Restaurants in Siem Reap - Day 2 & 3

We started very early the 2nd day we were in Siem Reap to catch the sunrise at Angkor Wat. After watching the sunrise, our guide took us to this little foodstop for breakfast. We ordered ham sandwiches which unfortunately took a really long time to get to our table. The sandwich was ok, the usual ham sandwich I guess.

Lunch was just a quick stop at a restaurant near the ruins of Banteay Srei. By that time, we were hot and sweaty from all the exploring, so the most memorable dish was the stir-fried morning glory and lots of cool coconut water.

Dinner is served at The Red Piano

Dinner was a different thing altogether. We decided to try the Red Piano, where Angelina Jolie and the Tomb Raider crew hung out during filming in Cambodia. You can choose to dine inside the restaurant, or sit on the terraces upstairs. We chose a table on the terrace upstairs which afforded us a nice view of the Old Market area. My sister ordered a spaghetti with white sauce, which she thot to be delicious whilst I had steamed white rice with tomyam soup.

Strike a pose! The baguette lady in Siem Reap.

Local & not-so-local breakfast at Terasses des Elephants

Dessert for breakfast? Only in Siem Reap!

On the last day of our visit, we rose early to get to the wet market. We found an old lady selling baguettes by the roadside, and inside the market, was a hive of activity as Cambodians go about doing their shopping. There were many food stalls selling all sorts of Khmer food and we found a stall selling Khmer desserts. We promptly packed 3 types to try back in the hotel. After that we stopped by the Terrasses des Elephants for our breakfast. I had a Khmer noodle soup with chicken and my sister had fish & chips. The soup was excellent! The same goes for the fish and chips. But the star of this breakfast was baked banana dripping with honey! It was rich and decadent, but oh-so-delicious! Back at the hotel we tried the desserts we bought from the market. Unfortunately, all three types were a little too sweet for us. Perhaps we were not really accustomed to Khmer desserts because of the wide variety of desserts already available back home.

Restaurants in Siem Reap - Day 1

Khmer soup at Khmer Kitchen. If it's good enough for Mick Jagger, hey, it's good enough for me!

Before we arrived in Siem Reap, I've found a list of recommended restaurants on the internet. First on our list was Khmer Kitchen which was located next to the Old Market. As there were only 2 of us, we ordered a Khmer soup, a baked potato with cheese and meat and basil salad. My sister liked the baked potato with cheese. The potatoes were sliced before being topped with cheese and baked. The Khmer soup was tangy, reminiscent of a lighter version of Thai tomyam. The meat and basil salad comes with blanched beansprouts. I have an aversion to basil, so I can't say this is my favourite dish.

Best ice-cream ever! The marvelous passionfruit & mango ice-cream at The Blue Pumpkin.

After filling our stomachs, we ventured opposite to the Blue Pumpkin Cafe. This is where we had a taste of the best ice-creams in Siem Reap! We ordered a scoop each of the Passionfruit and Mango ice-cream. One taste and we were very much in ice-cream heaven! The Blue Pumpkin also has a selection of nice pastries. I tried the Tandoori Chicken puff and found it to be just what I expected. The tender chicken cubes was nicely marinated in tandoori spices in a very light puff pastry.

After Blue Pumpkin, we took a short walk to Artisans d' Angkor http://www.artisansdangkor.com/to see the many wood and stone carvings for which Artisans is famous for. Unfortunately, the carvings were too heavy for us to carry back, so we ended up buying a lot of Cambodian silk handbags instead which were simply exquisite. It wasn't too pricey either, compared to something of similar quality in Malaysia. In fact, I would even say it's cheap. Artisans do provide shipping for the stone and wood carvings however, for those who are inclined to buy them.

Shopaholic heaven ... silks and aromatherapy soaps

We also took the opportunity to feel our way around the Old Market area and were surprised with the many shops selling t-shirts, soaps, silks, aromatherapy oils and souvenirs. I found the area here quite enchanting, a mixture of old and new, co-existing peacefully.

Fish Amok for dinner. Way too filling for 1 person!

After storing our loot back in our hotel room, we ventured back to the Old Market area for dinner. This time we settled for Khmer Family restaurant. The restaurant was brightly painted in eye-catching red which probably attracted us. We shared the Fish Amok with rice which was similar to the Malaysian otak-otak. The fish was marinated in spices and coconut milk before being steamed. Khmer Family also serves the Amok sampler for diners who wants to try different versions of the Amok.

At nightfall, the Old Market area comes to live with restaurants filled up with tourists. There was a hive of activity with book peddlers et al on the streets. There was also a restaurant cum dance theatre where you could have your meal and watch the traditional Khmer dances along the same street.

Scenes of Life - Siem Reap 2007

I finally fulfilled my dream of visiting Angkor Wat last year. It's been my dream for as long as I can remember, so to finally set foot on Angkor was a poignant moment, enough to stir my emotions from deep within.

We had planned a short 3-day trip and what a trip that turned out to be! We had so much fun not just exploring the beauty of Angkor, we also discovered the depth of our relationship as sisters. In part this trip also opened our eyes to how different life can be in another country.


We had headed straight to the Old Market area immediately after checking into the hotel. Somehow, amidst the modern cafes dotting the area around it, the Old Market has managed to retain its old world charm. Then again, life in Siem Reap is one of many contrasts. Foreigners can be seen in the cafes, lost in their worldly comforts whilst outside, poor children peer in. It's a scene that was replayed many times during our short visit.

To travel from our hotel to the Old Market we took the "tut-tut". The ubiquitious tut-tut is everywhere in Siem Reap. This seems to be the main mode of transport. It's a fun way to travel with the wind (and dust) blowing in our hair and face and the rider swerving in and out of traffic, sometimes going in the wrong direction. At times like this we hang on for dear life. Then say "Wow ... that was fun. Let's do it again!" when we reach our destination.

Many people we met made an quite an impression on me. The hotel staff, our guide & driver, the vendors at the market, the book cart vendor, the kids on the street, the landmine survivors -despite the hardship they faced, are still always ready with a smile. The Cambodians are survivors ... with that alone, they deserve all our respect.