Siem Reap Archives - Dine With The Locals

Best herbs in vegetarian Khmer food

Written by André Ruys on 01/05/2023. Posted in cooking class, Kambodscha, Kochkurs in Kambodscha, Siem Reap.

14:14:24How many kinds of herbs do you know? There are many kinds of herbs in Cambodia, in particular when it comes to vegetarian Khmer food. They are an important part of an ingredients in cooking and used differently depending on the food. Herb plays a role in cooking for decoration, taste and adding flavor to food. More than this it is a crop that people can grow at home. Now we are going to tell you about some herbs that people in Cambodia love to use in food.

Rice paddy herb or ma om

Rice paddy grows almost everywhere in the field.There are two types of rice paddy herbs, one has green stem and leaves, other one is dark red and has a purple flower. Rice paddy herbs are an important ingredient for sweet and sour soup that you can not miss. Beside sweet and sour soup you also can use it as a vegetable with any vegetarian khmer food or add it to beef soup. It is often used as a decoration as well.

Spring onion in vegetarian Khmer food

Spring onion is found in many vegetarian Khmer food dishes

This herb can be grown at home or grown by farmers to sell at the market. Spring Onion normally is use in Somlor sngor(សម្លស្ងោរ) or Soup as decoration. Also used as a vegetable in nearly every vegetarian Khmer food. In addition, spring onions also have benefits for health too.

Ivy (Sloekbeas in khmer)

Ivy is a simple one that most Khmer people know and easy to find. It is a type of vine that mostly grows on house fences. Mostly used as vegetable in dishes such as samlor korko, somlor brahare and boiled with pork. You can lean how to pick ivy and cook it with food with pork at our host Dary. She also offers cooking vegetarian Khmer food for you.

Lemon grass

Cambodians in general use lemongrass in cooking or as a medicine. With many benefits, lemon grass is one of people’s favorite homegrow. Lemongrass is used in Kreung, some kind of sweet and sour soup and somlor. More than this, Lemongrass has advantages for health and helps you to relax your mind as well.

These are just some of the herbs we mentioned. There are many other types of herbs that Cambodians use to make food, drink or processed into traditional medicine. Why not do cooking class with locals to get to know more herbs that they like to use in food?

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The rainy season in Cambodia is also a green season

Rainy season in Cambodia: Best time to travel in 2022

Written by André Ruys on 09/21/2022. Posted in Kambodscha, Khmer culture, Kochkurs in Kambodscha, Siem Reap, Siem Reap Höhepunkte.

Asia is well known for its hot weather, beaches and lush landscapes. A common misconception is the rainy season: We call it the green season here, because Southeast-Asia will look much more beautiful.

Cambodia is located on the south-western part of the Indochina peninsula and has only two seasons, the rainy season in Cambodia and the dry season. The so-called rainy season will start in May and last until October while the dry season will start from November and usually ends in April. Cambodian people love the rainy season more than the dry season because it is the season that farmers can work on the fields and harvest rice and vegetables. The rain will be favorable for the fields. Also you can save money since the price for hotels are often lower than in other seasons.

You may think that the dry season would be the only season to travel in Cambodia. A misbelief is that during the rainy season in Cambodia people get sick and you may think there is nothing to do and you have to stay in the hotel room. In fact, it is not like that, you can get very unique experiences when you travel in the rainy season in Cambodia.

It doesn’t rain every day, and most times rain happens in the night or in the afternoon. There are only a few days when the rain doesn’t stop. More common is a heavy, 30 minute rain shower and right after it blue sky again.

Angkor Wat during the rainy season in Cambodia

What to know about the rainy season in Cambodia

In the rainy season, Cambodia has two traditional ceremonies, Pchum Benh in September and the water festival in November. These ceremonies will make your trip even more wonderful. During the rainy season in Cambodia can attend the water festival or you can see what people will do on Pchum Benh day. You can get a taste of the traditional cake that is made only on the special ceremony day.

More than this you will see a beautiful landscape with flowers blooming and green fields. Also you can experience fresh air and pleasant weather when visiting Angkor Wat. It is possible that there are fewer tourists in this season, so it is time for you to enjoy your time at the temples without too much noise. You do not have to rush or wait in the long line to buy a ticket for visiting a temple.

After a heavy rainfall you may see Cambodians riding a boat on the deeper flooded places to move, what might look a bit strange for those not used to it. But even flooding after rain will retreat in less than an hour.

Best activities for the rainy season in Cambodia

Need more activities? Here are some indoor activities to do: Visit a museum. In Phnom Penh there is the National museum, but also less known museum like the one about currency. You can visit some of the art galleries showing contemporary and traditional Cambodian art tour, or find yourself at a coffee shop and enjoy the sound of rain. What makes you get more and more experience is cooking and dining with local people. Dine with the locals will give you an experience of cooking and eating with locals. Not only cook and eat, you also can learn about something new that you never did or knew about from the host.

So do not worry anymore about traveling in Cambodia in the rainy season, what you have to do is prepare things such as a raincoat, slippers, umbrella and mosquito spray. Then it is time to start your rainy season trip to Cambodia to experience both culture and food.

