Cambodia

Gorgeous colours in this bowl, but the gluten-free flour and chickpea falafel was too gummy. Luckily the rest of the salad, especially the red pepper hummus and excellent turmeric and tahini dressing made up for it.

Taste: 3/5

Dining at Chinese House – an established Asian fusion restaurant and cocktail bar in Phnom Penh – is a treat for the senses. Chinoiserie dominates the decor for the groundfloor bar(the main dining room is upstairs), with quaint knick knacks, antiques and super-sized portraits of elegant Chinese ladies. Chill, downtempo house tracks pulsing in the background and an island bar taking centre stage in a room awash in the glow of red light, lends the place a very chic, sophisticated vibe.

The food itself is good, such as this carpaccio of sea bass, tuna and salmon. Punchy and well balanced, the dobs of horseradish cream lend heat, and the orange mustard dressing and pickled fennel are the requisite citrus and acid elements that really lift the flavours of this refreshing seafood starter.

Taste: 3.5/5

Chef ‘Jorge’ brings compelling fusion food by way of Hong Kong and Italy to the table in the heart of Phnom Penh. His house ravioli stuffed with shrimp is made with love – a little rustic with the thickness of the pasta but big flavours, generous portions and that dollop of lumpfish caviar atop is just a nice, luxe touch. The seafood broth poured tableside from a Chinese teapot was so umami-rich and tasty I wish they had left it behind for us to drink from.

Definitely pay this underrated restaurant a visit if you’re in town.

Taste: 3.5/5

By far the most exciting food I’ve had in Phnom Penh. The minimalistic interior belies the passion in the kitchen within. Fat Passion’s signature platter is outstanding across the board, featuring fluffy homemade pita bread and pita crisps that go hand in hand with a deeply umami smoked mackerel mousse and smoked avocado dip. Chef 'Jorge' Chen's favourite fried chicken with potato crisps is a winner, boasting crispy batter and juicy meat lightly sauced in a honey chilli glaze. Finger lickin' good.

Taste: 3.5/5

There was a level of detail in this dish that spoke of the chef’s prior fine dining experience. With an emphasis on smoked components, the excellent accoutrements such as a captivatingly silky smoked potato foam, crunchy pork crackling and charred broccolini practically stole the limelight from the 8 hour smoked pork belly with tangy tamarind sauce, which was just a touch dry. I can see exciting times ahead for the burgeoning food scene in Phnom Penh.

Taste: 3.5/5

Enso Cafe has a large, sprawling interior with chilled out vibes and lots of natural light, but their food was a letdown. Our BBQ jackfruit sandwich had a dire lack of both jackfruit and BBQ sauce, and the walnut bread was rather dry. Nevertheless, the majority expat crowd here doesn’t seem to mind.

Taste: 2.5/5

Breakfast done right – a healthy heaping of protein in the form of bacon, avocado, sausages and eggs your way. Of course, the morning isn’t complete without coffee, this time in the form of a most vigorous espresso martini. Because, holiday.

Taste: 3/5

This healthy yet super sinful tasting slice of intensely chocolatey raw cacao topped with smoked salt, a sweet and creamy banana and avocado layer, and a nutty cashew and almond base proves that not all vegan desserts are bland, boring affairs. It went great with Backyard's potent espresso!

Taste: 3.5/5

There’s great vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options over at the laidback Backyard Cafe, situated in a quiet street of Phnom Penh, just off the main boardwalk strip. Their Badass Burger comes with a hefty patty made from beetroot, spinach, carrot and apple, topped with a chilli cashew mayo. Though the flavour of the patty was a little muddled , we can’t fault their generous portions and abundance of fresh greens.

Taste: 3/5

The best version of the quintessential Khmer dish I’ve tried so far in Phnom Penh. Creamy, custardy, and chockful with large chunks of tender fish, this is simple, soul-satisfying food that is perfecf paired with a plate of rice. Think otah otah or steamed Thai fish cake, but better.

Taste: 4.5/5

A traditional Khmer dip of mince pork flavoured with prahok, coconut cream & dried red peppers. Meaty, spicy and with a slight funky finish from the prahok(fermented fish paste), the strongly flavoured dip contrasted nicely with the refreshingly cool and crunchy sliced cucumber and cabbage on the side.

Taste: 3.5/5

Not cheap by Phnom Penh standards, but by far the best deep-fried rice paper spring rolls I’ve had. A diaphanously thin webbing of crackling rice paper encases a pork mince, prawn and vegetable filling that's fairly bursting with juicy savouriness. Dunk each piece into the slightly sweet fish and peanut dipping sauce for maximum umami.

Taste: 5/5