Kdeung Cafe boasts fresh, seasonal, local produce, as well as locally sourced noodles, fruit and vegetables.
Nom banh chok is the name of a favorite type of Khmer noodles, using ‘cakes’ (aka nom) of rice noodles as the base and a choice of soupy sauces and fresh herbs and ingredients to top it.
Let’s pull it apart… Literally. Nom banh chok noodles are made by hand from rice and one of the most renowned areas for these tasty noodles is in Banteay Srei district not far from Siem Reap in a small village. Any local in the area can point you in the right direction to streets lined with restaurants serving nom banh chok.
There are typically two sauces (fish gravy and curry), then a basket of fresh herbs, green beans and lotus roots, and butterfly pea flowers thrown on in handfuls to finish off the dish.
Russian Market area is a reliable choice in Phnom Penh for nom banh chok, popular in the morning and sometimes later in the day. Near the night market in the evening, you’ll also find a steaming bowl easy to get your hands on.
Of course, with Banteay Srei being a main source of these noodles, it only makes sense that Siem Reap has one of the newest additions to the noodle scene — Sam Khmer Noodles, also called Kdeung Cafe. Close to a small bustling market in the area behind Wat Damnak, Kdeung Cafe boasts fresh, seasonal, local produce, as well as locally sourced noodles, fruit and vegetables. They also aim to get organic produce wherever possible. They provide a small area for farmers to sell their produce in the town and the cafe staff administer sales. They pride themselves on their coffee and tea, all local and, again, organic where possible — coffee from Mondulkiri for machine coffee and from Stung Treng for drip coffee.
They have a small store with herbal teas and coffee to buy for home. They’re also making a big effort to reduce plastic for their produce sales and takeaway.
Kdeung Cafe is open daily from 7am until 9pm to satisfy everyone’s noodle needs.
