Dining Tours in Siem Reap

Report by : Gan Yung Chyan

There has been a surge in the number of restaurants in Siem Reap. Sayacinta - Airpost profiles three restaurants recently in this second largest city of Cambodia.

High-class fussy Korean restaurant

Many international tourists from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Japan, Hong Kong, China and South Korea have frequented this North Korean restaurant set up by the Communist Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in Siem Reap at dinner time since the 1990s. Set options for dinner are however expensive. The lowest cost of dining here is 30 USD. Korean dishes are served.

Enjoy watching North Korean singing Arirang at Pyongyang Restaurant but the restaurant prohibits anyone snapping pictures of its interior and staff at short distances. The staff will incredibly instruct Cambodian police to arrest photographers.

Best time to visit Pyongyang Restaurant at around 5 pm Siem Reap time.

Jin Ja Roo serves healthy full-vegetarian dish japchae-bap

Have you eaten noodles on rice as a dish in a restaurant before? I thought no one would sell noodles on rice as a nice dish as it is a dish whopped up at my home only until I ate japchae-bap in Siem Reap on 1 February 2016.

Japchae-bap, which means 'rice with a mixture of vegetables' in Chinese and Korean, is served by Jin Ja Roo, a two-floor restaurant serving Korean-style Chinese food near Angkor Palace Resort & Spa. Ingredients of this japchae-bap version include white rice, cellophane noodles made from sweet potato starch, sesame oil, onion, carrots, shark's fin gourd, mushrooms, spinach complimented with kimchi sauce, yellow radish and soybean paste. Diners can request for less salt. Cost 6 USD only.

Japchae-bap is the only vegetarian option on Jin Ja Roo's menu. Other dishes are suitable for non-vegetarians with costs up to 15 USD.

The manager and staff of Jin Ja Roo are friendly towards customers. It is easy to initiate a conversation with them. The overall dining experience at this South Korean-run restaurant is great.

Experience Khmer hospitality at NearyKhmer Restaurant

For a more wonderful dining experience, travelers may consider to visit Nearykhmer Restaurant located in Salakanseng Village, Svay Dangkum Commune. The restaurant is 200 metres away from National Road No. 6 before the junction between the road and Phsar Nhe Road. For reservations, contact Mr Lot Lay at 012-335147. Email : reservation@nearykhmerrestaurant.com or visit www.nearykhmerrestaurant.com.

The staff are interested to speak with visitors and serve non-vegetarian options too. Vegetables only option costs 5 USD, while a bowl of steam rice regardless of the number of scoops costs 0.70 USD. Mineral water costs 1.30 USD. The artistic deco of the restaurant deserves praise. 

A pair of chopei hangs diagonally on the interior wall above the restaurant name. Also known as chapei dong veng, the dragon-shaped, three-stringed Cambodian musical instrument is now recognised in the UNESCO's Intangible Heritage of Humanity Programme. Existed since around 500 BC, the chopei is used to provide festive music for special events, cultural occasions and transmit ancient Khmer ancient folktales and poems to generations of Cambodians. Master Kong Nay, the world famous chapei guru, has seen its chopei.