Phnom Penh’s Culinary Underground: Authentic Local Food Tour by Tuk-tuk Exploring Cambodian Cuisine

Embark on an authentic culinary adventure in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, with this evening food tour by tuk-tuk. Explore local neighborhoods, indulge in unlimited food and drinks, and discover the rich cultural heritage of Cambodian cuisine.

Duration: 3 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Phnom Penh - Experience a time when Cambodian kings rode into battle on armored elephants, when the Tonle Sap lake was legendary as the “Land of Gold” to distant Indian empires, and Spanish invaders on the Mekong brought the Khmer cities of Chatamouk and Longvek to their knees with cannon fire.

Dishes created and defined by pivotal moments in history have endured through the centuries, despite the Khmer Rouge’s attempts to isolate and eradicate local food culture. Come and see what they tried to destroy but couldn’t, and taste the act of rebellion by local chefs who dared to remember and rediscover these recipes in the post-civil war era.

  • Sophath - Khmer Curry Noodles: Enjoy humble 5th-century noodles that predate the Angkorian Empire alongside local patrons at simple tables and chairs, as they have for centuries. This is Cambodian comfort food, popular from breakfast through dinner.

  • កន្លែងបាយ - Stews & Stir-fries: Savor three (or more) low-and-slow stews and stir-fries at Phnom Penh’s busiest roadside eatery. These are ancestral dishes born deep within countryside homes, now served by a family on the streets of the capital city.

  • Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum - Slow-roasted Ribs: Located across the street from the museum, meet Auntie Song’s family, whose pork short ribs once made a guest claim they “made me believe in Santa again.” Served alongside a special dish brought daily from Battambang province featuring seasoned fish cakes grilled in banana leaves.

  • Eleven One Kitchen - Fish Amok, Local Curry, and More: Sample golden-age ingredients and dishes in a trendy and lush setting hidden from the city’s bustle. These are the best versions of Cambodia’s go-to dishes.

What's Included
  • Hotel Pickup & Drop-off
  • Unlimited local beer, soft drinks, and bottled water
  • Small-group tour (2-12 people)
  • Private tuktuk transportation
  • Food at 4 sit-down, safe-to-eat restaurants
What's Not Included
  • Gratuities
Additional Information

Experience unlimited food and beverages, including beer and soft drinks, through this traditional evening food tour via tuktuk, introducing you to our beloved local neighborhoods known for their cuisine. This journey will reveal the extent to which Cambodian culinary traditions are interwoven in Southeast Asian culture.

This exploration goes beyond the conventional market and street food tastings to uncover aspects of local life that linger in Phnom Penh. We’ll make pit stops at 4 genuine sit-down restaurants, a local bar, and introduce you to the top spot for our preferred dishes. Travelling the local communities by tuktuk, with endless supply of chilled beer, and relish the evening guided by your local connoisseur.

Our mission is not only to feast (although, we will do plenty of that!) but to present to you every step of the culinary journey, providing narratives about each dish and vendor. This is why we visit small scale, family-run establishments that have become neighborhood essentials.

Location
Phnom Penh
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(160 Ratings)
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652luqmanf
Aug 2, 2024
Super local Experience! - Lovely food, incredibly authentic, would highly recommend. Lee was an amazing guide who was incredibly passionate about the tour, amazing storyteller.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
957marsr
Jul 22, 2024
Tasty tour - Boram was a fantastic guide. The Khmer food that we ate was absolutely delicious. I would absolutely recommend this tour to anyone staying in Phnom Penh
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Diana
Jul 21, 2024
Amazing Food Tour! - The food tour was great! The food was delicious especially the smashed eggplant with pork and the fish paste. Our guide, Lee, was very knowledgeable, attentive and kind. I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone interested in learning more about Khmer cuisine.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ourgranddayout
Jul 4, 2024
Excellent food tour - We had an incredible time touring the tastes of Phnom Penh with our two tour guides and two tuk-tuk drivers who gave us a personalised private tour. All the stops offered something different in both cuisine and atmosphere each time so we got a good variety of foods and sights into Cambodian life. We had two people in our party who had dietary requirements which were well considered throughout, as well as options for the two who didn’t have any. There was far too much food provided for us, which is a good problem to have, although we did feel slightly guilty in leaving so much lovely food uneaten. The tour guides (Lylin and his trainee) were very funny and professional providing lots of information about everything we ate and it’s place in local culture. Although we are not a very talkative family, they made lots of effort to engage in conversation despite the language barrier. Not all people are like this which we understand, but we did feel slightly pressured to make consistent conversation when we sometimes wished to just enjoy the city and what was happening around us. Again, a minor complaint from overall superb service and commitment from the accommodating tour guides. Our tuk-tuk drivers were equally as lovely and provided us an extra sightseeing opportunity after the conclusion of the tour, which we greatly enjoyed. We were unsure whether we should tip them or not after the tour but we hope the overall price was shared fairly with them. If you are interested in learning more about Cambodian food, culture and the city of Phnom Penh this is a must-do tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Singaporemartin
May 10, 2024
Good local food, guide (Lee) and driver - The food is local and nice. The guide, Lee, and 2 drivers also provided us a safe and good experience. We enjoyed our time finding local food
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Justbeachy09
May 5, 2024
Fantastic guide! - Our guide Vichea made our tour! He was just awesome. Our group was only my husband and I and our guide and we definitely experienced dining. In some places we never would’ve found on our own in Phnom Penh. I suppose if there is a drawback, the price is quite high compared to other places we ate while we were visiting, but the experience was fantastic
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Z3690ukluciac
Apr 11, 2024
An excellent food tour - We had a great time with Neara. She answered all of our questions and was just a lovely human overall. There were 3 of us, and another couple joined us on our tour in a different tuktuk. Neara made sure to switch off who she rode with from one spot to the next and keep us all engaged throughout the tour. We ate at what felt like very authentic, local spots that we wouldn't have found ourselves.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Elizabeth_d
Mar 25, 2024
Great food terrific guides and really enjoyable time - Tuc tuc ride the Khmer curry noodles the pork bbq and banana flower salad and bbq frog and the dessert stop then the cocktail
Review provided by Viator
Libby
Mar 25, 2024
Great guides and delicious food and good tuc tuc drivers - We had the best local food in Phnom Penh going around in tuc tuc 2 couples in 2 tuc tuc . The food at each stop was delicious and amazing and they cater for any food you can’t eat or any food allergies . It was a fantastic tour to taste local cuisine and have some history of the food and the people too . Our guides were so wonderful and we could have local beer or soft drink or water as we went to each place . We had six stops and last one was a delicious cocktail
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Matteot1897
May 12, 2024
Good experience - Good tour along the hidden (and not) culinary corners of Phnom Penh. Very nice guide with good knowledge of the food served to us.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 10 guests
1 Adult
September 2024
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