Places to eat in Krong Preah Seihanu

I have mentioned in other tips that most restaurants in Sihanoukville tend to reflect the nationality of the husband / boyfriend of the Khmer lady who actually owns the place. In this respect, I was slightly thrown by the Tutti Frutti, where I first used to stop by for a coffee in the morning. Despite the Italian ice-cream name, the menu was decidedly French and the specials board offered in that language although the inclusion of Liegeois (sp?) chocolate may have hinted at Belgian. I know for a fact the gentleman in question was a French speaker as I rambled about in a conversation one evening in English and my appalling schoolboy French. He seemed to understand, although the fact that I was marginally drunk and he obviously stoned may have assisted.

I had spotted galettes on the menu and on the night in question had decided that nothing was going to do but one of those. For those of you not acquainted with galettes, they are a pancake made from buckwheat flour served with various savoury fillings and extremely popular in the Northwestern part of France. I remembered them fondly from trips to that region and indeed make them occasionally myself with, it has to be said, varying degrees of success. Given my self-imposed regime of trying to eat local food, bad enough I should be eating a galette but to compound the felony by ordering one filed with the obviously Italian bolognese / mozarella combination is tantamount to culinary sacrilege. Well, sod culinary integrity, it was absolutely beautiful.

A glass or two of pastis as an aperitif probably didn't hurt either, yet another reminder of the French colonial influence in the place. The service was slow enough to indicate that the dish was freshly prepared, although I could see that for myself into the semi-open kitchen, and quick enough that it did not become tedious.

Should galettes not be to your taste, there is a fairly extensive menu of French food, including Beouf Bourgignon and a French / Basque chicken stew, the name of which I cannot remember. They even offer Toulouse suasages in one dish. Tutti Frutti is (very marginally) more expensive than other places on the strip but the food certainly merits the few extra cents expenditure and the atmosphere provided by the numerous French expats and travellers all talking in their native tongue certainly makes up for the slight lightening of the wallet.

Recommended.

Favorite Dish: The bolognese / mozarella galette as described.

On the tourist strip that is Victory Hill, options for international cuisine are plentiful and, should your taste run to Italian one evening, you could do worse than the Green Mood. Like virtually everywhere here it is a mix of guesthouse, bar and restaurant, with the cuisines basically being reflections of the nationality of whatever European is the husband / boyfriend of the Khmer lady who undoubtedly runs the place. This is not a cynical comment, merely a statement of fact. Green Mood is no different.

The restaurant / bar area itself is pleasant with the obligatory pool table (in better condition than most locally) and a pleasant raised chillout sitting area. The music tends to reflect the chillout mood. The couple of expat Italians talking loudly in their native tongue to the owner adds to the credentials as a bona fide place as opposed to the generic pizza / pasta culture that is offered for tourists in many places.

The menu, it has to be said, is not extensive. I think the food is merely an extension of the other facets of the business, although there is enough there to keep you interested. I decided to go for the pasta alla arrabiatta which for those of you who may not know, is a pasta dish with a sauce featuring chilli in the sauce. Frankly, I was interested to see how it would play out. I have eaten arrabiatta in Italy and always found the chilli to be a mere background. No doubt this is as the authentic dish should be, I was in Italy, for crying out loud. However, I am a bit of a chilli hound, and when I make it myself, I tend to go a little heavy on the hot stuff. In a country where chilii is much more prevalent, the heat index would be worthy of exploration.

The dish duly arrived, and the first impresson was that it was a very generous portion. I know pasta is filling, and indeed it turned out to be somewhat of a challenge to finish it. I spoke to the "boss" after and he said they always tried to give large portions as so many backpackers on a budget tended to load up on pasta as a relatively inexpensive way of getting full up. Full marks then for value for money (it wasn't expensive). As for the taste, well, it was exactly as I would have made it for myself, which is something of a backhanded compliment unfortunately. I have an Italian friend who is a chef and would no doubt have baulked at the amount of chilli used but for me it was just perfect. I have no idea whether an Italian or a Cambodian prepared the dish, I suspect the latter and, authentic or not, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Favorite Dish: The pasta alla arrabiatta, as described.

In the Victory Beach area of Sihanoukville, there are two Indian restaurants, although I only ate at one of them and found it to be very good. I did also hear good reports of the other as well, to give an unbiased tip. Chennai Rotty's is very much Southern Indian cuisine, unlike the Northern Indian (normally actually Bangladeshi run) cuisine so prevalent in Europe. Dosas (Dosai in the plural?) feature heavily on the menu. Living as I do in an area of London that is predominantly Bangladeshi, I consider myself somewhat of a minor authority on that cuisine, although I am relatively unschooled in the joys of the South. I do, however, know what I like, and I liked the food here.