Jomno, one of the best Khmer restaurants in Siem Reap

The 5 best Khmer restaurants in Siem Reap 2022

Written by André Ruys on 07/26/2022. Posted in cooking class, eat in Siem Reap, Food adventure, food in Cambodia, Kambodscha, Khmer culture, Siem Reap, Siem Reap Höhepunkte.

While we still think that Dine With The Locals provides you the best experience regarding Khmer food, we understand that going out is also important while visiting Siem Reap. Therefore we checked who is still there after Covid-19 and who are the best 5 Khmer Restaurants in Siem Reap. We did an extensive research and found some not well known places tourists usually don’t have on their list – or which aren’t mentioned in – mostly outdated – travel books and blogs.

Our most important criteria for a good restaurant is of course the food. It has to be local food, authentic and well prepared. We also like a twist, something that stands out. The environment plays also a big role – plastic chairs should be the exemption. And we care about a good service, because this is what make you feel comfortable in the best restaurants in Siem Reap.

The price range isn’t that wide in Siem Reap, since we do not cover street food here (but soon in another post). You get decent meals in a range from 3 to 8 US-Dollar for a main dish.

Jomno – modern Khmer cuisine

This place started in a small side street behind Wat Damnak with a street food concept, but moved to a bigger house next to the Deihoy market. Jomno offers fine Khmer food with a twist, a modern approach but still authentic. They have a nice garden, but also indoor seating. It is accessible for wheelchairs and strollers.

You have small bites like a frittata or fresh marinated fish. For the meat eaters, we recommend the Battambang sausage. What makes it to the top of the list of the best Khmer restaurants in Siem Reap is not only the presentation of the food, but also the creative and extensive vegan menu. Try the meat ball lok lak or the plant bases sausage roll. Starters are around $3 dollar, while main courses are in the $8 range. It is (for now) open every day from 11am to 10 PM.

Battambang sausage as Jomno — Jomno, one of the best Khmer restaurants in Siem Reap

Banllee – vegetarian Khmer food

We think it’s time to make a change, so this vegetarian restaurant is also on the list even if they aren’t serving some of the traditional Khmer meat dishes. The restaurant is located in Street 26 and survived Covid-19 with a focus in vegetarian Khmer food – a good decision. Banlle has some other dishes as well, but if you a craving for Khmer noodles, this is the place to go.

Out top favorite is the vegetarian Prahok Ktis. Prahok is a Khmer fish paste, and at Banlle they make it from fermented tofu. An absolute delight with fresh vegetables on the side. Talking about veggies: Many of them are grown in the garden, and you may watch the chef cutting your greens before preparing the food for you. Prices are in the $3 to $5 US-Dollar range. Opening times are 7am – 9pm, Tuesday they are closed.

The Christa – family owned restaurant near Pub Street

The owner Rak moved his restaurant from behind Wat Damnak to the street 7 right behind Pub street. It is a shop house with steep steps to reach the first floor, but a great place to watch people go by. There is even a rooftop with tables.

The Christa offers affordable Khmer food in a wide range. Our favorites are the machu ktis, a dish with tamarind sauce and the Cha Kreung, mixed vegetables with Khmer spice paste. The kitchen offers all main Khmer dishes, like Amok and beef stew, but we would recommend some less known meals, like the Khmer curry. We like that you can choose if you want meat or tofu for most dishes. They do have good cocktails as well. Opening times are every day from 11.30am to 10 pm.

Temple coffee ‘n bakery – one of the best Khmer restaurants in Siem Reap

The Temple group owns nowadays half of Pub street, but the venue at the riverside is less popular with tourists – but great when it comes to Khmer food. You can go there for breakfast and enjoy a well done fried rice with pork (somehow called school children breakfast) or for lunch or dinner some of the more fancy dishes.

They are popular with younger people, in particular in the evening. What stands out are the comfortable lounges upstairs and the rooftop bar with a pool – best place for sunset. The quality was never an issue for us in the last six years, but they did raise the prices. Expect $5 to $9 for a dish. Recommended are the Khmer noodles and the Prahok Ktis.

Tevy’s place

Tevy started her restaurant as a basic street food stall between the two Wat Damnak temple areas. Just before the Covid-19 pandemic she moved to street 7 and opened a new place. She is a hardworking woman, employing a few Khmer women now and became very popular with expats in Siem Reap. Her food is all freshly made, she has Khmer dishes but also offers some western food. You should try her fish amok and her Samlor Koko, a traditional Khmer soup. It’s open everyday from 730 am to 9.30 pm.

What else? Some others of the best restaurants in Siem Reap

With close to 1,000 restaurants and eateries, picking just the 5 best Khmer restaurants in Siem Reap is not an easy task. Most other places offer good local food as well. We can recommend Khmer Kitchen and Khmer Grill as a well as Haven. The latter has also lovely vegetarian and vegan dishes and is a training restaurant – you eat for a good cause there.

