Feature Image: Hardworking Stall #6
Siem Reap‘s Angkor Night Market is a crush of tourists and locals. The crowds come to shop, eat, and be seen. Neon lights flash in time with music that pumps in from every direction. There’s a constant stream of people milling around, and their body heat adds to the already overwhelming humidity. It’s a sensory overload, and is all part of the Cambodia market experience, but sometimes it’s good to find a quiet spot to sit and take it all in.
Tucked away at the back of this night market is a row of food stalls popular with other business owners, who ordered their food to go. In front of each stall are a few rickety tables and chairs, which were usually occupied with small family groups of locals, but don’t seem to attract many tourists.
What we liked about these stalls were that you could see the kitchen in full swing, so it was easy to see the cleanliness of the food prep and get an insight into the complexity of the ingredients.
We liked the look of stall #6, and Red went into the kitchen to check it out and take some photos. We ordered a couple of spicy papaya salads, and the dressing was made to order with their pestle and mortar to grind up the herbs, spices, and chili, that give this dish it’s distinctive flavor. This paste of ingredients was then diluted with freshly squeezed lime juice.
The owners didn’t speak much English, but a few hand signals and a smile will get you a long way, and they were happy to show Red how to the salad.
Service isn’t quick at #6 as each order is made from scratch, but we weren’t in a hurry. We had sweat trickling between our shoulder blades, and when it’s this humid, it’s always good to find an excuse to just sit and people-watch.
Lots of Cambodian food dishes focus more on a depth of flavor than an explosion of spicy heat, so this papaya salad took us by surprise. The red chili and the lime’s acidity drop-kicked our taste buds into action.
By the third mouthful we had beads of sweat dribbling from our hairline, and the neighboring table were laughing at us. But the mix of sweet, savory, soft and crunchy helped to to create a dish with perfect harmony, and had us scraping our plates until it was all gone.
If you find yourself at Siem’s Reaps original Night Market, make your way past the tourist food and souvenir stalls, to this food court at the back to stall #6, and grab order the most delicious papaya salad we ate in Cambodia.
Don't miss this food stall at #SiemReap Night Market. Your taste buds will end up having a disco. #Cambodia #GoodEats Click To Tweet
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
I’ve traveled to many countries in SE Asia, but not yet in Cambodia. I have to say that a papaya salad looks good. I’m a total wimp with spice so would have to ask for less! The night market reminds me a lot of the one we visited in Ho Chi Minh; the food was also exquisite! Definitely on the list for a foodie like me 🙂
My tolerance for spice increased during our trip to Cambodia, especially when it was balanced out with sweet and cold ingredients like in a papaya salad.
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I agree with you on the whole aspect of understanding the ingredients that go into the local dish. It does make sense to head to places like this night market. I have also realized that the locals love having us and even though they may not know the language, are happy to show us around. I had a similar experience in one of the Thai markets in a place called Hua Hin. Yet to do Cambodia though
Yes, the Night market is a culture in Cambodia. After a day of adventure in Angkor Wat kingdom, food hunt at the night market is what we all loved. I have to say, the papaya salad won’t disappoint you at all. I like the crunchiness of the green papaya and added more lime juice to give your taste bud a disco.
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Not just in Cambodia, but it seems like this street food culture that’s so prevalent in Asia is now becoming more and more popular in western countries like the UK and the US. We lived in Los Angeles for years and food trucks are a frequently sighted.
Night markets were a whole new discovery on our last visit to SE Asia. We found so many options in one place. Although I must admit we would be staying away from anything that causes an explosion of spicey heat! Maybe the papaya salad would be more our taste! The night market looks like a great choice if we visit Siem Reap.
Having all that choice in one spot is really convenient. There’s also lots of lone stalls dotted around the town with local street food. We found a fabulous noodle man near the river, that we returned to again and again. $1 for a bowl of noodles with a fried egg on top! yum.
The night market sounds so exciting! It sounds like an excellent way to experience the area as a local. Stall #6 sounds great, I think I would be willing to wait a little bit longer to have the meal made from scratch. I’m sure you could taste the difference! Being able to see into the kitchen is always nice to, you can trust that the food you are getting was made in clean conditions.
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I was pleasantly surprised that they actually made the paste from scratch too. That’s a lot of work to do for every order they take, but at least it means that your dish is the freshest it could possibly be.
Visiting open markets and sampling local street food is one of my favorite things to do. I think you captured it perfectly when describing the lights, music, and hustle & bustles. I just love being in the middle of it all. That papaya salad you mentioned sounds delicious. …spicy, but delicious!
I always seek out the local markets, no matter which town or city I visit. Food markets are my favorite, and the good thing about the Cambodian night markets we visited, was that there were always tasty food stalls.
When you can feel beads of sweat dribbling from your hairline, then it’s seriously spicy. I’m from Indonesia and it happened to me all the times when food was too spicy for me. Sometimes sweat built on my mustache line, too. Haha… But, eating at local street food is always fun.
Yes it’s interesting how just eating a spicy dish with chili in, can start a chain reaction in your entire body. I had more than one salad that trigger a sweaty brow.
I would love to experience the Siem Reap Night Market. Neon lights, music, souvenirs, great food – my kind of place for sure! I’m a fan of papaya salad but usually order it with 0 zero spice so I think this would kick my butt! You have amazing Cambodia
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The other vibrant ingredient in the papaya salad is the sharpness of the lime juice, and that can pack a mouth-puckering punch all by itself! Whoever invented this zesty dish deserves a medal.
Yes my mouth needs a disco!! That sounds spicy, but memorable so I think you can sign me up for a visit here. There’s so many amazing fresh ingredients in Asia, that it’s got to be difficult to have a bad meal.