Just under 300km from Phnom Penh, Battambang was one of those towns that I always wanted to visit but hadn’t yet braved the long bus ride. Friends remained adamant the food was reason enough to go and so last weekend I followed my stomach to sample what this town had to offer.
Straddling the Sangkae River, the town is easily traversed by bicycle. An early ride through the countryside was refreshing, glimpsing the morning rituals of the locals, having kids chase the bikes and stopping regularly to sample whatever was being cooked on the side of the road. Although the waffle lady decided to keep her shop closed that day (her fabulous coconut waffles sell out by 8am), a number of other local delights kept me very happy. One young lady was steaming small fluffy tubes of rice flour served on a banana leaf, eaten with palm sugar and freshly grated coconut. Always trust a line of kids, waiting patiently to cycle home with bundles of these sweet parcels.
The second highlight was the Chinese noodle-shop man, whose motto is clearly to keep things simple. This quiet man serves what I deem the best – and I mean THE BEST – dumplings in Cambodia. Sure I haven’t tried every dumpling, but these were unbelievably tasty. His small eatery could easily be missed: a simple Chinese restaurant tucked away on Street 2. When you order, out comes the dough, the fillings and flour and this maestro gets busy rolling and stuffing individual dumplings. Pan fried, they are served super crispy on one side, pillowy soft on the other. The garlic chives remain fresh, caressing the pork mince or egg (vegetarian option) and adding oomph and flavour. They are fresh and light, crispy and soft, and truly from the gods. The noodles were excellent, their uneven appearance revealing they’d been freshly pulled, swimming in a light broth with pieces of chicken and greens hiding underneath. Well worth multiple visits.
My final evening was full of anticipation as I dined at the newest kid on the block, the fabulous Jaan Bai restaurant. Meaning ‘rice bowl’ in Khmer, Jaan Bai is a Cambodian Children’s Trust (CCT) sponsored social enterprise that has the support of David Thompson from Bangkok’s famed Nahm restaurant. The head chef Mohm (a CCT-supported hospitality graduate) trained at Nahm, while Thompson himself recently visited to further train kitchen staff and attend the launch. This little restaurant certainly has great story, but what about the food?
The menu is heavily influenced by Nahm. Exquisite Thai-style dishes that get the taste buds buzzing. Following Thai tradition, some of the dishes can be spicy, however these are marked on the menu and the Jaan Bai folk are happy to tone down the chilli on request. The spicy pork salad served on betel leaves had flavours dancing on my tongue like a hot, fast samba, the perfect partner to their Green Orange Negroni.
Classic Kampot green pepper crab was reborn when cooked with chilli jam, giving the dish a lovely sweet, peppery flavour and ensuring every finger was licked clean. The Thai Green Kep prawn curry was generous in size, the prawns were cooked perfectly and as the dish was served the fragrance of freshly pounded lemon grass, basil and kaffir lime hovered over the table. I really wish I was able to try everything on the menu. The young trainees were energetic and always smiling and, given how reasonably priced the dishes are, Jaan Bai is on track to having many stalwarts in ‘the Bong’.
Lan Chav Khorko Miteanh, Street 2, Battambang (dumplings)|
Jaan Bai, corner of Street 1½ and Street 2, Battambang