A great experience while in Battambong, is a home cooked meal at the Sambath’s.
For $10US the delightful Mr and Mrs Sambath host you to a delicious three course Khmer meal.
Deep fried eggplant ( a favourite)
Banana flower and chicken salad
Khmer Chicken curry
Mixed vegetable Stir fry
Fish amok in banana leaf
Pumpkin with baked custard Baked tapioca custard ( delicious)
To book:
email sambath_9@yahoo.com
Phone: 012639350/098639350
Cooking classes also available.
The Stung Sangke Hotel in Battambang is a business style hotel catering for groups.
(For some boutique hotel ideas see the May 2014 Delicious Magazine article)
It’s strengths are a lovely pool, great value massage at $6 per hour, good Khmer coffee at breakfast and rooms of good size.
Room 318
It’s weaknesses are the lack of a room safe and a breakfast buffet that isn’t so tasty ( omelettes or eggs cooked to order are the best option).
The Soksabike bicyle tour of cottage food industries is well run, thoughtful, culturally sensitive and interesting.
Not only does this tour give you a closer and slower experience of village life, it helps support the uni student guides, the community who hosts and gives the guides English speaking experiences.
Perhaps the best part is being greeted along the way by locals, especially children who call out hellos and enjoy the interaction.
It’s also amazing to see the painstaking effort that goes into the handmade rice paper rolls and dried banana but also interesting to see, and usually taste the fish paste, rice wine and fruit and fresh coconut.
The coffee or shake at Kinyei at the end is also a welcome treat.
It’s a great thing to do in Battambong at $27US for a half day tour, less if more than one person.
The route is about 25km, but breaks are frequent.
My Kitchen restaurant, located along the river front in 1st Street, near Soksabike, offers interesting and delicious Khmer dishes and refreshing and interesting drinks. Western foods are also available.
It’s good value and prices include all taxes and charges.
Starters around $3US
Spring rolls
Wontons Cambodian style with cream cheese
Mains $5-6 US including rice
Sweet and spicy sauce with chicken with fried rice ( top pick)
Coconut chicken crumbed with mango sauce
Coconut pumpkin, potato and carrot curry
Chicken with lemongrass
Lok Lak ( least pick)
Lime and mint freeze
The Banana Tree restaurant is a good spot to stop for lunch in the Tonle Bassac area of South Phnom Penh, not far from the Independence Memorial (on the way back from the Russian Market or Tuol Sleng Museum).
Located in the La Rose Suites, it offers good service, is nicely air conditioned, and has good food.
Fresh spring rolls
Fish Amok medium $5.85US
M02Pra hok kris, minced pork
M05 Stir fried pork ribs
M06 stir fried beef and ginger
M08 Stir fried beef with Khmer curry paste coconut and green beans medium serve
M12 medium serve fried fish with green mango in spicy sauce
M 15 stated Khmer permanated fish
La Rose Suites
No. 4B Street 21
Sang kart Tonle Bassac
South Phnom Penh
http://www.larosesuites.com
Romdeng is one of the two sister restaurants in Phnom Penh that belong to six Friends International restaurants across Cambodia and Laos, that train former street kids in hospitality skills.
Service is professional, friendly and efficient and it’s fun to interact with students and help them in their learning.
Like Makphet in Vientianne, Romdeng food mixes local regional dishes with western preferences in interesting and fresh beautifully presented recipes mirroring those featured in their cookbooks.
Flavours are a all delight, you can’t make a bad choice. It would be wonderful to work through the whole menu.
Romdeng also has a lovely pool that guests of the restaurant can use.
Best to go in the afternoon when it’s quite and enjoy an early cocktail or ice cream, but also lovely in the evening.
Entree
Crispy Tarantulas with Black Pepper and Lime Sauce $4.25 US
Mains
Grilled fish fillet with young tamarind and green mango relish $7 US
Five spice pork belly stir fried with Kampot Green Peppercorn and Pickled cabbage $6 US
Char grilled eggplant with pork and coriander $6.50 US
Stir fried tree ants with beef fillet and holy basil $7.50 US
Romdeng’s famous chicken and vegetable curry served with baguette (which went amazingly well with it) $6.50 US
Crispy rice noodles with Tofu salad with Potato coriander Spring rolls $6.25 US
The cocktails are amazing….
Frozen lime and black pepper daiquiri $4.50 US & Frozen mango and lime daiquiri $4.50 US
Candied ginger and pineapple margarita with Chilli $4.50 US
Fresh lime and black pepper icecream and coconut sorbet $3, amazing!
The local restaurant at the first French built school in Phnom Penh, now Sisovath High School, is a good spot to try some of the more challenging Cambodian snack foods.
Deep fried frog ( lots of small bones to navigate)
Duck eggs ( with baby duck cooked inside!) like leathery boiled egg, good with the dipping sauce.
Meatballs with dipping sauce Egg dish cooking
Located on the corner of Norodom Road and 174 Street, between 178 and 174 Streets on opposite side to the river.
A late afternoon- evening cyclo tour is a very good way to enjoy the best of Phnom Pehn.
Some ‘don’t miss’ highlights include:
Central market
Lady Ping memorial
Riverfront at sunset past the Foreign Correspondents’ Club
Royal Palace especially the Sunday evening picnicers eating Phnom Penh style in front of Palace (this happens every Sunday evening, but the extra lights are especially for the water festival coming up).
Independence memorial
Finishing with Cambodian delicacies like deep battered fried frog (watch the bones) and duck egg with embryo, at a local restaurant at first French built school in Phnom Penh now Sisovath High School.
The Cardamom Hotel in Phnom Penh is centrally located near the central markets and opposite the wonderful Romdeng Hotel. The Deluxe double room number 609 (see below) is an excellent at $78 US a night.
It offers a room safe, fridge and tea making facilities. It also generally caters for groups.
A standard room (like 605 below) is $58US.
Breakfast is a buffet, offering a good range of options….
…including a combination of traditions such asFrench baguette, Khmer soup, tropical fruit and sweet sticky rice.
Overall it’s a good business hotel with free wifi and pretty good breakfast, a cafe and a handy location.
Fine Eating 