Dining and Shopping in Siem Reap

The majority of tourists eat and shop on the popular Pub Street. It is the party hub of Siem Reap. The streets are lined with bars, restaurants, and night clubs. In the center of it all is the famous Angkor Night Market, where nearly anything you want to buy can be found. The best part of the shopping experience is price bargaining, which is highly encouraged. The first price offered to foreigners is always higher than normal. The price can usually be bartered down to less than half the original offer. Of course, the more you buy from a vendor the lower the price can be, as long as you know how to play the game.

There are hundreds of stalls with vendors selling all types of handicrafts, such as handmade souvenirs, silks, wood carvings, clothes, shoes, jewelry, accessories, paintings, and more.  We recently took interest in displaying more art on our walls from the countries we have visited. There were so many beautiful paintings to choose from; we could not leave with just one! The prices were amazingly cheap for such authentic pieces of art. The average cost of one large painting was around $20 (after bargaining) which is an absolute steal.

If you have ever been to a flea market, you know what this type of shopping is like.

Rice paper paintings. When you purchase one, it comes in the tube she is holding which is made from palm fronds.

All of these paintings were magnificent and handmade.

 

We didn't waste any time getting these paintings framed and hung on our walls.

A flavored rum kiosk with free taste testing...needless to say that Douglas got his sampling on!

Flavored wines - so many to choose from!

 

I am not sure whether I would give myself the label of “foodie” but I’m certainly close. When I love a dish, everyone will know about it. I immediately become a walking advertisement for a particular restaurant or cook. During this vacation I decided to curb my sweet tooth and not overindulge on heavy foods.  In the past I justified my heftier meals by exclaiming, “We’re on vacation!” That is a recipe for disaster when it comes to watching weight.

A few nights we ate at The Blue Pumpkin. There are a few locations throughout Siem Reap but we dined at the one on Pub Street. They served Cambodian, Western, and Vietnamese dishes, but the fresh spring rolls were all I was interested in eating. After making them during the Khmer Cooking Class we took, I wanted nothing else. They make for a great appetizer or entrée. 

To avoid Pub Street overkill we only ate there three out of the seven nights on our trip. We needed a change in atmosphere. I found a few restaurants away from the main city center. I would have never known about them without TripAdvisor. Two of them were off the beaten path of a dirt road. Even local tuk tuk drivers did not know how to get there. Thankfully those restaurants offered free pickup service from our hotel and back.

I decided to surprise Douglas with a romantic dinner one evening. Through my online search I found a restaurant called Tangram Garden. It was located so far away from the tourism center I had to schedule a pickup from our hotel with the restaurant. We were taken aback by the serene environment. It was beautifully decorated, lit up by carefully placed lanterns in an open garden. It was hard to remember we were still in Cambodia. It looked as though we should have been on an island dining by the sea. The picture only got better when we laid eyes on our candlelit table inside a small pavilion. The restaurant even supplied a coil underneath every table to keep mosquitoes away. I was surprised and extremely pleased with everything the restaurant owner did to ensure we had a romantic dinner. The service was impeccable. 

Another restaurant that did not disappoint was Haven Training Restaurant. It is popular among the expats living in Siem Reap. Reservations are a must. Haven Training Restaurant was fabulous; not only the food, but the staff and service as well. The best part about Haven is what the owners do for underprivileged young adults. The restaurant is run by a married Swiss couple who quit their jobs in Switzerland to trek around Southeast Asia. Along their journey they fell in love with Cambodia and wanted to do more than give donations to help Cambodia’s orphans. They decided to open this restaurant that trains orphaned and underprivileged young adults for one year. After that year they help the young people to find employment and transition smoothly into the real world. The trainees are treated very well, being provided with housing, medical care, meals, and a training allowance. At the end of the night all tips given to the waiters are collected and set aside for the trainees until the end of their year. At that time the money is given to them in one lump sum so that they can enter society with money already in their pocket. It was a pleasure to dine at such a restaurant that was created solely for the purpose of bettering the lives of Cambodia’s youth. 

 

On our last night of vacation we ate at another restaurant away from the hectic Pub Street – Touich Restaurant and Bar. Just like Tangram Garden, Touich restaurant also provided a free pickup service from our hotel. The car ride there must have been the bumpiest in Siem Reap. I was relieved we were not on a tuk tuk because every part of my body would have been aching at that dinner table. It seemed we kept driving further and further away from civilization down a dark and beaten road. When we passed by a large graveyard I began to wonder if we were really headed to an actual restaurant. Where were we going? Finally we reached Touich. Surprisingly we were seated at a table off from the others in a private gazebo style setting. It was a charming restaurant with a wonderfully hospitable staff that complimented its amazing food. I was especially pleased with their homemade ice cream. Yum! 

 

Mango, Chocolate, and Coconut - Coconut was the best!

If we are ever in Siem Reap again, we will definitely return to these restaurants.  It would be our pleasure to partake in their superb hospitality and fine dining while supporting disadvantaged youth in establishing a better life for themselves.