A short stroll from Independence Monument, Villa Khmer is situated on a leafy side street off Norodom Boulevard. The red and black décor adds a chic touch which emphasises that this isn't just another cheap eatery. There's a choice of seating in the airy bamboo courtyard, including a cabana with a low table for relaxed group dining. Upstairs offers more secluded eating areas, including a private dining room which can be booked in advance.

Everything tastes better out of a clay pot.

The restaurant specialises in north Cambodian folk cuisine and it's the perfect place to explore Khmer food beyond amok and lok lak. To help you on your way, the menu includes an explanation of some of the key ingredients. We'd recommend the salads (from US$2) to get your taste buds tingling with papaya, shrimps, banana flower and green mango, plus lashings of fish sauce. Other specialities include a choice of 12 soups, roasted frogs (US$8.75 for a large plate) and deep fried whole fish (US$9.50). The plates are generously portioned: a small dish with rice is ample for a single diner. To finish off, the selection of one dollar desserts – love cake, palm fruit with sticky rice, banana and coconut tapioca, Kapok tree resin - is just begging for a tasting session.

The biggest draw here, however, is the lunchtime buffet from 11:30 to 14:00, which is excellent value for money at US$2.75. A typical grazing includes a choice of steamed and fried rice, ground pork with aubergine, curried vegetables, omelette, lotus shoot salad and pork soup, plus a sticky sweet potato with coconut dessert and fresh fruit. As in any good Asian restaurant, the tea is free.

They do a buffet, apparently.

Villa Khmer is bustling with Cambodian and foreign office workers at lunchtime, and is a favourite with groups of friends and couples daytime and evening. If you want a food adventure, but with real cutlery and the option of a bottle of wine, this place is for you.

Thanks to the number of tables, you generally won't have to wait to be seated. If you do need an immediate alternative, Sweet restaurant nestled in a 1960s villa next door should satisfy your Khmer food cravings. If you're not as concerned about ambiance, nearby Sovanna is justifiably popular for its wide-ranging menu of local fare, but hearing yourself talk can be a struggle.

Villa Khmer
‪#21B Street 294, Phnom Penh
T: (097) 898 5539

Tags: Villa Khmer

One of the loveliest times in Phnom Penh is sunset, when the locals start their aerobics routines and the expats allow themselves the first cocktail of the day. Some of the best spots for sundowners are those that overlook the river. Here are a few of my favourites.

What's more beautiful than a cocktail at sunset?

Le Moon K-West

One of my favourite choices for sunset drinks, although definitely not the cheapest option in town, is Le Moon K-West. Atop the Amanjaya Hotel, they command their high prices by overlooking the river, a couple of pagodas and one of the scariest intersections in Phnom Penh. This allows the tourist to appreciate the magnificence of both the geography and the cunning of drivers who don't find themselves constrained by trivialities such as traffic laws or indicators.

Amanjaya Hotel, 1 Sisowath Quay at Street 154, Phnom Penh
T: (023) 219 579

Blue Dragon

The Blue Dragon has outdoor seating that gives patrons a view of the Royal Palace, the Tonle Sap and lively Mok Vaeng park, which is filled with Cambodians going about their business, which often includes selling balloons, insects and corn-on-the-cob. The bar is quite small and usually not very busy, making it a good choice for those who are crowd-phobic or want to appreciate the sunset from the street level.

391 St 184, Phnom Penh
T: (081) 535 509

Chow

Another rooftop option, Chow offers seating that overlooks the Tonle Sap as well as a teeny-tiny pool that customers are free to use while enjoying their cocktails. The sunset views are spectacular, and they also have a menu that includes all the usual items with the interesting addition of Spanish tapas. Chow is also good value, offering a two-for-one happy hour, although the place can sometimes get fairly crowded around sunset.

227 Sisowath Quay, at the Quay Hotel, Phnom Penh
T: (023) 224 894

Tags: Blue Dragon, Chow, cocktails, Le Moon K-West, sunset, Tonle Sap

Let's say you're going to be in the vicinity of the Phnom Penh Airport sometime soon, and you're feeling peckish. I've been doing a lot of airport runs lately, so this is not actually theoretical to me. Of course there are lots of eating options inside the terminals and at the public concourse, but just beyond the hallowed gates of the airport is a Singapore-style cafe serving wonton mee and Singaporean chicken and rice. Budget an extra 20 minutes, and you too can enjoy this on an otherwise ordinary trip to the airport.

