn,
Jan 2023
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Fruit juice and iced coffee are the two main favorite drinks in Phnom Penh. Are you saying, coffee? Yes! Cambodia used to be a French Indochina Colony and has, ever since, been in love with coffee. Below are a few of the best places to stop for a drink.
The FCCPP also has a complete lunch and dinner menu, meaning you can stop for coffee and stay for a meal. The building is home to the Foreign Correspondents Club, where international writers can receive a discount on food and drinks while getting the local scuttlebutt.
Location: 363 Sisowath Quay, corner Street 178, near the Royal Palace
Daughters of Cambodia is an organization that helps disadvantaged Cambodian women. A portion of all of the cafe's profits go to this cause. In addition to being in a place where you can learn more about these issues and daily life in Cambodia, the DoC Cafe has an excellent food and drink menu.
The coffee is a selling point, but they also have daily and seasonal specials to keep things interesting. If you are not looking for caffeine, their crumbled chicken is a big hit.
Location: 321 Sisowath Quay, The Riverside, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Both the Central and Night Markets are hotbeds for fresh fruit. What comes with fresh fruit? Fruit juice and smoothies! Walk around any market in Cambodia and you will find a local vendor pressing fruit with large metal machines.
Simply point to the fruit and the size you want and the pressing will begin.
If you prefer a smoothie to juice, or if you prefer to be in a shop while ordering and not in a crowded market, then head to Backyard Cafe. Backyard is arguably the most famous smoothie shop in the entire city.
They use the freshest ingredients and the size of their menu ensures that even the pickiest customer will leave satisfied.
Location: House 11b, Street 246, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Deciding where to eat can sound easy until you get to a new city and have no idea where to start. Avoid this confusion by letting one of our helpful guides point you in the right direction.
The Asia Highlights Experience includes knowledgeable and helpful guides and staff to make all of these arrangements for you. Want a room close to the pool? We can call and ask. Need a vegetarian option? We can do that too.
At Asia Highlights, we create your kind of journey — your dates, your destinations, at your pace. You can have any trip tailor made for your travel.
1-to-1 Expert PlanningYour tour will be tailor-made to suit you by a destination expert. Your personal travel advisor will always reply within 24 hours. |
Personal JourneysEnjoy having your own personal local guide and ride. Explore destinations at your own pace. Have as much flexibility as possible. |
Authentic ExperiencesGo beyond the sightseeing. Understand the destinations by practicing the local culture and interacting with local people. |
One-Stop ServiceLeave all the booking work to us, including international and internal transportation, visas, hotels, meals, and activities. |
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