A truly magical Khmer foodie experience

I can’t describe the sheer joy of entering the unknown. The thrill of pure discovery that I felt as the tuk-tuk whizzed by the alley of tall, ancient trees and turned slowly to reveal a hidden ruin amidst lush greenery. It was mid-afternoon and the sun was sparkling over the moat, hitting the ground through the foliage forming lacy patterns on the ground. I had never seen it before, I didn’t research, I came as blank as a canvas, my soul ready to be filled with spiritual memories and picturesque souvenirs. I was grinning from ear to ear, awestruck by the jaw-dropping beauty of each stone carved temple.

Unfazed by the swarm of tourists in the main temple, we trooped on to the more ignored yet extremely charming sites. Minutes later I found myself alone in this large structure, light piercing the quiet darkness, revealing minute details on the walls. There was no sense of fright, no eeriness that comes the usual old abandoned buildings … it was peaceful. Serene. I peeped out the window to admire the beauty of it all. To breathe in the moment that the French describe so perfectly as “insolite.”

It is special, unique and spontaneously beautiful. Angkor, Siem Reap, Khmer people and Khmer food — a truly magical experience.

The only way to see Angkor is by tuk-tuk. Our tuk-tuk captain, Aidi, had flagged us down by the old market in Siem Reap on our first afternoon there. Happy with his discreet and efficient service, we canceled our plans for a car and driver and kept him on the whole weekend. The open cabby of this motor vehicle allows you to easily pop in and out of the temples, have a little taste of the local life while you make a stop by the villages to grab some nice roasted sticky rice and banana. Why get stuck in a car and see the beauty through a glass cage? Wake up early and beat the crowds. Take a guide; it’s a must. He’ll weave you away from the tourists looking for the Tomb Raider tree and take you through crevices that open up to secret places. Call Sam, he spoke fantastic English, was born in Angkor and at the end of the day made us feel like we had known him for years! I’ll never forget how his eyes sparkled as he regaled us with his stories of his mother’s cooking. “My favorite. Stuffed frog. We fill it with chili, lemongrass, black pepper, ginger and onions, grill it on open flames till it’s crisp. Wow. So hungry.” His childish grin and the way he smacked his lips … it was all so convincing. The guy made me want a stuffed frog at 9 a.m.

We chose an amazing place to stay. In the middle of a hot day, you want to come back to somewhere nice. La Residence d’Angkor, part of the Orient Express group, has all the old world charms you might expect. Wooden buildings built in colonial fashion overlook a gorgeous emerald-green pool with a stone-carved fountain. Service is impeccable yet non intrusive. Executive chef Alexis Voisin and his team shared their talents with me, enlightening me more about Khmer food. I learned to make this sour Mekong lobster soup that was so similar to our own sinigang. As they were showing me how to make the Amok curry, they kept talking about red curry seeds that turned out to be our own atsuete. Each ingredient was used with a purpose and time was taken to highlight the flavors.

Khmer food surprisingly uses almost the same ingredients as we do but in a more creative way. The amazing uses they come up with for lemongrass, ginger and atsuete boggle the mind. Not quite as much like Thai food as I expected, but a little lighter, less complex but just as flavorful. These guys like to eat and to eat well. Perhaps inherited from their French past, Siem Reap abounds with great dining options. One of my personal favorites is Aha (Khmer for “food”), run by the Hotel de la Paix. It has some nice tapas options for starters and a modern approach to Khmer flavors. The dried snake on green papaya salad was amazing! I wanted to take some dried snake home to be eaten up crispy with fried rice and egg. The salmon with amok curry sauce was equally delicious, perfectly cooked and the melt-in-your mouth softness cut by a very fragrant sauce and tangy tamarind. Tired of local fare, I had some fantastic fresh Italian food at Little Italy, simple but with topnotch, quality ingredients.

Siem Reap itself is a vibrant place. Cocktail hour at the Foreign Correspondents Club is a must. If you’re feeling more adventurous, head over to Pub Sreet or even try one of the famous happy pizzas in town. Buy intricate silver pieces, hand-woven silks, gemstones, spices, carving replicas and antiques — it is quite the shopping heaven. This little town is a buzzing mishmash of artsy and hippie joints, elegant colonial establishments and locals trying to make an honest buck selling all kinds of things for one dollar. I was even offered a cute dog at one dollar.

The Khmer people are friendly. They look so much like the faces on the walls of Angkor. They are also hardworking and a touching mix of bittersweet. They will open up about the horrors of their Red past, the difficulties of surviving in the increasingly dry countryside and yet they remain optimistic. Accepting their past openly to move on to a brighter future. You can see the anticipation for development, the beautiful new buildings for tourism, the awareness of sustainability and the conviction that knowledge is power. Sam has even set up his own school to teach kids in his village how to be tour guides. They all want things to be good, they want it to be better. They also love Filipino movies. Oh, yes, Aga Muhlach is quite big on that side of the world!

On Sunday, our last day, we felt we still didn’t have enough of the temples. You always want more and every day is a new day for discovery. Our captain Aidi was waiting for us and took us to the more far-out ones. Walking through the sprawling grounds of Preah Khan, we stumbled across a smiling lady monk. Unlike other tourist traps, she took my hand, prayed over me in a lispy voice, stroking my arm, blowing away bad spirits from my forehead. The world felt lighter with her smile and as we wandered away we found ourselves alone in an overgrown garden with giant trees, mossy ruins filled with butterflies. In the distance there was a faint air of Khmer music, the leaves were rustling and the breeze felt like a blessing.

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Green Mango Salad With Tiger Prawns Khmer Dressing

Ingredients:

500 g fish sauce (patis)

500 g palm sugar

500 g lemon juice

250 g hot chili (sili)

250 g peeled shallots

1 bottle sweet chili sauce

Procedure:

Take all the ingredients in a blender and puree till

smooth. Keep at least three days in the refrigerator before

using to allow flavors to intensify.

SALAD

Ingredients:

1.5 kg green mango

500 g small tiger prawns

50 g dried shrimp

6 g basil leaf

200 g red tomatoes

100 g roasted peanuts

4 tsps Khmer dressing

3 limes

100 g carrots

Procedure:

Blanch the tiger prawns in boiling water with salt, then peel. Peel the green mango and carrots and cut into julienne. Cut tomatoes in 4, remove the seeds and julienne. Marinate the shrimps with the juice of 3 limes and 1 tsp sugar. In a bowl, toss the vegetables with basil leaves and prawns in the Khmer dressing. Top with roasted peanuts.

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For a professional tour guide, call Samnang Thang, mobile +85512869004, e-mail: samhelloworld@yahoo.com. To book at La Residence d’Angkor visit www.residencedangkor.com. Find info on Aha at www.hoteldelapaixangkor.com/en/dining/aha/ and FCC at www.fcccambodia.com/angkor/ Little Italy is located at Alley West, Siem Reap.