Siem Riep Part One: Food

Jen here. You already saw a nice compilation of videos crafted by my travel companions that included our visit to Cambodia -- but sometimes a video doesn't tell the full story. We were in Siem Reap in the first half of January and we all ended up liking it more than we had anticipated. Although it is a huge tourist destination and of course we'd read up on it, I just wasn't sure what to expect. I will freely admit that in order to enjoy the region's ancient history and modern culture we made a conscious decision not dwell on the more recent history of the nation (the option is there). That is some serious privilege and Chris and I made sure to acknowledge such an invocation.

While lots of our time there was spent viewing the temples, we will do a separate post on them -- they are so magnificent and while I was prepared to be annoyed with all of my fellow tourists because those temples get *crowded* that didn't really happen because these places are just so amazing. We spent three days of our six full days there looping into the temple circuit but we also did some other stuff, eating chief among them.

Siem Reap was pretty veg friendly and we found in many regards an easy continuation of what we'd experienced in Chiang Mai, which was lots of fresh fruits and veggies on offer with many dishes highlighting bright, clean flavors. SO good. After Chiang Mai our meals seemed a little pricier, but everything is going to after being spoiled in that regard, and of course it was inexpensive compared to US and European prices. We had a couple of meals at our hotel restaurant, it was a shame to see how uninspired and blah their offerings were in contrast to what others around town are doing (although the service is very friendly).

Our family favorite was Veg G Table, a small garden cafe with a nearly full veg menu, run by an affable expat (and attracting the same as clientele). Despite my disappointment at not getting some hummus to go,* I appreciated G's stance on not offering takeaway because of the plastic and we had a long discussion about how much trash, particularly plastic, is around Siem Reap (a lot). It litters the streets and paths, and is clogging up the river. G also told us where we could get reusable bamboo straws like the ones he uses in his place -- more expensive, he admitted, but worth it. Everything we had there was super tasty. G is looking to sell his business and head out of Siem Reap so I am glad we got to eat there under the current iteration.

*later, I brought along my own takeaway container and left happy

Otis ate Veg G's Indian spiced lentil salad almost each time we went, though usually not  with his hands and more focused.

CL's Veg G burger and sweet potato fries

Falafel plate with sweet potato fries; G's homemade ketchup made the meal

We ate twice at Chamkar House, I loved their glass noodle dish so I advocated to go back again where I think Chris and Otis would have gone to another place the second time. I also had the Cambodian Wedding Day Dip our first time there which I really liked.

Cambodian Wedding Day Dip

Glass noodle salad

Glass noodles --wonderful Khmer flavors

We all really liked Peace Cafe. It has an expansive menu with lots of Asian and Western options and a very, yes, peaceful courtyard to say, set up and do some work in for hours at a time! They also have a fair trade shop where I couldn't resist purchasing some Cambodian hippie mosquito spray because whatever they put in it smells amazing. They have a significant community component and great juices too.

I liked the thought but happened to capture our tuktuk driver writing down his number. In Siem Reap it is common for drivers to wait for you to finish your biz, but we told him to go ahead, we'd be at Peace Cafe for hours.

Another thought to get behind

So pleasant!

I take working and ordering food very seriously! Otis decided time away would be the best thing.

Delicious curry and a banana flower salad -- I hate bananas but it turns out I like banana flower salads!

We also liked ARTillary Cafe and would have gone back there lots more if we'd had time, and the same holds true for Sister Srey, which like Peace Cafe had an attached shop promoting Cambodian goods. The vibe of all of these places is very relaxed and friendly; around town everyone did a terrific job of making us feel very welcome, which says something because we really are just three among millions that will come through.

Vegan bánh mi at ARTillary

Jackfruit tacos at ARTillary. Why jackfruit items aren't on every menu in SEA I do not know because jackfruit are everywhere.

Smoothie bowl at Sister Srey

Salad bowl at Sister Srey. I'm disappointed whenever I'm served cucumbers that haven't been individually folded ever since. Otis is enjoying a milkshake and a veggie burger.

 Finally, another place we all really liked, you know us, was Gelato Lab! The chocolate sorbetto was so rich and delicious, especially paired with the dragonfruit.

Tune in quite soon to learn about our visits to the temples and other fun/interesting things we did in Siem Reap, as well as our trips to Malaysia!