Touich Restaurant

By: Kathryn Rose

The other day was Nary’s birthday, so a few of us decided it was high time we tried the famed Touich Restaurant in Siem Reap.  Guests go there all the time and come back raving about how good the food was. Many people tell us it was the best meal they had while in Cambodia. Touich is consistently high on Trip Advisor, staying at #1 most of the time. Somehow none of us had eaten there, so with Kate here from the US office and Nary’s birthday, it was the perfect excuse.

We made a reservation earlier in the day, and since it is low season and we were doing a kind of early dinner, they were able to pick us up in their old jeep. It is definitely an old military jeep, and would not be comfortable for a long ride, but since it was only about 10 minutes away we were fine to jam in there. The restaurant is just outside of town, along the river and away from all the tourists. We pulled up to the outdoor restaurant and instantly liked it. The tables are all under a large bamboo roof with really pretty hanging lanterns for light. There is a fan above every table to keep you cool, and we really appreciated that on a hot night. I would suggest wearing lots of bug spray, because even though they lit a coil for us at the table, I came home with a few new bites.

We ordered a lot of food for the 5 of us, starting with most of their appetizer menu. The banana flower salad and green mango salad were delicious, and everyone who tried them said the floured shrimp were amazing. (I do not eat fish, sorry!) Then came all of our main courses, which were huge. Khmer restaurants do not usually give such large portions, so this was a bit of a surprise when so much food arrived. I ordered the “chicken with spicy and lemongrass”, mostly because I loved the name. It was really good, and I would get it again if there weren’t so many other yummy sounding things on the menu. Other dishes on the table included a whole fish cooked in a salt crust, octopus with peppercorns, stir fried tofu and vegetables and a beef soup. My dish was delicious, and everyone else seemed to enjoy all of their food as well. There were only a few leftovers, because we all pretty much cleaned our plates.

I already want to go back, and this place is certainly worth the hype. I don’t know if it is the best food I have had in Siem Reap, but I would put it in my top 5 without doubt.

To make a reservation, call the restaurant at (855) 092 80 80 40