If you think you know Siem Reap, think again - this city serves adventure on a plate. From a breakfast of congee at the FCC Angkor Boutique Hotel to tasting Cambodian chocolate in a Temple of Chocolate to sipping exotic liqueurs and hunting street food treasures served on lotus leaves Siem Reap never disappoints. Come along to see what we ate, drank and saw!
The time difference between Sydney and Siem Reap is 3 hours and this means every morning we get up early, in plenty of time to have breakfast by the 10am cut off time at the FCC Angkor Boutique Hotel. Post workout Mr NQN and I make our way to the Mansion restaurant for our morning repast. Today I know what we want to order as we had already seen the layout of the breakfast buffet.
Today the hotel is much busier with the arrival of a large golfing group. Some of the breakfast items have changed - the prawn siu man replaced with bbq pork buns and the curry replaced by vegetarian noodles so I help myself to some congee and order an egg white omelette with ham, tomato, onion and chilli.
I also fix a croissant and some cheese and ham with jalapeños and sambal. Mr NQN has a platter of fresh fruit and some muesli with yogurt, cashews, prunes and spiced pineapple. These are all washed down with watermelon and pineapple juices.
One of the drawcards of the FCC hotel is its proximity to the city centre as it is a quick 10 minute walk there along the canal. During our last visit to Siem Reap in 2017 where we stayed in Siem Reap for 2 weeks, we did all of the things from temples, restaurants and bars and it's nice to see that a lot of the restaurants are still in business.
Wat, Temple of Cocoa
Our first stop is to a temple - that is: Wat, Temple of Cocoa where they make Cambodian chocolate using all cacao beans grown in Cambodia in the Mondulkiri province. All of the ingredients from the flavours to the fruit are also Cambodian. They have a range of white milk and dark chocolate with flavours such as black peppercorn, makrut lime, kampot bird chilli, cinnamon and palm sugar. My favourite is a white chocolate with mango pieces. All of the chocolate bars have samples so you can try them all before buying.
We decide to stop for a cold drink of Dalgona chocolate and their signature iced chocolate with their chocolate soft serve on top. Both are delicious and slake our thirst perfectly in this energy sapping heat. Tea lovers have a cacao infusion and hibiscus tea to choose from. All prices are in USD here and service is sweet and friendly. The iced Dalgona is not quite like the Korean version although it has a nice fruity flavour from the chocolate as does the signature iced chocolate.
We also try a couple of the bonbons: the strawberry matcha bonbon is coated in white chocolate and is filled with matcha ganache and a top layer of strawberry jam. The Dubai chocolate is covered in dark chocolate with a rich pistachio kataifi that is not overly sweet. There are also brownies and products using chocolate such as Nutella type spreads, cocoa powder as well as Orangettes with pieces of ginger, pineapple and mango dipped in chocolate.
Visaya Spa
After sipping our drinks we head outside to walk around the markets before the heat chases us back to the hotel where we make a beeline for the cooling powers of the pool. We have the pool to ourselves and it feels like our own private pool. Just as we climb out and wrap ourselves in a towel, an afternoon shower darkens the sky. We retreat back into the room for a quick relax before it's time to head to the FCC hotel's Visaya spa.
We are welcomed with a honey, pandan and tamarind drink before they show us to a room to wash our feet and then the couples treatment room. We are having the signature massage for $70USD. It is a good massage and very relaxing but I did ask that they concentrate on my head and hands which we confirmed prior to the massage but I think it was the standard massage because the timing followed Mr NQN's massage. I also think I had the less experienced therapist in training. But still I feel more limber and eager for this evening's activity: a street food tour.
Sombai
In the early evening we get ready to meet our guide Sothik for tonight's activity. The food tour is arranged by the FCC hotel and is either on a vespa or in a vintage Jeep. The afternoon's rain means that they have brought the Jeep just to be safe and we climb into it. Our first stop is at Sombai, a Cambodian liqueur distillery where they infuse Cambodian rice wine with different flavours to create a range of 10 flavours using spices like galangal, tamarind, lemongrass, cinnamon and star anise along with tropical fruit. These infuse for 8 to 10 months.
