Phnom Penh, Cambodia

The experience of Phnom Penh includes streets congested with traffic from a dizzying variety of vehicles swirling around in seeming disarray on the larger roads. Smaller avenues are lined with food vendors selling everything that you can imagine!

I loved meandering around to see all the was being offered in order to experience what a typical market is like in the city. 

Various foul could be found hanging from stalls.

Fish and seafood were found in large basins filled with water.

All types of vegetables and spices were piled high in bowls in stand after stand, both indoors and outdoors in the markets. 

Some of the foods I sampled during my first nights in the city included tasting the fish pictured above. Cooked in foil left the flesh moist and full of flavor.

Pictured below was crab with garlic from the same casual everyday eating style restaurant. I'm not the biggest fan of garlic, but this was addictively tasty, albeit effortful to obtain the prized meat.

The shrimp pictured above were one of my favorites. Succulent and brightened by the cilantro!

The spices of Cambodian cuisine are distinct and I was delighted to find a store that depicted them so clearly in the wooden case pictured above. There are similarities to cuisines of neighboring countries, but these are the spices are unique to the country and predominate the majority of their plates regardless of level of cuisine. 

FRIZZ RESTAURANT CAMBODIAN CUISINE

While I researched "authentic" Cambodian cuisine before my trip, I found this restaurant as recommended. When I arrived, it was the middle of the afternoon and a time when no one else was there eating. Instead, I had undivided attention from the cook who was the owner. He and his family were together at the back of the restaurant spending time together while awaiting customers. He had one of his children help to interpret my English! 

Above is picture the spicy curry with Jasmine rice. 

The curry had potato, green beans, carrot, and onion.

It was hearty and with endless depth of flavor.

MALIS RESTURANT

In comparison, although this restaurant was also lauded as having authentic fare, it was a much larger venue clearly catering to tourist traffic.

Moringa Soup with moringa leaf and pumpkin flower. Simple straightforward flavors in a soup known for medicinal properties.

 

Fish Amok

This traditional dish is made with goby fish fillets marinated in a lemongrass curry paste and steamed in a banana leaf basket. It is a common dish found on many restaurant menus, but I wanted to try this dish at a location with more high end fare to compare and contrast. It is a dish balanced with the light citrus of lemongrass against the heavy curry. 

MAHOB KHMER CUISINE

Local organic vegetable Korko soup with fresh river fish.

Before departing the city, I also visited the well known Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum which was a sobering experience, but certainly valuable. I learned so much history and I always find it humbling to walk in the shoes of others lives. 

Overall, I will always remember Cambodia as a place with very few people who spoke English with streets filled with all types of smells, colors, and textures! It felt like being in a completely different place, which is what I always really want when I am traveling.