Another runner-up is Romsai cafe next to the Salakamreuk village office. But if you want to try Fish Amok, one of the popular dishes, we have to recommend you Ms. Laum, one of our hosts in Siem Reap. She will show you how it’s made and share the meal with you. It is an extraordinary food experience!

If you would like to know more about Khmer food, check out our YouTube Channel and follow us on TikTok (@dinewiththelocals). You can reach us through the booking form on the host pages as well as through Telegram and WhatsApp. Or just send an email to feedme@dinewiththelocals.com.

Frogs in Cambodia: Not just great street food

Written by André Ruys on 07/09/2022. Posted in cooking class, eat with locals, food in Cambodia, Kambodscha, Siem Reap, Siem Reap Höhepunkte.

When you live a bit outside downtown, you will hear the sounds of frogs in the evening after the rain. and you will see some men with a headlight and a stick: They are hunting. The lights usually keeps frogs to freeze and the hunters pick them up and put them in a bucket. Frogs in Cambodia are a delicacy, and in the countryside moist people go out and hunt them.

Skinned: Frogs in Cambodia at the markets

The taste for frogs is not related to the French occupiers, who famously prefer the legs of the amphibians. In Cambodia, frogs are eaten since centuries. You can even find some stone carvings in Angkor Wat featuring frogs. It is said that frogs in Cambodia are present since before the Angkor period, however there are no documents left.

While hinting is an original way to supply the family with some proteins. frogs are gibt business. There are frog farmers all around the country, making a living from raising and selling them to markets. Around 700 of them got nearly 500.000 US-Dollar recently from the government to help them surviving during the Covid-19 pandemie. On the local markets, frogs are sold either alive or already skinned.

How to eat frog in Cambodia

if your are a traveler in Cambodia, best way to eat frog is as a street food or in a restaurant. Many street food places like along the river in Siem Reap or on road 60 in the evening will grill frogs over charcoal. The easiest way is to just skin them and then takes intestines out. Then its grilled until nearly charred. Some take the head of, some not.

Stuffed frog

Another popular dish is stuffed frog. The inside of a frog is filled with pork and spices. You need to create the famous spice paste kreung for this recipe of frog n Cambodia. If you want to learn the make the paste while in Cambodia, some of our hosts will teach you!

The fresh kreung paste ist then mixed with minced pork. It is common in Cambodia to mince pork with a cleaver on a wooden chopping pork rather then buying it from the market – for freshness reasons. The frogs you use are usually without heads.

Battered frogs

A bit more efforts takes a delicious version of frogs in cambodia: Battered and deep fried. You just need to buy skinned frogs at the market, create a batter with baking powder, flour and water. Dip the frogs in the batter and deep fry them. As a sauce you crush small green chilli and garlic in a mortar until you have a paste and mi this with palm sugar.

How does frogs in Cambodia taste like?

Frog meat tastes a bit like chicken meat. Since frogs are significantly smaller, you may order a full plate of fried or grilled frogs when in a restaurant. You just eat the whole animal, with carefully taking bones out like you would do it with fish bones. At Cambodian parties, fried frogs are served as a snack, sometimes with fried insects or even spiders.

At our host families we usually don’t offer frog, since demand is not much for it from traveller s. However, if you are keen to try frog in Cambodia, please get in contact with us and we can talk to the hosts families if they can prepare it for you – you will also learn how to do it. The frogs will then bought at the market.

Two ways to get around in Siem Reap: By tuk tuk or by rickshaw

5 best ways to get around in Siem Reap

Written by André Ruys on 07/05/2022. Posted in eat in Siem Reap, Experience Cambodia, Kambodscha, local life, Siem Reap, Siem Reap Höhepunkte.

Arriving in Siem Reap is breathtaking: Coming by plane you will see the vast area of the Tonle Sap lake and may get a glimpse of Angkor Wat. Traveling by bus, you will enjoy the countryside. But then comes the challenge how to get around in Siem Reap. The good news is: You have a lot of choices.UPDATE: We added a new e-bkk rental place. See below!

At Dine With The Locals we do not include transport to our hosts, but three families in Siem Reap actually offer the service – the husband is a rickshaw driver and will pick you up. If you don’t rent a car and driver for your stay (what is at least 30 Dollar per day) you need to arrange your transport but yourself.

Since there is not public transport like busses or hop-on-hop-of-services like in Thailand and other countries, you have only private transport option. But that doesn’t mean it is difficult to get around in Siem Reap – it’s actually quite easy, mainly because the city isn’t that big.

The most convenient way to get around in Siem Reap: Tuktuk and Rickshaw

Since 2019 the old tuktuk, a trailer pulled by a motorbike, is replaced by Indian style rickshaws – there-wheelers with a cabin. They are smaller, but offer a more comfortable and faster ride. On a hot day however the cabin warms up a bit – for a longer ride a tuk tuk would be a better option.

