Discover Cambodia cuisine through 17 irresistible dishes

Delicious dishes with diverse cooking methods create a unique appeal for Cambodian cuisine. If you have the opportunity to visit the “land of pagodas”, do not miss the following 17 attractive dishes!

1. BAI SACH CHROUK – PORK RICE

Bai sach chrouk

Bai sach chrouk is one of the simple dishes of Cambodian cuisine. Thinly sliced ​​pork is grilled over hot coals. Sometimes, people marinate the pork with coconut milk or garlic, making bai sach chrouk have different flavors in different regions of the “land of pagodas”. Grilled pork is served with broken rice, cucumber and radish, ginger and a bowl of broth with fried shallots and shallots.

Restaurant address: Samnang Kitchen Restaurant – No. 155, Toul Tom Poung Market, Phnom Penh.

2. RED KHMER CURRY

Red Khmer curry

Not as spicy as Thai curry, Khmer red curry is mainly coconut milk, without chili powder. It uses beef, fish, chicken with eggplant, long beans, potatoes, fresh coconut water, lemongrass and kroeung. Khmer red curry is often served with bread.

Address:

• Kabbas Restaurant – 48Eo, 172 Chey Chomneas Street, Daun Penh, Phnom Penh 12206, Cambodia.
• Khmer Grill – Watdamnak Street, Wat damak Village Sangkat Salakamrouk, Siem Reap, 17254, Cambodia.

3. LAP KHMER – KHMER BEEF SALAD WITH LEMON

Lap Khmer

Khmer beef salad with lemongrass consists of thinly sliced ​​beef that has been blanched or rare in lemon juice. Mixed with lemongrass, onion, garlic, fish sauce, basil, mint, long beans and fresh pepper, the beef is sweet, salty and has a little bit of spicy chili.

Lap Khmer

Restaurant Address:

• Kabbas Restaurant – 48Eo, 172 Chey Chomneas Street, Daun Penh, Phnom Penh, 12206, Cambodia.
• Khmer Grill – Watdamnak Street, Wat damak Village Sangkat Salakamrouk, Siem Reap, 17254, Cambodia.

4. KDAM CHAA – FRIED CRAB

Kdam chaa

Fried crab is a specialty of Kep town, Cambodia. The famous crab market in the town is known for fried crab with Kampot green pepper. In particular, you can only enjoy fresh Kampot pepper when traveling to Cambodia.

Address:

• Holy Crab – Krong Kaeb, Cambodia.
• Mr. Mab Phsar Kdam – Kep Crab Market Phsar Kdam, Kep, 07503, Cambodia.

5. ANG DTRAY MEUK – GRILLED SQUID

Grilled squid

In coastal areas of Cambodia, such as Sihanoukville and Kep, there are many street vendors selling grilled golden squid eggs. The squid is marinated in lime juice and fish sauce, then skewered on bamboo sticks before being grilled. The dish is served with soy sauce, Kampot pepper, garlic, chili, lime and sugar.

6. CHA HOUY TEUK – JELLY DESSERT

Cha houy teuk

Cha houy teuk is a dish in Cambodian cuisine with extremely rich flavors. This dessert is made from ingredients such as red beans, taro, pumpkin and jackfruit, especially indispensable coconut milk.

7. FRIED FISH

Fried fish

Fried fish on a fire plate is only served in restaurants or on festive occasions. Fried fish with curry coconut milk sauce, yellow kroeung and chili, served on a large plate. Cauliflower and cabbage are cooked with curry. This fried fish dish is usually eaten with rice or noodles.

Address: SaMaKy Restaurant & Lounge – 9E0 Street 51, corner 278 West of Wat Langka, Phnom Penh.

8. PALM SUGAR

Palm sugar

Cambodia has many palm trees, closely associated with the lives of the people. Palm leaves are used to roof houses, and tree trunks are used as pillars. Sweet palm juice is extracted from palm flowers and cooked into sugar. Palm sugar is not only used to cook sweet soups, but can also be used to season food, soups or stews. In addition, palm juice is also processed into a light wine like wine called “tuc-thot-chu” (sour palm).

9. AMOK (AMOK TREY) – STEAMED FISH

Amok is a traditional fish dish typical of Cambodian cuisine. The main ingredient of amok is fish, but the fish used here is mainly freshwater fish. The fish will be deboned, chopped and mixed with coconut milk, eggs, fish sauce, palm sugar, chili… In particular, to make amok more flavorful, kroeung – a special Cambodian sauce made from turmeric, lemon, shallots and many other spices typical of Cambodian cuisine is indispensable.

Amok

The amok fish dish is put into a small bowl-like mold made of banana leaves, steamed until cooked. Before serving, the amok will be added with shredded green kaffir lime leaves, red chili and a little white coconut milk on top. Therefore, the mok fish after steaming looks very eye-catching and strangely attractive. Currently, in addition to using fish as the main ingredient, Cambodians sometimes innovate this traditional dish with other ingredients such as chicken, beef, pork, tofu… to create a different flavor.