The decor is unremarkable, although that is standard here, although there are a few posters and things, probably put there as much for staff nostalgia as to inspire the diner. Service was prompt and friendly and the English menu is complemented by the excellent command of the languge exhibited by the staff.

The first time I visited, I decided to try a starter I had not had before. Typically and stupidly, I did not take a note of the name of it but it was a sort of potato and veg patty with sauce that was somewhat akin to a thin dhal. It was very tasty. For a main, I reverted to more familiar ground and had a garlic chicken with a a naan bread and chapati. The chicken was very good, not overpowering (although I am a garlic lover) but the highlight were the breads. The naan was very good but the chapati, much thinner, lighter and perfectly "bubbled" than I am used to, was outstanding.

I returned the next evening for a light snack, and the mixed veg pakora certainly filed the bill. Well seasoned and cooked, it was not in the slightest greasy, as can be the case, and I even took the opportunity to try and be artistic with it against a strong setting sun. The results of this can be seen in the accompanying photo, although they are a much more amateur attempt than that of the chef!

Recommended.

Favorite Dish: The garlic chicken with breads as described.

I have mentioned on several other tips concerning Lao and Cambodia that it would be just about possible to travel in those countries and, if you kept to the main tourist trail, eat in nothing but establishments associated with charitable organisations. I am all in favour of this, although, again as mentioned elsewhere, I wonder how it affects the other restaurateurs who do not have the inbuilt feelgood factor and are merely trying to make an honest living to feed their families. I try to spread my tourist $$$ around so everyone gets a fair crack of the whip. No doubt these ethical matters are much better debated by people more qualified than me to do so.

However, back to the restaurant in question. This particular establishment is run by the Don Bosco organisation which runs a hospitality school in Sihanoukville, aimed at giving disadvantaged youngsters the necessary skills to equip them for a career in the hospitality industry and I find this entirely laudable. Running slightly early for where I was going (an unusual state for me), I decided a coffee would be in order and the spotless premises beckoned me. The few patrons were all Westerners, apparently a mix of ex-pats and travellers. I was greeted warmly and seated and ordered a coffee and a pastry (can't remember which now). It is here that things start to unravel a bit. Whilst waiting for the coffee, I worked out that the young, impeccably turned out staff outnumbered the patrons. Nonetheless, it still took about 20 minutes to come up with a capuccino, and the news that the pastry I wanted wasn't available today. Given that they boast that everything is made on the premises, I found this a little odd, and ordered banana cake instead. It duly arrived, served warm surprisingly, and was very tasty. The coffee itself, as uniformly in Cambodia, was excellent.

Believe me, I really do not want to sound churlish, and I fully support the rationale behind the operation but, as a hospitality based school, it really was a bit slipshod. As I say, the coffee and cake were excellent, and I don't wish to put you off going. Perhaps the servers that day were the first year group, and I am more than happy to give them the benefit of the doubt, charming as they were, it is just that I like to give accurate tips.

Favorite Dish: Well, the coffee and banana cake were very good.

I popped in here after scuba diving and having read the limited review in LP. The restaurant has an extensive menu running from a choice of breakfasts through lunchtime snacks and onto a good selection of evening meal options. I just got a sandwich and fries in here and I found the food to be fresh and fairly priced. The staff were also very friendly. Would recommend.

Favorite Dish: Located in the heart of the backpacker area, the Indian Curry Pot has a large menu with a good selection of vegetarian and non-vegetarian Indian and Pakistani dishes. I found it to be very reasonably priced and they served generous portions. Main courses generally in the $2-4USD price bracket. As a vegetarian, I particularly enjoyed the samosas and the daal.

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I recommend the restaurant Bayon Beach Bar and Restaurant, which is different to the others for some details: insulating container for very cold drinks, frozen mugs, you are offered rice or garlic bread, good fans for air, draught beer, easy menu, good prices, very efficient and quick service but don’t smile very much (maybe because we are the only one). A good place for a drink in the evening. Food is prepared with care and has good ingredients. Noodle soup is the best I’ve tasted in Cambodia. The restaurant is made like a balcony with local materials. It is 2 minutes walk to the beach. It is at the same place of Sokun Travel & Tours

Favorite Dish: I liked a dish which is a BBQ seafood. It's not a huge dish to share, but every piece of food is delicious great quality of fish, squid and big prawn. It is accompanied of good salad and a small bowl of delicious sauce

Set on Serendipity beach, relax in the big comfy chairs with cushions. The food here is amazing and really good value. Generous portions of Barracuda, potato and salad for $2.50. Squid, Beef (you will get asked how you want it), Chicken etc also available. Draft Beer $0.50 from 5-11pm. Really, Really good.

Favorite Dish: Barracuda and steak.