It's not just takeoffs and landings in this part of town, there's also wonton mee.

It's officially called Wonton Mee Restaurant and if like me, you value a good wonton mee, it's worth a slight detour on the way to and from the airport. The place is small, serving only a few dishes, including wonton mee (dry or soup-style), Singapore chicken and rice, pork and rice, and dumplings. There are a few other items on the menu (in Chinese) but I didn't figure out what they were as the Singaporean owner wasn't around when I dropped by.

No matter, though, because the wonton mee is delicious. The al-dente noodles have the perfect amount of springiness that make a good wonton mee and are served with two types of pork, Chinese kale, deep-fried wontons and a bowl of broth on the side. I would have been happier with a more robust sauce, but at $2, I'm not complaining.

How to find it

If you're heading to Phnom Penh airport from town, keep going along National Highway 3/Confederation de la Russie. You'll find the restaurant on the opposite side of the road, just past the airport (I wouldn't be able to measure distance, but it's only 3 or 4 minutes in a tuk tuk after the airport). If you pass the Pencil store, you've gone too far.

Wonton Mee Restaurant
National Road 3 (before Pencil) Phnom Penh
T: (012) 955 369; (012) 181 8228

Tags: Wonton Mee Restaurant

Some people complain about how many Americans there are in Phnom Penh, but the upside of their presence is the excellent supply (and demand) for American-style Mexican food. For the purpose of this review, when I say Mexican food, I mean California-style Mexican food, which is outstanding but perhaps closer to what you'd find in Oakland and not Oaxaca.

Viva la American-style Mexican in Phnom Penh!

Garage
Garage's proprietor hails from Los Angeles where he grew up eating California Mexican food (and lots of Hollywood Peruvian food, of course). He's attempting to recreate the Mexican food of LA at his bar, one dish at a time. The fish tacos and chicken enchiladas are particularly tasty. Two tacos cost $3.50.

9Eo St 110, Phnom Penh
T: (012) 754 763

Viva
For more generic American Mexican fare, Viva is a popular favourite. I've only eaten at the Siem Reap branch was was disappointed by the lack of chillies, but other people love the place. A carne asada burrito will set you back $6.

111 Sisowath Quay, Phnom Penh
T: (093) 678 888

Casa Lika
Casa Lika serves up tasty American Mexican and Khmer food. The ex-owner is from California, whose influence is still seen on the menu and in the decor (the place is Khmer-owned now). Be sure to try their San Francisco Mission-Style burrito for $4 which can be supersized for an extra $1.50.

16 St 136, Phnom Penh
T: (012) 429 542

Cantina
The old stalwart of Cambodian Mexican fare, Cantina's owner is also from California and the place is known for being a journalist hangout and also for its excellent frozen margaritas. The menu is ambitiously Mexican, but I often find the food doesn't meet expectations and it's never cheap.

347 Sisowath Quay, Phnom Penh
T: (023) 222 502

Alley Cat

Alley Cat has some of the better Mexican food in town -- their fajitas are not to be missed and my friends rave about their nachos with queso sauce and fresh salsa. The atmosphere is lacking though, so it may not be the best place for a romantic first date.

42 St 19, Phnom Penh
T: (012) 306 845

Tags: Alley Cat, Cantina, Casa Lika, Garage, Mexican food, Viva

Coconut water is one of the easiest and safest street foods for visitors to try in Phnom Penh. As long as the coconut is not damaged, the liquid inside young coconuts is sterile and safe for sensitive tummies.

The ultimate tropical drink: coconut water.

Coconut water is used in Khmer cooking, but it's also perfect for streetside drinking. It contains high potassium and mineral content, making it the perfect rehydration drink after a long day of sightseeing or a night out on the town. Many Cambodians believe that drinking a coconut a day will keep one in peak health.

Coconut vendors roam the streets of Phnom Penh, pulling carts piled high with young, green coconuts that they sell for 2,000 riel apiece. When you order a coconut it should not have been opened already -- you want a fresh coconut that they chop open in front of you. If you buy a coconut from a store or streetside stall, they will often have a cold one in an ice chest that's unopened, but with the husk already removed.

Young coconuts are served with a straw to drink the coconut water inside. Don't worry, this isn't high calorie coconut milk -- coconut water is fat-free and very refreshing.

