Sushi Bar Koh Kong, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Pub Street

Siem Reap, Cambodia

(+855) 63 963 400

This is a fairly recent addition to the food scene in Siem Reap, but has already managed to garner a solid reputation among the expatriate crowd. Most of the Sushi comes from Koh Kong on the Cambodian coast and is darn good. So good in fact that I flaunt my personal rule of never setting a foot on the back-packer circus that is Pub Street. That is the only down-side of this Sushi Bar: seeing some of the unwashed freaks wandering along below is not good for one's appetite.

The Sushi Bar is located in the heart of Pub Street.

The Sushi Bar has outside seating downstairs as well as indoor seating on the ground and first floors. Our place of choice is the minuscule balcony though. It hardly seats 5 people, like birds on a wire, but is a great spot to hurl snide comments, derisive laughter, and the odd empty beer can at the banana pancake-eating crowd below.

Instructions on how to eat Sushi????

The menu is fairly small, but then this restaurant is all about Sushi. There are about twenty different Sushi Nagiri on offer, ranging in price from USD 2.00 - 5.00 for two pieces (though many were sold out on our last visit) and about 10 Sushi Rolls, the latter costing between USD 2.50 -4.50 for 6-8 pieces. There are a couple of Tempura selections at USD 7.00 - 15.00 and a couple of other non-Sushi items. Personally, I think the best choice is the Sushi and Tempura Deluxe at USD 14.00. A decent-sized meal and very good; with the Sushi fresh and the Tampura not an oily mass of batter but fluffy and light.

As usual I did not pay attention to the drinks prizes. There wasn't much choice but I seem to recall that, while a little more expensive than the 50 Cent draft beers available on Pub Street, the beers were reasonable enough.

Service is friendly enough, but a couple of the girls speak little/no English. However, with a little effort we have never failed to get what we ordered.

The Sushi and Tempura Deluxe.

There are only two things I like a little less about the Sushi Bar Koh Kong:

1. The place mat that endeavors to explain to the punters how to eat Sushi. I am a paying guest and will eat my Sushi any bloody way I like.
2. The staircase back down to the ground floor. Both very steep and extremely narrow this probably explains the meager choice of alcoholic beverages on offer; no way I could make it down with more than a beer in me.

Pitiful gripes really; the place is great for a quick Sushi fix and I do hope that they keep up the quality and do not end up with too many items "sold out".

The Sashimi is also very good and fresh.

Food: ****

Ambiance: *** + * for the balcony and the views it gives one of the circus below.

Value for money: ****

Recommended: Yes, great place for a quick bite before heading out for a beer.

Takezono Japanese Restaurant, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Sokha Hotel

Corner of National Highway 6 and Sivatha Street

(+855) 63 969 999

There are a number of Japanese Restaurants in Siem Reap, thanks to both a large Japanese expat population as well as gazillions of Japanese visitors; but this is one of our favorites. Whilst neither the hotel nor the restaurant will ever win any prizes for design, both food and service are spot-on.

Not sexy, but functional.

The food is not cheap, but then I have yet to come across a Japanese restaurant that offers good food at bargain prices. Appetizers and salads are around the USD 4.00 mark, Sashimi are between USD 4.500 and USD 5.00 for three pieces, and a piece of Sushi will set you back USD 2.00 - 4.50. The big Sushi Mori platter will hit your wallet for an eye-watering USD 90.00 but then there are 40+ pieces of Sushi on it; it is best shared with few friends.

The set menus are pretty good value.

Pretty good value are the set menus, the Salmon Teppan set for example is USD 20.00 and comes with Sashimi, the Salmon of course, rice, and Miso soup. I consider that pretty good value. A word on the prices: they are ++, i.e. without the 5% service charge and 10% VAT levied in Cambodia.

More than enough to eat with one of those.

I just cannot remember how much drinks are but the Missus seems to think that a small bottle of Sake is around USD 8.00 and a beer USD 2.50. Not as cheap as Pub Street, but pretty much standard for a 5-star hotel in Siem Reap.

The few times that we have been there we have never really seen the restaurant busy; this means that service is fast, friendly, and attentive.

Food: ****

Ambience: **

Value for money: ***

Recommended: Yes