Cuisine Wat Damnak

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Business Overview

Wat Damnak village, Sala Kamrek Commune, Siem Reap, Cambodia

At Cuisine Wat Damnak, you won’t find traditional Khmer food such as amok on the menu. Rather, it is our aim to introduce you to unique, locally sourced, often rare ingredients that you may never even have heard of before, let alone tasted. You might try fruits such as ambarella, Java feronilla and kuy fruit; eat local fish and shellfish unique to the Mekong and Tonle Sap lake.

Overview of Cuisine Wat Damnak

Cuisine Wat Damnak was founded on the simple concept of using only local fresh seasonal produce with which to create exquisite Cambodian food.

Our dégustation menus change on a weekly basis to maximise the use of seasonal fruits, vegetables and fish, some of which are only available for a three week period every year. Some items are difficult if not impossible to source through our local market channels, but we go the extra mile and hunt them out so we can incorporate them into our menus and make them as exciting as possible.

Come and sample such mouthwatering delights as braised pork shank with star anis, caramelized palm sugar, fresh bamboo shoots and crispy trotter; steamed Mekong langoustine with rice wine and Kurata pepper; and chocolate and holy basil ganache with rice praline. Click here for our latest menu.

Set in a beautifully lit traditional Khmer house and garden, the restaurant has been designed to offer three contrasting seating areas providing a choice of ambience in which to enjoy your meal.

Whether you are here for business, a spot of temple gazing, or call Siem Reap your home, we would be delighted to meet you and welcome you to the restaurant.

Concept of Cuisine Wat Damnak

The concept of Cuisine Wat Damnak is simple – to source only the very best local seasonal produce in order to create innovative tasting menus of delicious Cambodian food.

Cambodia is home not only to indigenous Khmers but to a diverse population including Cham, Vietnamese, Chinese and smaller ethnic minorities. Likewise, Cambodian food seeks to acknowledge and embrace the wider ethnic culinary influences found throughout the kingdom.

At Cuisine Wat Damnak, you won’t find traditional Khmer food such as amok on the menu. Rather, it is our aim to introduce you to unique, locally sourced, often rare ingredients that you may never even have heard of before, let alone tasted. You might try fruits such as ambarella, Java feronilla and kuy fruit; eat local fish and shellfish unique to the Mekong and Tonle Sap lake; and sample fresh lotus seeds, wild lily stems and edible flowers to name but a few.

The vast majority of our ingredients are bought daily, fresh from the local markets and through a local womens’ cooperative. After many years spent trialling and sourcing produce in the area, Joannès knows exactly where to go to obtain the very best quality and flavoursome ingredients.

In addition to using cultivated produce, we also make the most of hand-picked wild ingredients, such as mushrooms, wild mangosteen, and tromong leaves. Not content with always using the same ingredients, we are constantly on the look out for new produce to offer to our customers in order to keep our menu interesting and varied.

Back in the restaurant kitchen, Joannès gives the carefully-sourced, new and exciting foodstuffs special treatment, transforming them into delicious, beautifully presented dishes in his own modern interpretation of Cambodian cuisine. The well thought-out and imaginative dégustation menus, which change every week to take into account the variation in seasonal produce, are specifically designed to encourage customers to sample an array of local specialties that they may not otherwise even think of ordering.

Whether you visit our restaurant only once in your lifetime, or you return time and time again; come, dive in and immerse yourself in a fabulous gourmet Cambodian culinary experience you are unlikely to forget.

The Restaurant

Having lived in the Wat Damnak area for eight years, Joannès and Carole wanted to open their restaurant not in the hustle and bustle of central Siem Reap, but in their own quiet local neighbourhood.

After a little hunting around, they soon found the ideal place – a traditional wooden Khmer house nestled in the heart of their village. Two and a half months of refurbishment work subsequently took place and, on April 23rd 2011, Cuisine Wat Damnak threw open its doors to welcome anyone wishing to sample the delights of modern Cambodian cuisine.

Three separate dining areas have been thoughtfully created, each providing its own distinct ambience in which customers can relax and make the most of their gastronomic experience:

- The dining room: An elegant and contemporary air-conditioned room perfect for sampling Joannès’ food in the comfort and cool of the indoors.

- The garden: Filled with herbs and plants used daily in our dishes, the softly lit tropical garden provides a beautiful natural setting in which to savour your meal in the balmy Cambodian evening.

- Traditional seating: Sitting upstairs in the fan-cooled traditional wooden part of the house is another eating environment altogether. Old wooden furniture and lamps create a cosy atmosphere a world away from the contemporary chic of downstairs. Sit on the floor mats and cushions around a low table for a more authentic Cambodian experience.