Restaurant address:

• Kabbas Restaurant – 48Eo, 172 Chey Chomneas Street, Daun Penh, Phnom Penh, 12206, Cambodia.
• Khmer Surin Restaurant – 8e0, St 57 Street, Phnom Penh, 12302, Cambodia.

10. BAMBOO RICE

Bamboo rice

Bamboo rice is considered a type of sticky rice baked in bamboo tubes for a unique flavor. Cambodians mix bamboo rice with peanuts or coconut. The main ingredient for making bamboo rice is fragrant sticky rice – a type of sticky rice grown in the Cambodian countryside using Thai techniques. Dwarf sticky rice has a high yield, the sticky rice grains are very fragrant and use little pesticides when cultivating.

Restaurant address: Angkor Night Market, Siem Reap.

11. INSECT DISHES

Cambodians love to use insects to prepare many dishes. From crickets, ant eggs to water bugs, spiders are fried, stir-fried, stuffed with peanuts or steamed with rice, soaked in vinegar, all are very delicious. Among them, dishes made from water bugs – a useful insect that helps make the dish more attractive and has a spicy aroma.

Insect dishes 

Compared to insect dishes in Thailand and Laos, insect dishes in Cambodia are less diverse, mainly crickets and spiders, especially insect dishes are not elaborate, with less spices.

Address: Skun Spider Market in Kampong Cham – Highway 6, Skun, Cambodia.

12. PRAHOK FISH SAUCE

Prahok fish sauce is made from small fish, linh fish or snakehead fish, because snakehead fish and linh fish have a lot of meat and the meat is very sweet when fermented for a long time. The fish is cleaned thoroughly to remove the fishy smell, the head is cut off and seasoned with garlic, sugar, soy sauce, etc. The fish is dried in the sun for 1 day, washed again and then placed in a jar with rice and salt. Use bamboo strips to tightly seal the jar and ferment for 4 to 6 months. The finished fish sauce will have a dark red color, the fish sauce is thick and fragrant.

Prahok fish sauce

13. KUY TEAV

Kuy teav

Kuy teav is a noodle soup in Cambodia, also a popular breakfast dish for the locals, often sold in street vendors. The broth is made from beef or pork bones, flavored with fried shallots, green onions, garlic and bean sprouts. Pork or beef meatballs are a popular topping, added to the bowl of noodles before serving.

Address:

• Kuy Teav Orussey Siem Reap – 302 NR63, Krong Siem Reap, Cambodia.
• Chet Kuy Teav Vanda (183) – Street 183, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

14. SAMLOR KAKO

Samlor kamko

Samlor kako is considered one of the national dishes of Cambodia. Samlor kako consists of green kroeung, prahok, roasted rice, catfish, pork or chicken, vegetables, fruits and herbs. In Khmer, “samlor” means soup, and “kako” means to mix or stir, so it is a mixed soup cooked with many vegetables according to preference. Usually, this dish is cooked with pumpkin, papaya, green banana, eggplant and long beans. The fish meat is mixed with prahok, then all the vegetables are put in a pot with boiling water so that the dish is cooked over medium heat.

Address: SaMaKy Restaurant & Lounge – 9E0 Street 51, corner 278 West of Wat Langka, Phnom Penh.

15. PRAHOK KTIS

Prahok ktis

Cambodia’s rich Prahok ktis is served with fresh vegetables and rice. The main ingredients of Prahok ktis include fermented fish (prahok), lemongrass paste (kroeung), coconut milk, palm sugar, and minced pork. The accompanying ingredients soften the spicy taste of Prahok, making it more palatable for even the most demanding diners. Prahok ktis is served with rice and boiled vegetables or sliced ​​cucumbers.

Address: SaMaKy Restaurant & Lounge – 9E0 Street 51, corner 278 West of Wat Langka, Phnom Penh.

16. NUM PANG

Num pang

Num pang is a sandwich, which is also considered one of the popular and typical street foods of Cambodian cuisine. The sandwich is creatively prepared by the locals with a variety of ingredients and is suitable for many people’s tastes. The fillings of sandwiches in Cambodia can be pate, minced meat, roasted meat, shredded carrots and cucumbers, spicy sauce…

Address: Kandal Market, Street 5, Phnom Penh.

17. YAOHON

Yaohon is a Cambodian hot pot dish that features a variety of vegetables, meats, and seafood. In particular, the broth of Yaohon is made from a mixture of coconut milk, chicken broth, barbecue sauce, fish sauce, soy sauce, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, and palm sugar. Typical vegetables include watercress, spinach, and bok choy, while meat and seafood options often include beef, chicken, shrimp, squid, oysters, and mussels. Crushed peanuts, quail eggs, mushrooms, and more are also available.

Address:

• Lao Bao Hot Pot – 251 Preah Trasak Paem St. (63), Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
• Himonoya – 302 Preah Trasak Paem St. (63), Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Anvui hopes that the knowledge shared above will be useful to you. Don’t forget to visit Anvui Travel’s YouTube channel to see wonderful travel moments. Customers are looking for a professional, affordable tour operator. Don’t hesitate to contact Anvui Travel via info@anvuitravel.com or (Hotline): +84 912 683 908! 

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