Cambodia might be a predominantly Buddhist country, but that’s not to say there aren’t significant religious minorities – among them, a Muslim community that makes up around 1.6% of the total population.

Alongside enriching visits to the Hindu-influenced Buddhist temples of the Angkor Wat complex and elsewhere, with a little digging you can also use your visit to Siem Reap to discover and learn about Siem Reap’s Muslim communities, as well as tasting their delicious influences on temple town’s culinary scene.

The Cham people

The Cham people are a predominantly Muslim Austronesian diaspora who long ago inhabited the Champa area of central and southern Vietnam. Many sought refuge in Cambodia following Vietnamese conquest – many still remain today, particularly in and around Kampong Cham province (the name of which means ‘port of the Chams’) in central-southern Cambodia, though numbers dwindled as a result of the Khmer Rouge genocide, in which it is believed almost half the Cham population perished and over a hundred mosques were destroyed. These days, along with those of Malay descent, the Cham make up the majority of Muslims in Cambodia.

Siem Reap’s Muslim Village

Located close to Baby Elephant Boutique Hotel, Siem Reap’s Steung Thmey village is the heart of the city’s Muslim community, and the epicentre of Siem Reap’s and home to the canalside Masjid Al-Nikmah mosque (also often referred to simply as Siem Reap Mosque), the school alongside it, and humble local family homes.

The wider area around Steung Thmey, particularly close to Psar Krom local market along from Baby Elephant, is also home to many Cham people from Kampong Cham province. And a mosque at the Cambodian Cultural Village is intended to represent Cambodia’s Cham and wider Muslim community. 

Where to eat great Muslim food in Siem Reap

Siem Reap is loaded with more spots to tuck into great Muslim-style dishes than you might expect. We love our Khmer food as much as the next person, but sometimes it’s nice to mix it up with the delicious flavours of the Cham people’s and other Muslim groups’ influences on Cambodia’s cuisine. Here’s where to get your fix in Siem Reap:

Masakan Ibu

This new opening in the Kandal Village area serves fabulous, home-cooked Halal Malaysian and Singaporean dishes like beef rendang, char kway teow, mee goreng, and Roti John.

Friday to Wednesday, 11am-9pm; 673 Central Market Street; 012-673-630; www.facebook.com/masakanibu.siemreap

Muslim Family Restaurant

Especially popular with visiting Malaysians, this simple restaurant behind the Neak Mah mosque is one of a number in the area around the Steung Thmey village (including, confusingly, many with the same English-language name). It serves a menu of Khmer and Malaysian-style Halal dishes, from beef lok lak and fish amok to satay and tom yam – and even the irresistible Malaysian teh tarik pulled tea.

Daily, 11am-9pm; 74 Steung Thmey Village; 012-946-220

There are also a number of Indian restaurants around the Old Market area in Siem Reap that serve Halal food.

Where to stay in Siem Reap

Looking for a Siem Reap hotel from which to explore the best vegan and vegetarian restaurants that Siem Reap has to offer, while also being within easy reach of the famous Angkor Wat temples? Baby Elephant Boutique Hotel is waiting for you – click here to take a look at our relaxing rooms, all with free breakfast (including vegan options, of course!) and use of our gorgeous swimming pool.

Where are your favourite spots to eat Halal and Muslim-influenced food in Siem Reap? Have you visited the Steung Thmey village or Cambodia’s Kampong Cham province? Let us know in the comments!

Photos by Adib Wahab and e_chaya.

It’s not all Khmer food in Siem Reap – in fact, for a city of this size, our little temple town offers a remarkable array of cuisines from all over the globe. But that’s not to say all restaurants in Siem Reap were created equally – far from it. Whether you’re looking to feast on burgers or sushi, tacos or pizza, these are our favourite international restaurants and cafés in Siem Reap.

Abacus

Long-running Abacus Garden Restaurant and Bar serves an extensive menu of extraordinary French and international food – we’re truly talking about some of Siem Reap’s finest French cuisine here. Open all day, every day for lunch and dinner, the focus here is on a regularly updated seasonal menu of French classics alongside a carefully curated wine list.

