Siem Reap, Cambodia

Siem Reap was a stop off to visit Angor Wat, the famous Buddhist Temple and UNESCO world heritage site. It required waking in the middle of the night in order to arrive early and watch the sunrise as a backdrop to the temple.

Another experience in the city was Happy Silk. This allowed learning the process of making handmade silk, beginning with learning about the life cycle of a silkworm.

The tour guide asked if anyone wanted to volunteer to taste a silkworm and I couldn't resist. Although I was the only one in the group with such limited self control that it outweighed fear.

EMBASSY KHMER GASTRONOMY

This was outstanding. Certainly the most memorable in many ways and definitely the most elevated cuisine I tasted.

I found it upstairs above a touristy outdoor shopping area. The food was to be savored. 

My first bites excited me for what was to come. Banana chips with  Kampot pepper caramel were served with a rice cake, as well as a fish spread and a steam amok snail. Amok is a familiar spice blend in Cambodia that includes lemon grass, galangal, black pepper, and kefir lime, aromatic and fragrant with much depth of taste wth bright flavors. 

I included ingredient descriptions below, but they do not do justice to show the complexity of the created dishes.

Lightly spiced frog filling in an egg nest

Charcoal grilled duck, crispy young banana, ground toasted rice, green kaka sauce.

Old style hot and sour soup with green jackfruit, roasted tomatoes, in a smoky shallot broth.

watermelons, green lime, and red kampot pepper granite

Baked local sea bass in clay pot with vermicelli, coriander, dry black mushroom and passion fruit sauce 

Coconut honey sauce, roasted sesame, pumpkin puree

Steamed ombong banana wrapped in sticky rice cake, kampong cham peanut ice cream

CUISINE WAT DAMNAK

Next on my tasting tour, I was fortunate to enjoy another fabulous meal. This was tucked into a house, looking unremarkable from the street, and requiring a long walk down unmaintained roads peppered with pot holes. Certainly high end cuisine, but served in a cozy personal atmosphere, with the chef and his wife actively involved in dinner service. 

Koh kong scallop roll with waterlily stem, wild betel leaves, shrimp paste marinated yam bean, calamansi dressing

Beef cheek saraman with coconut tree heart, peanuts, and deep fried shallots

 

Caramelized palm sugar braised baby watermelon fresh peppercorn, chhlang fish, and green mango

Fresh pomelo with candied skin curd, lime sorbet, meringue

This was a fun night, made unexpectedly adventurous by the driver who was to return me to my accommodations after dinner becoming hopelessly lost in the dark for more than an hour. I learned that most Cambodians, regardless of employment as a driver, cannot read a map and this meant getting home was doubtful at times! Ultimately, he was successful after multiple stops to ask other drivers for assistance, hoping they would recognize the name of the place I was staying!