Phnom Penh - Eating
- Nearby guides:
- Ho Chi Minh
- Siem Reap
- Bangkok
- Phuket
- Penang
- Kuala Lumpur
- Hanoi
- Singapore
- Kota Kinabalu
- Kunming
A mix of Thai and Vietnamese cuisine, Khmer food is varied, simple and delicious. A diet based on fish and soups, the local food offers healthy and abundant Asian surprises. Khmer highlights are fish amok- fish cooked in coconut and barbecued beef found on most street corners in the early evening around the Central Market. Phnom Penh is a haven for fruit lovers, from mangoes of all shapes and sizes to delicious mangoustines. All markets have a fruit section and sellers walk along most main streets selling fresh papaya, pineapple and whichever fruit is in season. As the city is made up of many communities –Vietnamese, Chinese, Expatriate- there is a variety of delicacies and restaurants catering to a large expatriate community. Phnom Penh has something for everybody!
Malise
Offering royal Khmer food, this stylish restaurant cooks an up-scale Khmer dining experience. Start the evening enjoying a cocktail by the impressive water fountain.
Pacharan
Funky and hip Spanish eatery. Excellent sangria. The pine nut and feta cheese salad is a must.
Khmer Surin
This sophisticated restaurant offers good Khmer and Thai food in a candlelit, low seating ambiance in an old wooden house.
Try the varied curry dishes and excellent amok.
Rega
Small sized snack portions of Khmer and International cuisine. Set in a leafy courtyard. Try the fried calamari and the traditional papaya salad. Also a very clean and nice guesthouse with frensh speaking staff.
Near And Far
Savoury and sweet pancakes, Vietnamese staples and a variety of salads, this cosy restaurant is run by a charming Vietnamese woman who says no to MSG. Enjoy the fruit platter that is offered after every meal.
FCC (Foreign Correspondents Club)
Considered a Phnom Penh landmark, FCC overlooks the river with its inspiring colonial décor. Mainly western dishes and some typical Asian food. Tasty pizzas.
Centre Culurel Francais
Salads, Khmer dishes and daily specials. Set in the French school’s picturesque garden.
Pho De Paris
Popular lunch place to eat local and Vietnamese dishes. Try the fresh spring rolls and the coconut shake.
Psar Kap Koh Restaurant
Steaming noodle soups for breakfast with freshly brewed coffee. Packed with young professionals at lunchtime, enjoy a mix of homemade curries, soups and grilled fish. Clean, efficient service. A friendly place to taste local food.
Boat Noodle
The menu is extensive, tasty, affordable Khmer. Mains goes for app. $ 2 - 3. A family meal for 3 would not go beyond $ 15. Another reason to try this out is the ambiance. It has the look and feel of a traditional Khmer house, wooden decor, Khmer silk, surrounded by lush plants and fishes swimming in small ponds. Their staffspeaks English well and you can easily request to tone down the spiciness of some of the dishes.
Yixian Chinese Restaurant
Packed with the local Chinese community, this tiny restaurant serves large portions. Try the dumplings and the sweet and sour chicken.
Bo Bor
From 5 pm to 8 pm this side-street snack bar heaves with intense activity dishing up the local porridge-based soup known as bobor. Steaming rice-soup heaped with chicken and soya beans combined with fresh sugar cane juice, makes the stop worthwhile.