How to get a tuktuk or a rickshaw

You habe two options: Just check in fron of your hotel or guesthouse for drivers and negotiate with them. Or download one of the ride-hailing apps. Most popular in Siem Reap are PassApp and Grab, Tada is also gaining market share. The apps are convenient since they offer you a fixed price, the driver is know to them and you can see in a map where you are going (some freelance drivers take a longer way to ask for more money).

If you want a day trip, for example to visit the temples in Angkor Wat, it’s best to hire a rickshaw or a tuk tuk for the day. They cost about $25 to $30 per day, depending where you go. If you book our hosts Ms. Vannarith, Ms. Sokvy or Ms. Chan Mony, their husbands can make you a good offer for a trip and they also speak English, so you don’t need a guide, and they know the way around).

These Indian rickshaws can be ordered with an app

Renting a motobike in Siem Reap

There are shops in Siem Reap renting out motobikes. While many tourists love the idea of driving around the temples or through the ricefields in Cambodia, there are some thing to know. First, technically you need a Cambodian driving license to operate a motobike. An International Driving licence is not recognized. Also, because you would drive illegally, your health insurance may refuse to pay in case of an accident. The police regularly stops tourists in Siem Reap, but mostly for traffic violations like turning when its not allowed or not wearing a helmet (all passengers have to wear one).

Then there is traffic: Cambodia it’s one of the highest death rates form traffic in the world. Rules are not respected like in western countries, and especially on overland roads and at night driving is dangerous. For locals motorbikes are the best way to get around in Siem Reap, but for foreigners it might come with a risk

And last but not least the shops renting out motobikes are not always trustworthy. Usually you have to leave your passport as a deposit, although we recommend to refuse this and leave money instead. Some shops will then complain about damage when you bring it back – this can ruin the day or even the stay here.

Many shops offer motobikes and bicycles for rent in Siem Reap.

There is a legal solution we recommend: Rent an electric bike. The E-Green shop at Sivutha road in downtown rents out two models, a smaller one and a scooter like Vorlagen Matrix. The latter is as good as a motobike, the charge is sufficient for a day in Angkor Wat. You don’t need a driving license.. Top speed is up to 50 km/h on the highest setting – but that will drain the battery fast. Go with setting 1 and you are fine. We still recommend to wear a helmet.

UPDATE: THE NEW KOREAN POPLE BIKES

Recently a Korean shop opened not far from the National museum on the Charles-De-Gaulles-Road. It’s called Pople and they rent out quite nice looking electric motobikes. They charge $10 for 1/2 day tour and $15 for a full day or $30 for three days. What is impressive beside the building quality of the e-bikes is the charging station. They do battery swaps, so if you are running out of juice you can just switch the battery pack. Also, the electricity for the charging comes from solar panels the installed on the roof top of the building – which also hosts a coffee shop and community space. They even sell Carbon-certificates.

The project is funded by the Korean government. It is definitely worth a try. Get more information at www.facebook.com/CafeandTour or on INstagram @poplestation.

Renting a bicycle in Siem Reap

The most environmental friendly and cheapest way to get around in Siem Reap is by bicycle. There are many shops in the city where you can rent a push bike. Some hotels and hostels even offer them as a service to guest. We recommend to get a new mountain bike style bike. Old city bikes often have broken brakes and aren’t well maintained. The costs is around $6 per day. We recommend Angkor Cycling Tour in Tapul road for renting bikes – they also offer bicycle tours around Siem Reap.

If you want to explore Angkor Wat by bicycle, be prepared for a longer ride. It’s around 10km from the city to the main temple. The small circuit is 17 km long, the grand circuit is 26 km long, plus 10 km to get back into town. The roads are in a good condition and its flat, and the trees in the Archeological Park are cooling down the air.

Cheapest way to get around in Siem Reap: Rent a bicycle.

To get around in Siem Reap on a bicycle you can use your phones map for orientation. There are now bicycle lanes in downtown you can and should use. Make sure you lock the bicycle when you take a rest properly – they can get stolen.

All of our hosts in Siem Reap can be reached with a bicycle. We will give you the coordinates and a description, so you can take a ride from your hotel and enjoy the local houses and scenery along the way.

Kochkurs in Siem Reap: Lernen Sie Familien kennen

Written by André Ruys on 06/07/2022. Posted in Kambodscha, Kochkurs in Kambodscha, Siem Reap, Siem Reap Höhepunkte.

Die Kultur eines Landes kann man durch Sehenswürdigkeiten wie Angkor Wat in Kambodscha, vor allem aber durch Traditionen kennenlernen. Ein Kochkurs in Siem Reap gibt nicht nur Einblicke in die Landesküche, sondern auch in die Geschichte eines Volkes. Oder wussten Sie, dass das berühmte kambodschanische Gericht Beef Lok Lak (Rindfleisch Lok Lak) schon in der Zeit von König Jajavarman II. etwa 1000 n.Chr. gekocht wurde?

Ein Kochkurs in Siem Reap: Spaß mit Einheimischen

Was bietet ein Kochkurs in Siem Reap?