Once you're done drinking the water, you can ask the coconut vendor to chop open the coconut for you to allow access to the coconut flesh inside. The meat inside is very tender, almost a jelly, and can be scraped off with part of the outside shell or a spoon and eaten. Be careful not to scrape too hard, or you'll end up eating coconut husk.

Khmer coconut-water drinking vocabulary
Water: dteuk
Coconut: doang
Cold: dtra-jay-uk
Cold coconut water: dteuk doang dtra-jay-uk

Tags: coconut water, street food

You'll forgive me for not immediately realising that Phnom Penh is an oyster town. It's not next to the sea and there doesn't seem to be a word in the Khmer language for oyster. And yet there's an oyster culture in Phnom Penh, with locals and expats alike enjoying oysters on the half shell all over town -- most come in from the seaside towns of Sihanoukville, Kep or Kampot, but the more expensive ones are brought from Vietnam. (And if you're looking for super-fancy oysters flown in from Normandy, try Van's Restaurant).

Oysters served Khmer-style: with tamarind, chilli sauce and fried garlic, plus lots and lots of beer.

From the most to least posh, here are some of the best places to enjoy raw oysters in Phnom Penh:

Sonoma Oyster

Named after the Napa Valley town that has never produced a single oyster (but is swimming in excellent Sauvignon Blancs), Sonoma Oyster aims to be the high-class oyster joint in town, and is the place to go if you're looking for more than just a low-grade Kampot mollusk. They serve regular oysters on the half shell, oyster shooters, oyster Rockefeller, tempura oysters, rock oysters topped with Norwegian smoked salmon and sour cream... you get the idea, they're big on oysters. Six oysters on the half shell -- imported from Vietnam -- will set you back $7.95. They also have lots of other seafood options as well as wine pairings.

159Eo Street 278, Phnom Penh
T: (077) 723 911
sonomaoyster.com

Sovanna BBQ

They aren't a seafood restaurant, but you'll often find oysters as big as your fist at Sovanna BBQ. How they get oysters that are so much bigger than any oyster I've ever seen before -- and whether or not that's even a good thing -- is a mystery, but they sell them for between 6,000 and 9,000 riel depending on the weather and their supply, which comes from the Sihanoukville area.

2C St 21, Phnom Penh
T: (011) 840 055

Fish and Chips

This Street 51 eatery claims to be open 24 hours, making it the only round-the-clock oyster retailer in town. I can attest that they serve oysters until at least 02:00 -- they offer a dozen oysters on the half shell for a mere $6 or 2,000 riel each, served with fried garlic, tamarind leaves and a spicy chilli sauce. If you're looking for a place to sit and enjoy cheap beers and cheap oysters, this is a good pick.

Street 51, across from Howie Bar, Phnom Penh

Heaven: enjoying oysters on a busy Phnom Penh street corner.

Woman selling oysters out of Styrofoam coolers

Serving the cheapest oysters that I've yet to find in Phnom Penh, a young woman sets up shop around dusk for a few hours and slings raw oysters to a customer base that consists mainly of schoolgirls and motodops for a mere 1,400 riel apiece. She's got a couple of tables and stools so you can enjoy your snack with the supplied tamarind leaves, fried garlic and chilli sauce while watching the day turn into evening.

Corner of Street 13 and 130
T:(097) 265 5909; (011) 346 419

Tags: Fish and Chips, Oyster Lady, oysters, Sonoma Oysters, Sovanna BBQ, street food

If you've had your fill of Khmer food (and Japanese and Vietnamese) maybe it's time to grab a pizza. As luck would have it, Phnom Penh has quite a few decent pies on offer.

Muoy pizza, pram bucks at Pizza Five.

When I first travelled around Asia, I'll admit that I vowed to not be one of those backpackers that can always be found hiding in Western restaurants avoiding local food. But now that I've called Phnom Penh home for more than a while, I'm finally coming to terms with a universal truth -- in order to survive, one requires pizza occasionally.

Recently I took part in a pizza delivery challenge conducted by Phnom Penh food blog Nyam Penh. "With such a large expatriate community, it's not surprising that there are tons of choices for pizza," Nyam Penh blogger Vinh Dao told me. "Overall, pizza is great in Phnom Penh. They certainly know how to bake."

Here are a few of my favourites from the tasting, as well as another that I've discovered recently.

