Fragrant and delicate
A soft curry of fish, coconut and kroeung, traditionally steamed and often presented in banana leaf.
THE KHMER TABLE
Fresh by nature.
Rich with memory.
Herbs, river fish, tropical fruit, garden vegetables, fermented depth and spice pastes pounded by hand. Cambodia tastes like nowhere else.COME TO THE TABLE ↓THE FLAVOUR OF PLACE
Bright. Balanced.
Beautifully Khmer.
Khmer cooking builds flavour patiently. Lemongrass, turmeric, galangal, makrut lime and garlic become kroeung. Prahok brings savoury depth. Tamarind and lime sharpen; palm sugar rounds; herbs and vegetables restore freshness.
It can be light and clean, smoky and rustic, subtle enough for breakfast or complex enough for a royal table. The best introduction is not one famous dish—it is several plates placed in the middle and people insisting you try everything.
FRESHHERBS · GREENS · FRUITAROMATICKROEUNG · PEPPER · CITRUSSAVOURYPRAHOK · FISH · BROTHBALANCEDSOUR · SALTY · SWEET
SIX DISHES · SIX DOORWAYS
Start here.
Keep tasting.
Breakfast like a local
Rice noodles, a light fish gravy and a garden of fresh herbs and vegetables—the Khmer morning in one bowl.
The nourishing original
A deeply Cambodian soup filled with vegetables, toasted rice and layered savoury flavour.
The crowd-pleaser
Quick-seared beef, crisp vegetables and a sharp lime-and-pepper dip made for sharing.
Bold Khmer soul
Fermented fish paste mellowed with coconut, pork and aromatics, eaten with abundant fresh vegetables.
The coast on a plate
Sweet local crab and intensely aromatic green pepper: one of Cambodia’s great ingredient partnerships.
BEGIN AT THE MARKET
Meet the ingredients
and the people.
Mornings reveal the real pantry: bundles of herbs, river fish on ice, banana blossom, limes, green mango, tiny aubergines, coconuts and conversations moving across the stalls.- Go early, when produce and breakfast stalls are at their liveliest
- Take a Cambodian-led market tour or cooking class
- Ask before photographing vendors
- Choose busy stalls cooking food fresh
EAT THE MAP
Every region
brings something.
The national crossroads
Street breakfasts, family kitchens, royal recipes and ambitious new Khmer restaurants meet in the capital.
Heritage, reimagined
Market cooking, countryside ingredients and refined tasting menus make Angkor’s base a serious food destination.
Pepper and the sea
Visit the vines, taste fresh green pepper at its source and pair it with crab beside the coast.
Rice country flavour
Fruit, rice products, local noodles, fish and generous country cooking reward the curious traveller.
Life from the river
Freshwater fish, herbs, pomelo and seasonal produce tell the story of villages shaped by water.
Simple and just-caught
Grilled seafood, tropical fruit and barefoot meals let excellent ingredients do very little—and taste wonderful.
BEN’S PHNOM PENH FAVOURITES
Seven tables.
Seven excellent reasons to dine out.
From refined Khmer cooking to classic French steak and lively riverside evenings, these are standout restaurants worth building into a Phnom Penh stay. Check current opening times and reserve ahead for dinner.Malis
A landmark for Living Cambodian Cuisine, presenting traditional recipes with elegance in a serene courtyard setting.
VISIT OR RESERVE ↗Topaz
An established special-occasion restaurant combining classic French gastronomy with warm Cambodian hospitality.
VISIT OR RESERVE ↗Oskar Bistro
A polished but relaxed place for comfort food, wine and cocktails—equally suited to dinner or the beginning of a night out.
VISIT OR RESERVE ↗Baldwin’s
A friendly Street 240 bistro serving contemporary French- and European-inspired cooking, homemade bread and generous hospitality.
VISIT OR RESERVE ↗Paparazzi
A lively riverside choice with a speakeasy-style atmosphere, cocktails and an approachable menu of pizza, grills and familiar favourites.
VISIT OR RESERVE ↗Le Deli Bistro
Authentic French bistro cooking shaped by Chef Pierre’s long Phnom Penh history, with a strong reputation for carefully prepared lunch and dinner.
VISIT OR RESERVE ↗Armand’s
An intimate Phnom Penh institution for French classics, excellent steaks, duck confit and old-school tableside theatre.
VISIT OR RESERVE ↗
CAMBODIA’S GREAT TERROIR
Kampot pepper.
Taste the landscape.
Protected as a geographical indication, Kampot pepper is prized for aromatic intensity and a heat that builds without overwhelming. Visit a certified producer, taste green pepper straight from the vine and understand why this ingredient travels the world.READ THE FAO STORY ↗THE NEW KHMER TABLE
Recipes remembered.
A future created.
Chefs across Cambodia are documenting home cooking, restoring regional and royal recipes, and expressing Khmer identity with new confidence. Chef Nak’s work is central to that movement: collecting food knowledge, publishing it and turning a meal into cultural storytelling.
DISCOVER CHEF NAK ↗STREETBreakfast noodles · grills · market snacksHOMEShared soups · rice · fish · vegetablesCONTEMPORARYNew Khmer restaurants · tasting menusROYALHistoric recipes · ceremonial refinement
NATURALLY VIBRANT
Eat fresh.
Feel good.
Build around the garden
Choose herb-heavy soups, grilled fish, salads, steamed rice, vegetables and seasonal fruit for a naturally lighter table.
Follow busy kitchens
High turnover and food cooked to order are useful signs. Drink sealed or properly filtered water.
Communicate allergies
Fish sauce, prahok, peanuts, shellfish and soy may not be obvious. Carry a translated allergy card for serious conditions.
Respect the source
Buy genuine GI pepper, choose responsible seafood and favour businesses that value Cambodian producers and staff.
DON’T JUST ORDER DINNER