Bei Dinewiththelocals wollen wir Ihnen nicht Kochschürzen umbinden und vorbereitetes Gemüse schneiden lassen, sondern Ihnen ein Erlebnis bieten. Deswegen haben wir Familien in unserem Netzwerk, die Sie zu sich nach Hause einladen. Sie kochen gemeinsam drei verschiedene kambodschanische Gerichte. Jede Familie hat ihre eigenen Gerichte ausgesucht und wird Ihnen erklären, wie diese zubereitet sind.

Für einen guten Kochkurs in Siem Reap braucht man natürlich eine Küche: Unsere Gastfamilie laden Sie in ganz unterschiedliche Küchen ein. So sitzen Sie bei Frau Laum auf dem Boden oder einen kleinen Hocken, bei Frau Sokvy wird in einer Außenküche gekocht und bei Frau Dary bereiten Sie das Essen auf einem modernen Gasherd zu.

Alle Gerichte die Sie in einem Kochkurs in Siem Reap zubereitet werden nach einheimischen Rezepten gekocht. Unsere Gastfamilien erklären Ihnen auf Englisch, um welche Gerichte es sich handelt und welche Zutaten verwendet werden. Wir verzichten auf einen gemeinsamen Gang zu Markt, weil Sie vielleicht einen solchen schon gesehen haben. Für uns ist es wichtiger, Zeit für ein gemeinsames Erlebnis zu haben.

Kochen und Essen beim Kochkurs in Siem Reap

Diese Gerichte kochen Sie in Siem Reap

Eines der berühmtesten Gerichte in Kambodscha ist Fisch Amok. Dabei wird Fisch in einem Curry aus Kokusnussmilch und einheimischen Gewürzen langsam gekocht. Unsere Frau Laum zeigt ihnen, wie man alle Zutaten vorbereitet – und auch, wie man kambodschanische Waffeln (Num Poum) macht.

Ingwer kommt ebenfalls in vielen Gerichten vor. Frau Dary bereitet mit Ihnen zusammen Huhn, Schwein oder Tofu (je nach Vorliebe) mit leckeren einheimischen Ingwer zu. Sie macht auch Nam Ban Chock mit Huhn (oder Tofu) – Reisnudeln mit vielen frischen Kräutern.

Wissen Sie wie man Fischbällchen macht? Frau Vannarith führt Sie in ihrem Kochkurs in Siem Reap in das Geheimnis ein. Sie lernen, warum man das Fleisch des Fisches (oder Schweinehack) mit viel Wucht und Kraft mehrmals auf eine Holzplatte werfen muss.

Wie man in Kambodscha isst

Das Prinzip bei Dine With The Locals ist, gemeinsam zu kochen und zu essen. Sie werden also nach der Zubereitung des Mahls mit der Familie an einem Tisch sitzen. Die Kambodschaner erklären Ihnen dann auch, wie etwas gegessen wird. Denn es gibt keine unterschiedlichen Gänge, wie in in Deutschland. Entweder kommen die Gerichte nach und nach aus der Küche, so wie sie gerade fertig werden, oder alle zusammen. Man nimmt sich dann etwas Reis auf den Teller und dann etwas von den Gerichten vom den Platten. Suppe wird meistens in einer eigenen Suppenschüssel gegessen.

Hygiene beim Kochkurs in Siem Reap

Wir haben alle unsere Gastfamilien in grundlegender Hygiene bei der Zubereitung von Essen geschult. Viel musste wir gar nicht tun, denn traditionell werden Gemüse, Reis und Fleisch mehrmals in sauberem Wasser gewaschen. Auch Händewaschen war schon vor Corona eine oft geübte Praxis. Die Zutaten werden am gleichen Tag frisch am Markt gekauft und geschützt aufbewahrt, bis Sie zu Ihrem Kochkurs in Siem Reap erscheinen.

So buchen Sie einen Kochkurs in Siem Reap

Wenn Sie auf das Host-Untermenü auf unserer Webseite gehen (oder in der Suche eine Stadt auswählen), dann werden Sie viele Familen zur Auswahl haben. Jede Familie bietet auch noch eine Aktivität an, wie Fischnetz auswerfen, Armbänder aus Palmblättern basteln oder einen heimischen Garten erkunden. Schauen Sie sich die Gerichte an und wählen Sie einfach eine Familie aus. Mit dem Formular auf der Seite können Sie uns Ihre Anfrage übermitteln. Wir melden uns dann umgehend bei Ihnen. Sie können uns auch über Whatsapp erreichen.

Durian fruits at a vendors cart in Siem Reap

How to eat durian in Cambodia

Written by André Ruys on 05/31/2022. Posted in cooking class, eat with locals, Food adventure, food in Cambodia, Kambodscha, Khmer culture, Siem Reap, Uncategorized.

Durian, also know as stinky fruit or The King of fruits, is an eatable fruit of a certain species of tree in Asia. It’s famous for the strong odor, but also for it delicious creamy texture. In Cambodia you can buy durian at most local markets as well as from street vendors. Durian is usually farmed in Kampot, Kampng Cham and around Battambang. Many fruits are imported from Thailand and Vietnam as well.