Pizza Five

Pizza Five is my new favourite pizza joint in Phnom Penh, boasting 23 different pizza combinations including traditional pies like margarita and neapolitana as well as Khmer-inspired toppings such as the amok chicken pie and the Kampuchea, a pizza featuring zucchini and minced pork. All pies are 30cm and cost $5, which includes free delivery in under 25 minutes. If you'd like to eat there, they have a convenient near-riverside location.
81 Street 130, Phnom Penh
T: (089) 895 555; (067) 890 005

Luna D' Autumno

I'll admit to being less than impressed by Luna's pasta offerings the one time I ate there, but their pizza was the popular favourite with the group of 12 Nyam Penh tasters who liked the thin crust and ample cheese. 30cm pizzas cost $8 and our sample delivery took a lean 22 minutes. If you're looking to eat at the restaurant, Luna D' Autumno offers posh indoor and lovely outdoor seating.
6c Street 29, Phnom Penh
T: (023) 220 895

The Deli

This was one of my top picks for pizzas in Phnom Penh, although I was much maligned by my fellow tasters who didn't agree with me. Luckily I'm the one who writes this column, so their opinions don't matter. I thought the Deli pizza had one of the strongest tomato sauces of the bunch, and I liked their thin, chewy crust and fresh basil topping. A 30cm pizza costs $7.50 and delivery takes around 30 minutes.
13 Street 178, Phnom Penh
T: (023) 222 234

Tags: Luna D' Autumno, nyam penh, pizza, pizza five, the deli

If you're looking to get to a taste of the Emerald Isle, Phnom Penh has a few Irish pubs in town to sate you. Other major Asian cities such as Bangkok may be teaming with Irish drinking establishments, but Phnom Penh only has a handful of Irish pubs. None of them serve Guinness draught, although there are a few other Guinness options for those who enjoy the stuff, including the 7.5% Asian variety and the widgeted cans from Ireland.

Beyond the pale at Paddy Rice.

Without further ado, let me present Phnom Penh's Irish pubs:

Quealy's

A hole in the wall, Quealy's is a relaxed place that doesn't bill itself as an Irish pub per se, but it's run by an Irishman who also tends the bar so if you're looking for a bit of banter without leprechaun imagery, this is the place to go. Frequented mostly by expats, Quealy's features lots of top-shelf spirits and whiskeys and they make flame-grilled burgers and hot dogs in the evenings. They also show rugby and football matches, and occasionally open at off-hours for particularly important matches. Quealy's also claim to have the largest bourbon selection in Cambodia, and I've no reason not to believe them.

St 172, Phnom Penh
T: (098) 791 910
facebook.com/Quealys-Bar-Phnom-Penh

Rory's Pub

Located across from the National Museum, Rory's is an Irish bar, restaurant, tattoo parlour and guesthouse rolled into one. The menu is mainly Khmer, but they do offer an Irish stew and Guinness and beef pie. The original owner, from Dublin, seems to have left the place in the hands of an American, but the leprechaun and shamrocks out front and selection of more than twenty whiskeys should satisfy those who are looking for an Irish pub fix.

33 Street 178, Phnom Penh
T: (089) 884 983
rorysirishbar.com

Paddy Rice

The corporate Irish pub of the bunch, Paddy Rice is a riverside bar, restaurant and guesthouse that appeals to visitors looking for Irish fare. They serve Irish stew, fish and chips, shepherds pie and Guinness and steak pie and have specials every day in addition to a weekly Sunday roast. They serve widgeted Guinness which is said to be decent for those who like the stuff, although apparently no Jameson, a mysterious oversight. Paddy Rice features a weekly quiz night and live music on the weekends.

213 Sisowath Quay at St 136, Phnom Penh
T: (017) 773 102
paddyrice.net

Tags: Irish pubs, Paddy Rice, Quealy's, Rory's Pub

One of the most popular breakfasts you'll find in Cambodia is kuy teav (another, of course, is my much-loved bai sach chrouk).

No, it's not pho.

Kuy teav is a simple noodle soup that most urban Cambodians prefer to buy on the street rather than preparing at home. (If you want to make it at home, see Narin Seng Jameson's recipe in Cooking the Cambodian Way). Jameson recounts how before the Khmer Rouge era students would gather at Psar Chaa to eat kuy teav. "Instead of going home, we went to the open-air food stalls at the Old Market in the center of the city to eat this hot and steamy soup in the already hot and steamy weather," she writes.

