Cambodia street food
The following is a brief rundown on just a few of our personal, favourite, street food dishes which you’ll likely come across on a Cambodia tour. We’re employing the term street food in the broadest sense so, market stalls and local cafes as well as pavement eateries but we do draw the line at the strange fad of upmarket, tourist-orientated restaurants advertising what they claim is street food at inflated prices. Of course, much Khmer restaurant fare does simply consist of fancier versions of local classics with perhaps a uniformed waitress and carved tomato rose justifying the impressive price tag but, as is the case anywhere in Southeast Asia, the scruffy, plastic chair, local cafe is often selling the tastier and certainly more authentic versions.
Taste and authenticity aside, eating at local cafes and spreading the ‘tourist dollar’ around is a fundamental policy on all our Southeast Asia tours and indeed the beauty of genuinely small groups is that it allows us to do so.
Cambodia street food – a word of warning
However, hygiene and food preparation standards are also important considerations and, while we encourage you to try authentic dishes, we don’t want any guests stuck in the bathroom the following morning! In neighbouring, more affluent Thailand, we’d be pretty confident eating almost anywhere however, despite enormous progress in recent times, standards are not the same in Cambodia and we certainly have to be more careful. (Of course, price tag and decor are never a guarantee and, at the end of the day, you could get sick anywhere..)
Furthermore, to many guests’ consternation the chicken in your chicken fried rice may not be off the bone, (that’s the way locals like it) and the beef in your curry may not be the finest, imported steak, (hence the price). In Cambodia then, sampling street food is a matter of compromise and we’ll stick to our tried and trusted spots which are generally accustomed to catering to both locals and visitors. We’ll name a few specific spots later but on with the dishes themselves.
Classic beef lok lak Lok Lak
A classic Khmer dish, lok lak is ubiquitous in local cafes and markets and for Khmers at least would be a serious contender for national dish. However, to our minds it doesn’t have a place on fancy restaurant menus; it’s a very simple, individual dish and not one that lends itself to a communal-style meal. There’s an obvious French influence and in some respects is the Khmer version of the classic steak frites. The beef is cubed and served with rice, (although you do occasionally see it with fries or a mix of fries and rice), in an onion-based gravy. Like many Khmer dishes, it’s topped off with a fried egg. (The Khmer propensity to stick a fried egg on almost anything is commented upon by many visitors but we guess it was probably an easy and cheap source of protein when times were harder?)
Kor Ko – Cambodian beef stew Kor Ko
Containing the beef theme (there will be some vegetarian options to follow), is the delicious, and uniquely Khmer, beef stew kor ko. Basic ingredients of this slow-cooked dish include beef, (some fatty parts and bones are essential for the flavour), carrots, onions, lemongrass, galangal, cinnamon, star anise, kaffir lime leaves etcetera. (We say etcetera as no two versions of this complex dish are alike. Check out this amusing kor ko cook-off between 4 American Khmers.) The stew is most commonly eaten with baguette rather than rice.
The classic Khmer breakfast, fried pork and egg on rice Bai sach chrouk – pork on rice
A classic Khmer breakfast, this simple dish of fried pork on rice topped with an egg is a clear Cambodian equivalent of our English bacon and eggs. You won’t come across it on many restaurant menus but pass any market or local cafe in the morning and you’ll see plenty of locals tucking in.
Khmer rice noodles, nom pajok Nom pajok – Khmer rice noodles
These steamed rice noodles in a mild curry sauce is another absolute classic and ubiquitous Khmer dish that few visitors actually get to try. The curry is usually fish and you add condiments and herbs – including bean sprouts, pickles, chilli sauce, peanuts, basil etc – as required. There are nearly as many alternative spellings for this dish as there are versions so it’s an easily adaptable one to try yourself. Here’s a good looking nom banh chok recipe.)
Lort cha in Phnom Penh’s Russian Market Lort cha
Another common market dish that features, as far as we know, a uniquely Khmer variety of short, stubby rice noodles, lort, stir-fried with onions, bean sprouts and cabbage in a sweet and sour sauce created by mixing palm sugar with soya and fish sauces. Beef is common, although vegetarian versions are readily available, and the dish is usually topped, Khmer-style, with a fried egg and served with chilli sauce.
Nom pang sach – Khmer sandwiches Nom pang (nom pan sach) – Khmer sandwiches
A clearly French-influenced dish, like its Vietnamese cousin banh mi, or Lao khao jee pâté. Num pang simply means bread and in this case, refers to a filled baguette, or half baguette, roll. There are numerous variations but common fillings are pate, cold cuts or ham with gherkins, coleslaw, coriander and optional chilli sauce. A great, cheap and filling lunch and a sometimes welcome alternative to rice or noodles.
Cambodia street food with a Vietnamese twist; Banh Xeo or Saigon pancakes Banh Xeo
Although Vietnamese in origin these thin, dosa-style, stuffed pancakes are a common sight in Cambodian markets and street stalls. The crepes are made from rice flour with turmeric creating a distinctive yellow colour and stuffed with a variety of ingredients. Prawns, minced pork and bean sprouts form perhaps the most traditional version but vegetarian and vegan, (the batter contains no eggs), are also available. A dipping sauce and fresh herbs accompany the pancakes.
Nom Tnaot – steamed rice flour buns Nom Tnaot
We’ll leave you with a sweet entry – rice flour sponge balls with palm sugar, (tnaot), and coconut cream. Regular Khmer meals don’t usually involve a dessert course and sweets such as nom tnaot and the wide array of steamed sticky rice treats are mainly eaten as snacks. You won’t generally find these on a menu but you will see them in markets and roadside stalls and if you do – they’re worth stopping for.
Cambodia street food – honorary mentions
There are several more faves that we’ve not had the space to include such as the fantastic sour fish soup and of course the Khmer national dish prahok. The former is a clear, tangy, fish-based soup, although many variations are found, while the latter is the infamous fermented fish paste eaten as a dip with raw vegetables and or rice.
Don’t worry, these Cambodia bar snacks won’t be on the menu – unless of course, you insist. Cambodia street food on our tours
As is usual with our tours, on our Cambodia small group tours, certain meals are inclusive, some free so many of the above such as; lort cha in the Russian Market, banh xeo in a Khmer/Vietnamese eatery in Phnom Penh and lok lak maybe in Battambang’s White Rose, will be on the menu while suggestions as to where to find others on our list will be provided if you’re doing your own thing. Bon appétit!
