Must Try Local Dishes in Siem Reap & Angkor Wat
A visual guide from the Siem Reap & Angkor Wat travel guide — see all posters in Visual Guides.
Siem Reap's food scene has quietly become one of Southeast Asia's most exciting, pairing centuries-old Khmer recipes with a wave of sleek modern restaurants, rooftop bars, and open kitchens along Pub Street and the riverside. Khmer cuisine is gentler and less chili-forward than its Thai neighbor, built on fresh herbs, fermented fish paste, and slow-simmered curries. Whether you're grabbing skewers between stops or settling into a candlelit tasting menu, this is a city where eating well is half the reason to visit.
Amok, the Dish to Order First
No visit is complete without fish amok, Cambodia's signature dish: freshwater fish blended with coconut milk and kroeung (a lemongrass-galangal-turmeric paste), then steamed until custard-soft, traditionally in a banana-leaf cup. It's mild, fragrant, and distinct from Thai curry despite sharing ingredients. You'll find it from humble family restaurants to polished dining rooms, and comparing a street version against a chef's tasting-menu take is a genuinely fun way to spend an evening in town.
Beyond Amok, the Everyday Plates
Look for lok lak, cubes of stir-fried beef in a tangy peppercorn-lime sauce served over rice with a fried egg, and khmer red curry, richer and less sweet than its Thai cousin. Grilled river fish and pork skewers turn up at casual grills across town, often with a side of bai sach chrouk (marinated grilled pork over rice) for breakfast. Soups matter too: a peppery samlor machu or a simple rice porridge makes an easy, restorative start before a long day of sightseeing in the heat.
Markets, Street Stalls & Modern Kitchens
Siem Reap's night markets and Pub Street alleys are where the city's food culture feels most alive: skewer carts, fruit-shake stands, and noodle stalls operating late into the evening alongside DJ bars and live-music venues. In recent years a wave of contemporary Cambodian restaurants has opened around town, plating traditional recipes with tasting-menu precision and cocktail pairings — proof the city's culinary ambitions now match its nightlife energy. Pair a market crawl one night with a sit-down tasting menu the next for the fullest picture.
Sweets, Drinks & Local Habits
Finish meals the local way with fresh tropical fruit, palm-sugar desserts, or a bowl of num ansom sticky rice cake. Iced Cambodian coffee, brewed strong and often sweetened with condensed milk, is the go-to pick-me-up between sightseeing stops, while fresh coconuts and fruit shakes cool things down midday. In the evenings, craft-cocktail bars and rooftop lounges have joined the mix, giving Siem Reap's food-and-drink scene a genuinely modern, sociable edge after dark.