What did I eat in Cambodia?

Pho Vong in Siem Reap: the best meal I have ever had anywhere. period.

 Although this is not the country from which I have the most culinary memories, I did have some epics wins. The most memorably delicious meal I ever had on any of my trips was in Cambodia. It was beef noodle soup with a Cambodian iced coffee. The place is called Pho Vong and it is on the northeast corner of Khmer Pub Street and Charles De Gaule.

1. Food I wished I had but didn't: Marijuana pizza. It might have been interesting...
2. Food I had but wished I didn't: Noodle soups at the rest stop. They were terrible. 
3. What should have been on the list: Amok. It's a traditional dish and quite unique. 
4. Biggest surprise: how much Western breakfast there was everywhere!
5. Most delicious meal: Beef noodle soup with an ices Cambodia coffee at Pho Vong 

Road stop noodle soup 

Several rungs down on the ladder from the best beef noodle soup at Pho Vong, these soups were eaten at roadside restaurants from Saigon to Phnom Penh and Phnom Penh to Siem Reap.Unexpected meat parts and hearty flavors.

at a road stop after the Cambodian border

at a road stop between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap

Amok and Traditional Cambodian food

Amok is a coconut curry in banana leaf and usually has fish or meat. I tried it in both Phnom Penh and Siem Reap and loved it.  Luckily I had some Cambodian friends who knew how to order. 

Amok is on the far left. Also pictured: curry and stir-fry beef

Amok with fish

Western Breakfast 

Maybe it's because Cambodia was at the tale end of my 6-month trip in Asia, or maybe it's because western breakfasts are so abundant and diverse, but all I wanted in the morning was brunch food. With plenty of options to choose from, I never had to eat the same dish twice. 

pancakes with a cappuccino

granola with fruit and yogurt

Lox bagel with cappuccino

eggs Benedict

 Market Food

I had hoped that Cambodian market food would be as good as Thailand, so when we were in Phnom Penh, we made a trip to the Russian market to check out the culinary offerings. Unfortunately, it did not feel very sanitary and much of the food was cold. Still an interesting experience, and by far the cheapest meal we had in Cambodia. 

Stir fried noodles with egg, freshly cooked and delicious

waffle, super cold and stale

bread with sweet cream dip, also cold and stale

Fruit Juices and Smoothies

As in most SE Asian countries fruit smoothies are amazing and plentiful. I  can't remember all the flavors and fruits we tried, but you can get a sense of the variety just by looking at the colors.