For the "sweet" profile they mix pineapple & coconut and banana & cinnamon stick. For "bitter" they combine lemon & lemongrass or green tea & orange. The "sweet spicy" flavour profile is made with ginger & red chilli or mango & green chilli while "sweet sour" is either star anise & coffee bean or sugarcane, galangal & tamarind. "Sweet sour spicy" is pineapple & peppercorn or passion fruit & mixed spice These are all sold in hand painted bottles.
We head downstairs for a tasting where we can try any of these liquors. The lemon lemongrass is like a Cambodian limoncello while galangal and tamarind has the flavours of herbal medicine. My favourite is the banana cinnamon because it is sweet but aromatic. We also try the alcoholic jams in flavours passion fruit, mango & green chilli and pineapple and peppers. They're all delicious but the mango and green chilli is a stand out.
Street 60 or the Plerv Hoksep Market
Our second stop is Road 60 market. Sothik shows us the various stalls there before stopping at one stall with a range of grilled meats from free range chicken, frog stuffed with sausage, pork ribs, fish paste with herbs and spices and skewers of chicken heart.
This market spans almost a kilometre long and we watch trucks taking refugees from the Cambodian Thai border who have made the long 100km/625mile journey to end up near here due to the conflict. The area designated for them to stay is in the market nearby that they have converted to become a refuge to accommodate them. For Sothik, war is not great for either side and while this evening has a promised ceasefire, people are cautiously optimistic.
We take a seat at the table and they lay out lotus leaf plates for us. Everything is delicious and we try sausage stuffed fish legs, chicken hearts with a sticky soy glaze and the free range chicken.
My favourite is the Prahok slerk chek or fish mince wrapped in the banana leaf paired with the tamarind salsa. The salsa looks a little like green olives are used - Sothik explains that that is the young tamarind which is harder and less like the ripe tamarind that is soft and squishy. To make the tamarind dipping sauce they combine young tamarind with fish sauce and chilli. The Bong Ang chicken eggs on charcoal are also really good and have a chawanmushi taste and texture.
A girl selling helium balloons waves at us as we leave and I watch a fortune teller shuffling cards for a customer.
Triangle Restaurant
Our third stop is the Triangle restaurant where we learn the Cambodian word for cheers is "Choul mouy" over some light Cambodian beers. This is a traditional Khmer restaurant and has live music on the outdoor stage. At first I think it's karaoke as there is a different singer for each song that gets up from the nearby table but Sothik assures us that these are all performers.
The offerings here are a tasty sweet and sour prawn dish where the prawns are well cooked and the sweet and sour sauce is moreish.
We also try some morning glory with beef and tiny black ants. They don't impart much of a flavour but it's interesting to try them.
The third dish is a stir fried noodle dish with char siu on top. It's a nice meal and it's great to sit and relax and talk to Sothik who tells us about his life. The Cambodians that we've met are keen to talk about everything that has happened to them and Sothik explains how his mother taught him at a very young age skills like resourcefulness, how to forage for food and how to prepare it in case they were separated by war. He was only 7 days old when the war ended so it was always front of mind for them as the after effects of the war lasted for years and are still ongoing.
For dessert, he takes out some Nhom tret or black and green sticky rice with coconut palm sugar and sesame jackfruit that he buys from the market.
Asana Old Wooden House Cocktail Bar
Our fourth and final stop is at Asana Old Wooden House Cocktail Bar. Asana means shrine for meditating. This gorgeous traditional Cambodian wooden house has plenty of nooks and crannies to take a seat in. There are a range of herbal cocktails with Cambodian ingredients as well as classic cocktails. Also on offer are hot cold herbal infusions to address any health ailments like relaxation, digestive disorders, immune system and blood circulation.
Mr NQN has a Little Sweet cocktail made with Bombay gin, wild ginger, sugarcane juice and turmeric while I choose the ginger mojito on their recommendation made with lots of fresh ginger, white rum, dark rum, lime and mint leaf. We sit back on the rice bag chairs and relax before heading back home for good night's sleep before our next day's departure for our river cruise!
So tell me Dear Reader, have you ever tried Cambodian chocolate or liqueurs? And what is the most adventurous street food that you've tried?
NQN and Mr NQN were guests of the FCC Angkor Boutique Hotel by Avani but all opinions remain her own.
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