Food in Phnom Penh

Phnom Penh is foodies heaven. Not only is there excellent Khmer cooking, the tourist is spoilt for choice for its selection of world cuisine including Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai, French, Italian, Spanish, Indian and Mexican among others.

Hip Tapas

Pacharan, in a refurbished grand old building, is a hip new place serving tasty tapas. In a beautiful interior with stained glass, vaulted Moorish arches, and contemporary copper, dine on small portions of paella, chorizo sausages, deep fried squid, gazpacho soup and a nearly endless list of tapas favorites.

Cambodian cuisine

On the river’s east bank, dozens of restaurants sprang up after the Japanese Friendship Bridge was reconstructed. Ranging from simple to fine dining, these are jam-packed with with upper class Cambodians on weekends. Ta Oeu Restaurant is good value and offers tasty and authentic Khmer menus while slick and smart Tata Restaurant is relatively expensive. In downtown Phnom Penh, frizz restaurant  has an excellent Khmer kitchen and cooking classes as well. Almost unanimously, the top Khmer restaurant is Malis restaurant which serves contemporary and traditional Khmer by celebrated chef, Luu Meng.

Boeung Keng Kang

In Phnom Penh’s foreigner’s quarter, an area flanked by Sihanouk Blvd, Norodom Blvd, Mao Tse Toung Blvd, and Monivong Blvd, are several local and international restaurants. Many are clustered around Street 278, including Anise Terrace http://www.anisehotel.com.kh/restaurant.php which serves Cambodian and other Southeast Asian cuisine. Two blocks south is Comme a la Maison, for provincial French while the top French restaurant in town is Van’s an elegant dining room in an old bank building on Street 13.

A Good Cause

Well-loved Friends Restaurant, on St 13, is run by former street youths in training. Lively and colorful, it has excellent tapas and yummy smoothies and cocktails.