Daily, 11am-10pm; Road 6 (on the way to the airport, past the Angkor Hotel and Acleda Bank); 063 763 660; www.cafeabacus.com

La Pasta

It’s among our picks for vegan restaurants in Siem Reap, but Italian restaurant La Pasta is also a fine choice for carnivores. The focus is predictably on fresh, organic pasta dishes, but this newly opened, already hugely popular family-run restaurant serves authentic Italian dishes across the board. Expect specialities like Sicily’s famous caponata aubergine stew, lasagne and carbonara dishes, house meatballs, and a range of delicious pizzas.

Tuesday to Sunday, 11am-10pm; Hospital Street; 096-282-6127; www.lapastaa.com

The Hashi

If there’s a Japanese restaurant in Siem Reap that continually wins plaudits, it’s the Hashi. This fairly high-end joint, set in a striking brick-and-wood-fronted glass-heavy building and having recently relocated from Sivatha Boulevard, serves an extensive menu of superb-quality sushi, sashimi and other Japanese specialities like donburi bowls, shabu-shabu hot-pot dishes, and top-notch steaks turned out in three styles. Vegetarians and vegans will also find staff at the Hashi helpful in picking through the menu for dishes appropriate to dietary requirements and those that can be adapted to suit.

Daily, 11am-3pm and 6-11pm; Wat Bo Road; 063 969 007; www.thehashi.com

Tuk Tuk Tacos

With a bold claim to have Siem Reap’s very best tacos, and striking murals by artist Tamara Venn – who has also adorned the walls of Baby Elephant Boutique Hotel with her stunning work – Tuk Tuk Tacos certainly pulls in the positive reviews, and even those on the tightest of budgets will find its prices agreeable. Tuk Tuk Tacos is set in Siem Reap’s restaurant hub of Sok San Road, just a short hop from the nightlife enclave of Pub Street, and started out in life as a bona-fide tuk-tuk-inspired food cart at Siem Reap’s night market before developing into the bright, modern and simple bricks-and-mortar location it is today. The tacos are made fresh daily, and the venture supports the Kulen Outreach education programme – just one more reason to get your taco fix.

Daily, 11am-11pm; Sok San Road; 096 501 5238; www.facebook.com/tuktuktacos

Il Forno

Another of Siem Reap’s excellent Italian restaurants – temple town is described by invaluable Southeast Asian travel guide Travelfish as ‘a foodie jackpot’ for fans of Italian food – Il Forno is set right at the heart of Siem Reap, just along from Pub Street (there’s also a branch in Phnom Penh). It’s a stylish yet unpretentious joint that puts on incredible wood-fired-oven-baked pizzas, homemade pasta and a variety of other authentic Italian dishes to complement the simple, classic yet sophisticated Trattoria-style decor. There’s also a weekly rotating list of specials to keep things fresh and interesting, plus a solid wine list. Better yet? They do delivery!

Daily, 12-3.30pm and 5.30-11pm; Pari’s Alley, The Lane (off Pub Street); 063 763 380; www.ilforno.restaurant

Baby Elephant Boutique Hotel

Siem Reap has countless choices when it comes to excellent international food – as well as endless fantastic local Khmer and Cambodian specialities. But if you’re staying at Baby Elephant Boutique Hotel, you don’t need to go anywhere to try either!

Our in-house restaurant is the perfect place for you to relax and explore our extensive menu of Khmer and Asian delights, international classics, and western comforts, including a healthy array of vegan and vegetarian meals (plus plenty to keep carnivores happy). Just fancy a quick bite to eat while you lounge by the pool? Our golden taro and shiitake spring rolls are the perfect answer to your mid-afternoon hunger pangs.

Where to stay in Siem Reap

Looking for a Siem Reap hotel from which to explore the best vegan and vegetarian restaurants that Siem Reap has to offer, while also being within easy reach of the famous Angkor Wat temples? Baby Elephant Boutique Hotel is waiting for you – click here to take a look at our relaxing rooms, all with free breakfast (including vegan options, of course!) and use of our gorgeous swimming pool.

Which of these Siem Reap international restaurants is your favourite? Let us know which spots we should include on our list – leave us a comment below!

Photos by Abacus Garden Restaurant and Bar, La Pasta, The Hashi, Tuk Tuk Tacos, Il Forno, and Baby Elephant Boutique Hotel.