Noodles in Cambodia

We wandered of the Pub Street beaten path to find cheap street food in Siem Reap and hit pay dirt with this friendly noodle guy who sets up his cart on the opposite corner to The Hard Rock Cafe most days (one day he wasn’t there and we were severely disappointed).

A freshly cooked bowl of Lort Cha – Cambodian Short Stir-Fried Egg Noodles was ours for a dollar (~4,000 Riel), and although Noodle man couldn’t speak any English we had no problem ordering the noodles the way we wanted them (no meat, spicy, and the egg cooked both sides).

This popular street food dish consists of rice noodles and bean sprouts, with Chinese broccoli and chives. It is usually served with beef and a fried egg on top. The ingredients are stir fried in a red sweet and spicy sauce that has a gentle kick to it, but you can add more red chillies before digging in.

So granted, the seating wasn’t the most salubrious. When both red plastic chairs were already occupied by hungry locals feasting on their own plate of noodles balanced on rickety foldaway tables, we had to find somewhere else to perch.

I lost count of the number of times we wandered across the bridge to the south side of the river to eat noodles, and one day we had noodles for lunch and returned again for a late night snack of noodles.

When you’re traveling on a budget it’s ideal to balance out high ticket items with low budget eating. We bought a 3 day temple pass which set up back US$62 plus another US$60 in TukTuk fares, so eating street food at least once per day balanced out our budget.

Most street vendors specialize in one dish and their workspaces are basic. What’s great about eating street food is that you get to see inside their kitchen, how the dish is prepared, and how fresh their ingredients are.

Street Food Tips so you don’t get ill

The #1 tip for eating street food is that you should head for a vendor who is attracting local customers. If it’s good enough for the locals, then it should be good enough for you.

I had no problem when eating any of the street food in Siem Reap, but when you first arrive in the country you should let your stomach get acclimated to the new tastes and flavors gradually. I wouldn’t recommend diving straight in and eating street food three meals a day straight off the bat. Ease yourself in gradually so that you digestive system can get used to the new enzymes (and spices) entering your system.

Opt for disposable cutlery if at all possible. Most of these street vendors have minimal washing up facilities and it’ll be a bucket or bowl of water at best to wash cutlery, and you never know who used it before you and how well it was washed. So although I’m beginning to abhor the excessive use of plastic in Cambodia, in the spirit of avoiding dirty culture – opt for a disposable plastic fork, or better still a set of disposable wooden chopsticks.

Tell us about your favorite street food. Where and when?

Flashpacking through Cambodia

Flashpacking through Cambodia: For Baby Boomers on a Budget is my latest Roving Jay travel guide full of travel tips, advice, and sample itineraries for flash packers who want the back packing experience without foregoing some of life’s creature comforts – like a comfortable bed, a hot shower, free wi-fi, and somewhere to plug your electric toothbrush in.

I spent almost three months backpacking around Cambodia in 2017/2018 to research this travel guide, and I share insights and first hand knowledge of tourist traps and off-the-beaten-path discoveries. We ate street food, drank 50c beers, and travelled by train, bus, minivan and tuktuk to identify the best ways to get from A to B.

If you’d like to receive a free Review Copy ahead of the general public release, please click here.

Here’s my Cambodia posts on this blog:

• Cambodia Visa and Arrival at Siem Reap Airport
• Cambodia: How to Avoid the Crowds at Angkor Wat
• Filling up your scooter in Cambodia
• The Best Tasting Street Food in Siem Reap
• Angkor Wat at Dawn: Is it worth it?
• Come face to face with Angkor Thom’s Bayon
• Good vs. Evil at Angkor Thom’s Impressive Southern Gate
• The Baphuon Temple and the Terrace of the Elephants at Angkor Thom
• Visiting Siem Reap’s War Museum
• Where to Stay in Siem Reap
• Visiting Siem Reap’s Markets
• Give your taste buds a disco at Siem Reap Night Market
• Responsible Tourism at Joe to Go in Siem Reap
• What to See and Do in Siem Reap
• Which Siem Reap Floating Village should you visit?
• Memorable Boat Trip from Siem Reap to Battambang
• Libations and Bric-a-Brac tempt our purse strings in Battambang
• Vegetable Amok at About the World Restaurant in Battambang
• Cooking Classes at Nary’s Kitchen Battambang
• Pomme Bar, Restaurant and Hostel, at the Core of the new Battambang
• An educational trip around Battambang’s Central Market
• Sightseeing and things to do in Battambang Cambodia
• Bayon VIP Bus from Battambang to Phnom Penh Cambodia
• Exploring Phnom Penh’s 172nd Street in the dark
• The challenge of wandering Phnom Penh’s streets
• A visit to Phnom Penh’s Central Market
• Exploring Phnom Penh’s Markets
• Phnom Penh Photo Diary
• Tops sights to see in Phnom Penh
• Touring S-21 Security Prison (Tuol Sleng Museum Phnom Penh)
• A reflective visit to The Killing Fields
• Taking a train from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville
• The majesty of Otres Beach sunsets
• Our Workaway Gig at Otres Beach Market Cambodia
• Working Away to make Cambodian Bagels
• Cambodia Pastry Wars: The Battle of the Quiche
• Our Cambodia workaway gig renovating a market stall
• Unwind on Cambodia’s Koh Ta Kiev Island
• Cambodian Beach Massage and Grilled Seafood
• Building Community during our Cambodian Workaway
• Gecko Village in Kampot Cambodia – a Photo Essay
• Christmas Eve in Kampot
• more coming