CAMBODIA FOOD can be BIZARRE:
Quite amazing what you see on the menus in very nice establishments in Cambodia. On our last night we ate deep-fried water boatmen, cockroaches, crickets and so on. But on a trip to Friends Restaurant it got a tad freaky actually, both inside and out. So 1st up let’s get the drinks a flowing please bartender. This is a belter – pineapple margarita with chill – oh yes, it is just sublime, incredible in fact. I have even made this one at home too.
Cambodia Cocktails
Oh yeah baby, this one will clear the cobwebs, fruitylicious then BOOM chili blast – woo hoo!!!
Cambodia Bizarre Food - How about beef with tree ants???
What to eat, hmmm what to eat.
I like the look of this Cambodian Beef with lemon grass, shallot, chill, greens and WTF, RED TREE ANTS. Huh, kidding right? I thought we just messed about eating bugs in the market, or the deep fired version with a beer.
But nope it’s true, it was real, I ordered it and it arrived and it was seriously delicious (although have to say beef was a tad chewy).
Cambodia Bizarre Food
Doesn’t it look lovely. Vibrant colours, beefy goodness, deep rich gravy etc. Let’s have a wee zoom in… “Excuse me waiter there seems to be an ant in my dinner…!!!”
Let’s zoom a little closer… OK this comes with a PG rating. Yep I ate these little critters – funny thing is the usual “tastes like chicken“, did not apply. They actually taste of lemon grass. So don’t eat with your eyes, give it a go, actually quite pleasant. Downer for me was the legs, as VERY stiff and very get in you teethy – not a favourite of mine.
But hey as they are ants, if you ordered this at Christmas all the family could have a leg for once – Boom Boom!!!
Yucks!!! I very much doubt you would see in the film the following line “Please Sir could I have some more…” So full up on ants and margarita it was time to leave.
Hey we forgot dessert – but luckily on hand nearby was dessert, and delicious it was too… Snake on a stick… You just have to loce Cambodia Bizarre Food.
Cambodia Bizarre Food Conclusion
Cambodia doesn’t ease you in gently when it comes to food — it just throws you straight into the deep end and says, “go on then, give it a try.” We’re talking fried tarantulas that crunch like crisps if you don’t think about it too much, skewers of crickets that locals snack on like popcorn, and duck embryos that are definitely not for the faint-hearted. It sounds mad, but there’s a reason behind it — a mix of history, survival, and a proper nose-to-tail approach where nothing goes to waste. And once you get past the initial “what on earth is that?”, you realise it’s all just part of the experience.
The funny thing is, half the time it actually tastes… pretty decent. Crispy, salty, a bit nutty — especially when it’s been deep-fried and seasoned properly. You’ll find these snacks in markets, roadside stalls, and late-night food spots where tourists hover nervously while locals tuck in without a second thought. It’s not about being brave for the sake of it — it’s about stepping outside your comfort zone and having a story to tell after. Because let’s be honest, anyone can say they had noodles… but not everyone can say they casually munched a spider on holiday and lived to tell the tale.