Siem Reap

Our photos of the city of Siem Reap essentially involve food only.  There's a very good reason for this--we spent a bulk of our time there at the temples of Angkor Wat for which I've got something like 200 photos of.  But Siem Reap's definitely worth a mention.  

The translation of its name is 'Siam Defeated'; Cambodia's got a sad history particularly in the immediate past.  For centuries, animosity stood between the Siamese and Khmer people.  But during and immediately following the Vietnam War, sides were drawn and divisions were created between Vietnam, China and the US.  A civil war ensued, and the Khmer Rouge regime has now become known to be one of the most brutal in Cambodia's history.

Since these days, Siem Reap and Angkor Wat have bounced back.  Angkor Wat is Cambodia's biggest tourist attraction and more and more budget airlines are bringing their custom to this little nation.  Siem Reap is the feeder town for people to head to the ancient temples of Angkor and it does a good job at feeding, watering and adorning the tourists with various bits of tat and tack.  

the view of a bridge to one of the town's night markets 

There are at least four night markets in a short radius, a loud and brash road of bars, aptly named 'Pub Street' and a range of restaurants.  We found the most authentic looking which was filled with a range of Cambodia and Asian tourists called 'Stephen's BBQ'.  For the sum total of £8 ordered beer and the 'Khmer BBQ Special', a range of small plates of rice, noodles, meat and seafood that came with a tabletop grill.  

After a waiter pours in a small amount of boiling water, the goal is to place the lumpy chunk of lard on the top of the grill and let it lubricate (for lack of a better word) the metal surface.  Then you use chopsticks to place, flip and cook all the ingredients on the grill before placing them into a tiny little bowl and scooping them into your mouth.  

Another variation of this was at 'Master Suki Soup' restaurant where your table is adorned with a built-in electric stove top.  You point to ingredients you want in your soup--I opted for mushrooms, noodles and  morning glory (a vegetable I can assure you), whilst Paul opted for the 'Master Suki Chef Balls' (mostly for comic effect).  The waiter pours in a bunch of broth-like water, you add spices to your taste and then the trays of things and...voila, you have self-service-soup.  

Bless a country that appreciates soup as much as I do.