Durian is different from jackfruit. The latter is a much bigger fruit with smaller spikes and a different, more sweeter taste. The prices depend on the season and quality. You can get them starting from 13.000 riel per kg (about $3.50) all the way up to 20.000 riel ($5). Most stalls have a fix price, although there is a small margin for bargaining.

Where to buy durian in Siem Reap?

Most people will direct you to the roundabout on Apsara road near the Sokha hotel. Many vendors have their cars lined up on the street. Most markets have stalls as well – just follow the smell. And that’s why supermarkets rarely sell it.

Can I take durian back to my hotel?

The simple answer is no. Hotels will not allow even locals to bring durian inside the premise or rooms. It’s also banned in buses and planes.

Where to eat it?

It is common to eat durian in the tuktuk on the way to Angkor Wat or other places to visit in Siem Reap. Cambodians know how to picknick, so they will just stop somewhere, sit in the shadow of a tree and enjoy durian and other fruits and food they bought on the way.

How to eat durian?

When you buy it on the street, ask the seller to open the fruit and take the eatable pieces out. They usually give you a box for it. Some sell the inner parts of the flesh (normally for a higher price). In the markets you may see them selling durian with sticky rice and coconut milk. There is also ice cream made from durian and dried durian chips.

When eating you may use plastic gloves of a fork. Once you have contact with your skin, the smell may stay for a while, even after washing your hands. Also be aware of the seed inside – it cannot be eaten raw. But you can bake them until soft.

The outside skin (the one with the spikes) can be used as traditional local medicine. They say it helps for the pain during a women’s period. The skin is dried and then boiled with water.

What is Fish amok? It is steamed for 20 minutes

A guide to: what is fish amok – the famous food in Cambodia

Written by André Ruys on 05/31/2022. Posted in cooking class, Food adventure, food in Cambodia, Khmer food, Siem Reap.

When you travel through Cambodia there is no way you can avoid fish amok. It’s offered in most restaurants, but it’s not an everyday dish in families. We wrote a guide about this typical food – you will learn what is fish amok and how is it made.

What is Cambodian Fish Amok?

What is Fish Amok? (known as amok trey in Khmer)

Cambodia has so many well known traditional dishes. Amok is one of the national food examples of Cambodia. There are many local ways of cooking this delicacy. Depending on the region, some traditional amoks are cooked steamed in a banana leaf basket or a simple wrap. Some use only little coconut milk while other put in a whole can. Also the steamers can be different.

Authentic Cambodian Fish Amok: a brief history.

Amok is widely distributed in Cambodia. It is a type of curry made from a basic kroeung paste such as lemongrass, ginger finger root, turmeric, kaffir lime, garlic and fish paste.

Following the history of Cambodia, where the capital was in the north without access to the sea, it is made from river fish or catfish. Because of the short distance to Angkor Wat most fishes came from the Tonle Sap Lake – Asia biggest fresh water lake

Amok was one of the Royal Khmer dishes in the past. It dates back to the Khmer Empire during the 9th to 15th centuries under King Jayavarman II.

During the Khmer Rouge regime, war happened in 1970 and had killed 1.7 million people across Cambodia. After the fall of Khmer Rouge many cultural traditions have been lost. The country wanted to reinstate them, and food played an important role. Then amok was brought back on the table again. Despite, Cambodians do not eat amok very often, they usually enjoy it as a celebration dish for special occasions only.

Fish amok: how to cook it

If you want to learn how to make fish amok, you can follow the recipes below. But a much better choice is to learn it from a local. Our host Ms. Laum makes the propabley best fish amok in Siem Reap. She knows how to extract milk from coconut flesh (because she also makes delicious waffles form it), has her own noni tree right behind the house and cooks amok in a very traditional way she learned from her neighbors in the countryside decades ago.

Authentic Cambodian Fish Amok Recipes

The home cooking version.

1. Make kroeung paste from lemongrass, ginger finger root, turmeric, kaffir lime slices (small and thin pieces) add some peeled garlic.

2. Slice catfish or river fish in medium pieces.

3. Soak dried red chili until soft and mince them well. Cambodian cuisine is less spicy, so if you are looking for a strong chili kick, just add a bit more.

4. Thinly slice the noni leaves (you can use kaffir lime leaves as well).

5. Once the kroeung paste is prepared, add some minced fish paste (BrorHok), minced chili and pound them together until well mixed, smooth and fine.

6. Coconut milk is one of the essential ingredients of amok. In the previous time people squeezing coconut flesh to get coconut milk. Nowadays, you can just get the ready one in a can.

7. Coconut milk and kroeung paste and noni leave are marinated together. Add some seasoning such as palm sugar and fish sauce depending on your taste. Add the fish in.

8. Once you have made your fish curry mix, you should spoon it into banana leaf basket.

9. Boiling the water in the pot, Steam amok in banana leaf basket for 20-30mins is well cooked, taste and serve immediately.

INGREDIENTS

– 100g noni leaves or kaffier lime leaves
– 1 kg Cat/River fish
– 1 Teaspoon fish paste
– 2 Teaspoon salt
– 200g Kroeung paste
– 1Teaspoon palm/white sugar
– 300ml coconut milk.

