As I have stated in other articles, the Street Food Phnom Penh scene is not just one of the best in South East Asia, but also the world. Yet despite this, few people know about it and at best it is underrated.
For those in the know it offers some of the best value in the region with some truly banging dishes and a whole heap of hidden gems in the city.
Click to read about the best Street Food Cities in Asia.
Table of Contents
The Phnom Penh Scene
Phnom Penh is hands down the best place in Cambodia for street food. Forget Siem Reap with its tourist-friendly stalls or Sihanoukville with its overpriced beach food. The capital is where Cambodians actually eat, and it shows.
Everywhere you look there’s someone flipping, frying, grilling, or ladling something that smells incredible. Breakfast begins at 5am with bowls of nom banh chok or bai sach chrouk, and the stalls never really close. Noodles, soups, curries, fried rice, and skewers are available day and night, often for less than a dollar.
The vibe is controlled chaos. Tuk-tuks honking, smoke rising from woks, plastic stools spilling into the street, and people just getting on with life. There’s no pretension, no Instagram filters, just proper Khmer cooking made by people who actually know what they are doing.
If you want cheap, real, and utterly satisfying street food, Phnom Penh is the city to be. The energy, smells, and constant movement make it feel alive in a way few capitals can match. And ye sit is very underrated!!!!!
The Best Street Food in Phnom Penh
The city’s got hundreds of good options, honestly street food is everywhere in Phnom Penh! Here though are five Street Food Phnom Penh places that you pretty much cannot go wring with.
Russian Market (Tuol Tom Poung)
One of the classic markets in Phnom Penh. Come in the morning and you’ll find noodle stands, pork and rice stalls, and corners selling Khmer coffee. The nom banh chok is exceptional, the broth light and fragrant with fresh herbs.
Street 136 near Riverside
Ignore the backpacker bars. At night, this street comes alive with grilled squid, spicy beef skewers, and fried noodles. Tuk-tuk drivers, bar staff, and locals all eat here, which tells you it’s doing something right. Yes you can take-away more than just a bowl of fried noodles.
Orussey Market
Crowded, hot, and chaotic. Perfect for breakfast or lunch. Khmer curry with baguette, fried noodles, and pork snacks dominate the lanes. Nothing fancy, just excellent food.
Bassac Lane Area
Behind the bars, local stalls quietly serve fried rice, skewers, crab fried rice, and papaya salad. Cheap, filling, and authentic. Great for starting a night of drinking or grabbing a late snack.
Night Market on Riverside
Touristy but still worth it. Grilled seafood, chicken wings, fried bugs, and sugarcane juice. Grab a mat, sit by the river, and eat until you can’t move. The perfect place for people-watching and soaking in Phnom Penh’s street energy.
Best Street Food Dishes in Phnom Penh
Phnom Penh’s street food isn’t about presentation; it’s about flavor, value, and experience. Here’s the proper countdown from 10 to 1 on the street food Phnom Penh dishes that you need to try. As always these are in order…..
10 Best Street Food Phnom Penh dishes
10.Bai Sach Chrouk – Grilled pork with rice, usually eaten for breakfast. Cheap, simple, and smoky. Find it near Psar Kandal or busy street corners.
9.Lort Cha– Stir-fried short noodles with beef, egg, and sometimes pork. Smells irresistible. Great at Orussey Market or roadside stalls.
8.Crab Fried Rice – Full of flavor, messy, and satisfying. Fresh Kampot crab with wok smoke and seasoning. Found at Bassac Lane and riverside vendors.
7.Kuy Teav – Noodle soup with pork, herbs, and lime. Phnom Penh’s national dish. Eat it morning or night; flavors never disappoint.
6.Nom Banh Chok – Rice noodles with fish curry sauce and fresh vegetables. Light, healthy, and truly Cambodian. Russian Market does it well.
5.Khmer Red Curry – Sweet, fragrant, and rich. Often eaten with baguette. Family-run stalls at Orussey Market are top-notch.
4.Papaya Salad (Bok Lahong) – Spicy, sour, and crunchy. Sold everywhere, perfect to balance heavier dishes.
3.Grilled Squid – Charred, smoky, tender. Street 136 and Riverside Night Market are unbeatable.
2.Fried Insects – Crickets, silkworms, or tarantulas. Sold in plastic bags at night markets. A must-try for the brave or curious.
1.Prahok Ktiss – Fermented fish paste with coconut milk, herbs, and pork. Pure Cambodian flavor, messy, pungent, and unforgettable. Found in small stalls around Orussey Market or local alleys.
Phnom Penh Nightlife
The nightlife in Phnom Penh is tightly intertwined with street food. The city doesn’t shut down; it just changes flavor. Start on Bassac Lane with a few beers, head to Street 136 for midnight grilled squid or fried noodles, and end the night with sugarcane juice or fried bugs by the riverside. Before or after Pontoon…
There’s plenty more to cover here in a full nightlife guide, but for now, just know that street food is the gateway. It fuels the night, keeps locals going, and ensures that even if the bars close, Phnom Penh never really sleeps.
And that is the street food Phnom Penh scene. It is not pretentious like Singapore, nor as finely tuned as Bangkok, but it not only delivers, but does so very well.
Click to check my Cambodia Tours withh YPT.