Visitors to Sihanoukville are constantly surprised by the quality of food served here. There is an incredibly diverse range of cuisine on offer and it is consistently good. The city and its beaches are dotted with
serving international as well as local specialities. Many of the restaurants offering international cuisine are run by expats, which means that you get the most authentic cuisine, be it Japanese, Dutch, Indian, French, Russian, Sri Lankan, German, Chinese, Italian or British. Add fresh seafood, traditional Cambodian dishes and inexpensive street food to the picture, and you are in for a great dining experience.
Diners in Sihanoukville can choose from upmarket eating establishments, beach shack restaurants and bars, hotel restaurants, roof top eateries, barbeque restaurants and street stalls.
This Sihanoukville restaurant guide provides you with a few restaurants you may wish to try, as well as useful information about eating out in Sihanoukville - and to complete the beach holiday experience, why not do a bit of shopping in Sihanoukville? We also have some general information on the food and cuisine of Cambodia.
Food & Cuisine in Sihanoukville
Sihanoukville has a great range and variety of restaurants available. The freshest seafood possible is naturally the specialty of Sihanoukville, with giant prawns, squid and fresh ocean fish particularly popular. A number of little bars and restaurants line the beaches, and it's even possible to enjoy your meal whilst seated on the sand.
Seafood
Sihanoukville is a seafood lover's dream. There is very little you can't get in town. Set as it is amidst very productive water bodies, the city is assured of a regular supply of fresh seafood including some of the best prawns, squids, lobster, crabs and other treats. At several upscale Khmer and Chinese restaurants in Sihanoukville, customers can take their pick of live seafood kept on display in glass tanks. Restaurants specialising in seafood are found on all beaches and there are good ones in the downtown area too.
Traditional Khmer Cuisine
Influences of Thai, French, Chinese, Vietnamese and Indian cuisine are seen in traditional cooking. Rice or noodles form a part of most meals in Cambodia. French bread is also widely eaten. Meat, vegetables, tropical fruits and lots of fish are other important ingredients of the local cuisine. Khmers love their soups and a variety of meat, fish and vegetable soups are served here. As in most other places in South Asia, several types of meat are eaten locally. So if you have never tried frog, snake, turtle, tarantula or dog meat, here is your chance. You even get fried grasshoppers at some Sihanoukville restaurants. However, beef, chicken and pork are the most commonly eaten meat in Sihanoukville.
Amok trey (fish with kroeung steam cooked wrapped in banana leaf), caw (pork or chicken stew), sankya lapov (pumpkin and coconut dessert), cooked prohak (a special fish paste), and ban hoaw (noodle in fish sauce) are local specialities worth trying out.
Durian, pineapple, banana, mango, jackfruit, rambutan and numerous other exotic fruits grown in the region are readily available. All are delicious, so be sure to taste at least a few.
Drinks in Sihanoukville
It is not difficult to find a bar as there are a good number of them scattered all throughout Sihanoukville. Beer is the most popular alcohol and is consumed in large quantities by locals and visitors alike. Angkor Beer's main factory is located in Sihanoukville. A good selection of wine and other spirits are available too.
Fruit juices, tea and coffee are popular drinks. Bottled water is quite inexpensive and definitely safer to drink than tap water.