Authentic Cambodian Fish Amok Recipes Restaurant’s Cooked.

1. Sprinkle salt and pepper to both sides of the fish fillet.

2. Prepare mixed vegetables such as carrot, eggplants, potato, sweet potato, long beans.

3. Thinly slice the noni leaves or kaffir lime leaves.

4. Heat a large saucepan over medium high heat.

5. Stir kreung paste bought from the market until golden brown.

6. Add palm sugar, fish sauce, hard vegetables (the type of vegetable that takes longer to cook) and the fish. Cook and stir for 2mins and then add the coconut milk and water if necessary. Slimmer for a few minutes.

7. Half way through the cooking process add the remaining vegetables with noni leaves.

8. Once the amok is cooked, beat the egg in the bowl and add it in the amok.

9. Let it cook for a few more seconds. Add salt to the taste and serve in coconut fruit or banana leaf basket.

INGREDIENTS

– 300g mixed vegetables ( carrot, eggplant, potato, long bean..)
– 100g noni leaves or Swiss chard leaves
– 400g river fish fillet
– 2Tbsp amok paste
– 2Tbsp cooking oil
– 3Tbsp fish sauce
– 1Tbsp palm sugar
– 400ml coconut milk
– 1 whole egg
– Salt and pepper

Join Dary and Hum Choeurn for a cooking class in their home in Siem Reap

Two new food adventures in Siem Reap

Written by André Ruys on 05/27/2022. Posted in cooking class, Food adventure, kids friendly, Siem Reap.

While slowly coming back, we already found two new host families to take part in the Dine With The Locals network of food adventures. An we can assure you great food and unforgettable experiences. Both families live in Siem Reap, both build new house, yet they look quite different. So are the experiences we always add to the adventure.

Food adventure and a fishing net

Learn how to throw a Cambodian fishing net

Mr. Chantry is a driver we know for quite a while. His wife Sokvy usually stays at home, cooks and takes care of the kids. She is ideal to join us, since out goal is to empower women and help them to get an additional income. Part of the food adventures is to cook Tek Kreung, made from cooked fish and roasted vegetables. A delight for mouth and eyes. After your meal Chantry will show you how to use the tradional Cambodian fishing net. Chantry will also pick you up and bring you back to your hotel in his rickshaw – a three wheeler replacing tuktuks in Cambodia now.

Lots of herbs and lovely gifts

Ms. Dary lives in the southern part of Siem Reap with her husband and two boys. She worked in a hotel before, and has a good eye for decoration as well as food. Her house is a more modern style, yet you will cook local food and eat – part of the food adventure – on the floor in a mat. But before you have to pick some ivy leaves and lemon form the tree. The food highlight is Nam Ban Chok, fresh rice noodles, eat with chicken and lots of herbs.

Our first full vegetarian option food adventures

Since Ms. Dary is very experienced, she can offer all three dishes suitable for vegetarians. We will replace meat with tofu and mushrooms, and if you want, even don‘t use fish sauce (although its an important ingredient).

After your meal you will learn how to make gifts like bracelets or coasters from palm leaves – which you have to cut yourself just form the garden opposite the house.

You can book your food adventures with a local family on our website or send us a whats app message. We will get back to you as soon as possible.

We are back: Enjoy food adventures with locals families in Cambodia

Written by André Ruys on 05/20/2022. Posted in cooking class, eat with locals, Experience Cambodia, food in Cambodia, Kambodscha, Khmer culture, Khmer food, Siem Reap.

We had rough two years, but now we are back. Dine With The Locals will continue to connect travelers with local families in Cambodia (and in two cities in Vietnam) and provide great food adventures. We are finishing our process to update our lists of host and started to onboard new hosts.

Our food adventures are more than a cooking class

Say hello to Ms. Sokvy, who lives in the outskirts of Siem Reap, next to rice fields, with her husband and her kids. While Mr. Chantry is buy as a driver (he will pick you up and bring you back when you book with us), she is taking care of the house. We visited her recently and consulted the family regarding food and activity selection. Expect one of the best dishes in Cambodia, Tek Kreung, and lean how to make this thick soup (some call it a paste) made of pea eggplants and river fish.

You will also learn how locals go fishing (no animals harmed during this experience): Mr. Chantry will show you how to throw a fishing net. It is traditionally used for fishing in ponds, but also in shallow waters like the Tonlesap lake (Asias biggest lake).

Good bye to some great hosts

We had some amazing hosts during the last three years, providing authentic food adventures and great experiences. It’s no surprise, that some changed location and work during the pandemic. First of all, all of the host families survived the crises and are doing good. But some found new jobs, moved to Phnom Penh or other cities.

One hosts made a remarkable progress: Ms Hong Ginlai, who runs a food stall in Siem Reap. When we started with her, guests could prepare street food in the morning in a made shift stall. She later had to move – what turned out to be a great opportunity. She told us, that she has to pause now taking guests for food adventures because she is too busy. We could not be more happy to see her being so successfull. Watch our video and see what you have missed.

