Take me back to Chamkar Restautant in Siem Reap

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I can't quite recall when I started caring so much about food that I felt the need to write about it. Those who know me well compare my eating habits to that of a bird (sparrow rather than the French fries-addicted overweight pigeons of London). To say I was a picky eater as a child would be an understatement. I doubt if it was anything to do with the food itself- I just found other things around me more exciting than eating.

So it is surprising to now find myself waxing lyrical about food- in this case the awesome vegetarian curries and starters at  Chamkar Restaurant in Siem Reap (Angkor Wat). I discovered it first via a web search while planning the trip to Cambodia. After a shaky experience in Ayuthhaya (Thailand) where the only well-rated vegetarian restaurant turned out to be a dilapidated eatery with the displayed food looking like it was a few days old, I prepared myself for the worst.

My sister and I decided to do an early reconnaissance of the venue and the menu before the point in the evening when you feel so starved you'll settle for anything. We liked what we saw albeit it was slightly pricier than some of the cheap eats in town. After checking out a few other lack lustre restaurants around the Old Market area, we headed straight back to Chamkar and got a table outside so we could dine al fresco and enjoy the warm evening.



We were lucky to get one of the two tables outside.



Everything tasted scrumptious. This is a photo of the spring rolls with a yummy peanut satay.



Two mouth-watering curries.






Organic rice rarely tastes this good. 



One visit wasn't enough so we ended coming back again en famille on our last evening in Siem Reap and got to try a few more dishes. We left sated but wishing we could have tried out the whole menu. Incidentally they seem to have started in Taipei first where they have a 'sister' Chamkar restaurant. I know where I'm going next.

 Postscript: Bizarrely LBC Radio tells me that the world's first 'test-tube burger' has now been created. Essentially a stem cell has been successfully used to create animal tissue. It might be required to solve the food problems that are imminent with the growing meat-loving population around the globe. It certainly removes the moral hurdle of killing a fully-formed life. Still sounds uncool.

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