The Best of Cambodia & Laos

110
SIEM REAP
6
WHERE TO DINE
Khmer Kitchen Restaurant KHMER This busy little storefront hides itself
down an alley on the north end of the Old Market, but draws a nightly crowd for big
portions of simple, delicious Khmer fare. Good curries and stir-fries share menu space
with unique dishes like baked pumpkin. It’s about the food here, not the service, but
these folks are friendly enough considering how busy they usually are.
Down an alley just north of the Old Market. & 063/964-154. Main courses $2–$3. No credit cards. Daily
10am–10pm.
Le Tigre de Papier KHMER/INTERNATIONAL Since Le Tigre de Papier is
part of a business empire of restaurants and hotels, you might think this would render it
impersonal. Surprisingly, this is not the case. It is a long, thin building with openings
both onto Pub Street and the alley. During the daytime, the Pub Street end is pleasant
with comfortable seating (they haven’t made the mistake of cramming in too many
tables) and partially traditionally decorated interior. In the evening it is fine until the
music starts pumping from the surrounding venues and it gets uncomfortably loud. The
Alley end of the restaurant is deliberately more subdued (as is the Alley itself) and there
is no music. Given that they have free Wi-Fi it is a good place to surf in peace and quiet.
The food is patchy. The Khmer food is excellent (since the restaurant runs affiliated
cooking classes, it needs to be), and the spring rolls are very light and crispy. If you like
chili, try the spicy shrimp salad. The pizzas are also very good, though some of the Western
dishes don’t make it. The merguez sausage tastes like sawdust.
No. 198 St. 8 (Pub St.). & 063/966-100. www.letigrepapier.com. Main courses $3.25–$7. MC, V. Daily 24 hr.
Soup Dragon VIETNAMESE/KHMER This is a longtime popular Pub Street cafe
now with three floors and excellent views of the Old Market area. It is a place of noodles
and soup. Authentic Vietnamese staples such as pho (noodle soup), fresh spring rolls, and
all manner of wok-fried dishes are the mainstays. There are two floors of open-air dining
overlooking the busy street in the center of town and they are always packed. There is
also a large rooftop area. The place opens into a casual bar in the late evening and,
whether to just escape the heat at noontime or to talk late into the night, Soup Dragon
is a good place to enjoy cool drinks and a fine Sinitic meal. Try the Soup Ch’nang Dae.
Corner of 2 Thnou St. and St. 8 (Pub St.). & 063/964-933. Main courses $2.50–$9. No credit cards. Daily
6am–late.
The Sugar Palm TRADITIONAL KHMER This is the place where food and
beverage managers from nearby five-star hotels come to feast. Co-owner Kethana serves
old-fashioned, flavorful, and hearty Khmer food. The Siem Reap restaurant is on the
second floor of a spacious house. The restaurant has a warm and inviting ambience with
subdued, covered lighting, a wall painted in sunny yellow, and vaulted ceilings. The
furniture and bar are done in dark sugar palm wood. Staff walks around barefoot on
spotless wooden floors. Most of the seating is on the wraparound balcony, partially covered
from the outside world with roll-down bamboo blinds. On the menu, the pomelo
salad is excellent. Fleshy pomelo tendrils are played off the sharp taste of dried shrimp
and crunchy chopped peanuts, and strips of spicy red pepper give it an extra kick. For
mains try the chicken stir-fried with ginger. The meat is tender and the sauce is loaded
with equally tender slices of sautéed ginger. It is quite a treat.
Ta Phul Rd. (400m/1,312 ft. south of the Caltex gas station). & 063/964-838. Main courses $4–$6. MC, V.
Daily 11am–3pm and 5–10pm. Bar till late.