Finding more food adventures in Cambodia

After we have updated our current list of hosts we will find more soon. Ms. Sokvy is just the first. We are looking for more families in Battambang and in and around Phnom Peng now. To be a host at Dine With The Locals, a family needs to provide a menu with three local dishes as well as a interesting experience beside cooking with guests.

Ms. Kaum provides an amazing food adventure in Siem Reap

And one more thing: You may hav noticed that we had to increase our prices. This is due rising costs for food in Cambodia, but also for our operations. Host get the biggest share of what you pay, because our main goal is to eatable women to earn money in their home and provide a great food adventure for foreign guests.

An update for 2022: Dine With The Locals and food experiences in Siem Reap

Written by André Ruys on 03/23/2022. Posted in cooking class, Kambodscha, Siem Reap, Siem Reap Höhepunkte.

Cambodia has finally re-opened its borders to international tourism. You do not need a PCR anymore nor get tested at the airport. However, prof of vaccination is still required. At Dine With The Locals we had a hard time during Covid-19. So far, no one of us or the hosts got seriously sick, although some got infected.

Since we had no tourists coming, the business broke down and we had to close the company we founded in 2020 as a start-up. It is now back as a web service in the hands of the Co-founder Thomas. We also lost some hosts, mainly because they got jobs, moved or other personal reasons. But we still got some requests for bookings, so we want to keep this going, but on a smaller level.

Dine With The Locals is a platform connecting hosts and guests. We see ourselves as a digitales service we provide. Although we promote our hosts and try to promote Cambodia as a tourism destination, our main goal is to provide a fast and easy service to hosts and guests. Thats why we withdraw from sites like AirBnB and Tripadvisor. We think, small is beautiful, and we do not want to give money to cooperations who see us as just a number in their database.

We do take commission from our hosts, but the main amount goes to the hosts families. We encourage guests to leave tips or buy products our hosts sell and produce. We want to help families and in particular women to get an additional income. So far, we did well until the pandemic hit us. The near futures will tell, how fast Cambodia can recover – and how fast we can get back on our feet. The team is small, we are still looking for people to join us – but recruiting for start-ups in Siem Reap is not an easy task.

If you are interested in authentic food experiences while visiting Cambodia, our hosts are here for you. We are available in Siem Reap, Banteay Meanchay, Phnom Penh and Stung Treng – and hopefully soon again in Battambang.

We wish you all healthy days ahead!

Cambodian crispy rice with pork floss

Written by André Ruys on 09/28/2021. Posted in cooking class, eat in Siem Reap, eat with locals, Experience Cambodia, food in Cambodia, Khmer culture, Khmer food, News and Updates, Online-Experience, Siem Reap.

Rice is something like the staple food in Cambodia. It is served at every meal. Most people eat regular cooked rice, but there are also variations, for example in delicious desserts. Another specialty is pot-fried Cambodian crispy rice with pork floss. Pork floss is soft, dried meat fibers from the pig. You find this dish on special occasions, but a restaurant in Siem Reap specializes only in it. It is not cheap: a large portion costs 10 dollars. Our host Vorleak researched a bit for you and made a step-by-step instruction how to cook Cambodia crispy rice at home.

How to cook Cambodian crispy rice with Pork Floss

First of all, you take normal rice and wash it three times. Then you pour it into a pot with a thin bottom. Take so much rice that it covers about one centimeter of the bottom. Then add water and boil the rice for about 20 minutes. The rice must become very soft. A gas stove or open fire is best.

When it is done cooking, take a wooden spoon and start spreading the rice from the center to the edge of the pot. It should form a rim about five centimeters high, but the rice must still cover the bottom. Spread everything smoothly.

Now put the pot back on the stove and let the rice bake. First on the bottom, then you have to take the pot in your hand and hold the edges over the flame. Be careful not to burn yourself. It would be best if you kept swirling the pot until the rice has darkened and is clearly browned on the pot (but it shouldn’t burn).

Let the Cambodian crispy rice burn a bit

Meanwhile, crack two eggs and whisk them with salt, pepper and chili powder or homemade chili sauce to taste. Cut spring onions into small pieces.

Heat about 150 ml of oil. When it’s hot, carefully pour it into the rice pot (turn the flame back on) and swirl the pot so the oil gets everywhere. You need to keep doing this until the rice looks crispy. Then pour off the rest of the oil.

Now take the eggs and pour them over the bottom of the crispy rice. Spread them evenly and let the mixture fry briefly until the egg has set. Now let the pot cool down a bit. Hold the bottom of the rice with a wooden spoon, tip the pot over and carefully catch the rice.

Poor eggs and onions on the rice and let it get solid.

Place it on a plate and sprinkle with Pork Floss.

Take the Cambodian crispy rice carefully out of the pot

You need these ingredients

200 gr rice
2 eggs
200 ml cooking oil
salt
pepper
chili powder
2 bunches spring onion
4 tbs porkfloss