Kuy teav is a noodle soup made from pork or beef bones and rice vermicelli, and topped with fried shallots, green onions and crunchy bean sprouts. Usually pork and fish balls are added, but beef kuy teav is also available. There's a Phnom Penh version (called kuy teav Phnom Penh, or hu tieu Nam Vang in Vietnam) that features liver, blood, intestines and tongue. On the side, you'll get a spicy red chilli paste, pickled chillies and vinegar. If you like, you can add a seasoned, hard boiled egg to the mix.

It's believed that kuy teav was invented by Chinese immigrants in Cambodia, or Kampuchea Krom, an area in Southern Vietnam that was once part of the Khmer Empire. Whatever the soup's actual provenance, Cambodians claim the soup as their own and are offended when it's compared to Vietnamese pho. For the record, it is similar to pho, although the noodles are thinner and the broth is darker and sweeter.

You can find kuy teav being served all day at all of the local markets and at stands that dot the sidewalks until around 09:30 each morning. I like the ones being sold in the food area of Central Market. A bowl will set you back between 4,000 and 6,000 riel depending on the options that you choose.

Tags: Central Market, kuy teav, noodle soup, street food

It's not hard to have a Happy Merry Christmas in Phnom Penh. There are lots of things to do in town during the holiday week, or of course, the possibility of an island getaway. If it's a traditional or not-so-traditional Christmas dinner you're after, you've got lots of choices, from low-budget to posh.

How to say "season's greetings" in Khmer: Happy Merry Christmas!

Here are some of the options for Christmas dinner in Phnom Penh this year:

The Lazy Gecko will be doing a Christmas dinner on the afternoon of the 25th that will feature roast turkey, ham, home-made turkey gravy, Yorkshire pudding and dessert. The price hasn't been set yet, but it will definitely be under $10. They'll also be playing a game of street cricket on St 258 after dinner. Reservations are recommended. T: (077) 569 484.

Hagar is offering a Christmas buffet for $17 or $7 for kids on the 24th and 25th. They'll be featuring roast turkey, beef, lamb and lots of fish options. If you're a dessert lover, they're promising six or seven desserts including Christmas cookies and mince pies. Reservations required. T: (070) 221 501.

The Pickled Parrot/Tonle Sap Guesthouse bar is doing a three-course spread that includes roast pork, roast turkey and ham, plus a real Christmas fruitcake for dessert. December 25 at 14:00. Cost is $19.50 and they ask that tickets be bought in advance at the bar. T: (023) 986 722.

Alley Cat is offering turkey with sage and onion stuffing, ham with cranberries, lamb and all the fixings. They're also be serving mince pies and eggnog. Mains are $14 or the three-course blowout costs $19.50 and reservations are highly advised. The three-course dinner is a single sitting at 16:30 on Christmas day. Call (012) 306 845 for reservations.

Green Vespa is offering a traditional spread that includes turkey and ham with all the fixings, or a vegetarian pie or a Black Angus fillet steak and Christmas pudding. Cost is $17.50-27.50 depending on which options you choose. They'll be offering dinner on the 24th, 25th and 26th, but booking in advance is required. T: (012) 887 228.

Aussie XL does roast turkey, honey-glazed ham and roast beef with roast potatoes, pumpkin and a Christmas pudding for $24. First come, first served, starting at 12:00 on Christmas day. T: (023) 301 001.

The FCC is doing a lavish spread that includes duck confit, turkey, ham and lamb, something involving feta cheese and dessert for $55 on December 24 and 25. Reservations required. T: (063) 760 280.

The Cambodiana Hotel is hosting a Christmas day barbecue by the pool for $30 per person. They promise that Santa Claus will make an appearance. No word on whether you'll be allowed to sit on his lap, however. Reservations required. T:  (023) 426 288; (078) 809 984.

Raffles will be recreating "a typical European Christmas marketplace" with a five-course dinner menu which will "offer traditional family favourites that will bring warm memories of prior Christmas’ in colder climes." [Ed: We guess they are not targetting Australians!] The price? $105++ or $155++ with wine, and dinner will include a piano concert. December 25, 18:30 to 22:30. Formal dress, and reservations are required. T: (023) 981 888.

Tags: Alley Cat, Aussie XL, Cambodiana Hotel, Christmas, FCC, Green Vespa, Hagar, Lazy Gecko, Pickled Parrot, Raffles Hotel