SIEM REcAP

After spending the last 12 days in Cambodia, I can say with confidence that it is very possible to eat gluten-free while still enjoying everything that the place has to offer. Siem Reap has plenty of options for Celiacs. I would start each day by eating a plate of fried eggs, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, and steamed rice, and drinking a fresh coconut. The Phsar Chas (old market) Restaurant, owned by an uncle of Gabe’s friend Fila, is a great option, as you will spend $1.50 on your entire meal and leave both satisfied and unglutened. I ate dinner at Angkor Famous many of my nights here – an amazing little restaurant in the alley near Pub Street that offers endless plates of free popcorn, free steamed rice, free fruit salad, glutenous 50 cent draft beers, buy-one-get-one free cocktails for $2, and perhaps the greatest Amok in all of Siem Reap.

There’s even a street cart that sells pan-fried rice cakes with a delicious dipping sauce that is entirely gluten-free. Also, there are a few markets in town (Lucky Market is the best) where you will find some gluten-free items – they sell packages of dried jackfruit, and even offer large bags of wheat-free toasted muesli. If you are fortunate enough to have access to a kitchen, as I did in the Honeymoon Palace where my friends Gabe, Miles, Jordan and Scott are living, buy some ridiculously cheap vegetables in the old market to go along with some reasonably priced meat in the grocery stores, and indulge. We cooked a variety of meals: rice noodle soup with beef and bok choy; corn pasta in tomato sauce with pork, peppers, and onions; fried morning glory with garlic; pork with ginger, etc…all at laughable prices – you could easily prepare a gluten-free meal for yourself for under a dollar.

Once avoiding gluten was no longer a concern, I quickly realized that living in Siem Reap is mostly just about chilling. There seems to be a lot of time, and no real rush to accomplish anything too quickly. During the high season, there are thousands of new tourists coming into town everyday in order to see the nearby Angkor Temples, and are on their ways within a few days. But for those spending a bit more time here, as my friends are, life is slow and methodical, and because of this, my visit really featured a little bit of everything. I played pick-up basketball games with Cambodians, did volunteer work, got $1.50 shaves, went to Dr. Fish where a pool of fish feed off of the dead skin on your feet, and relaxed by rooftop pools sipping cocktails at some glorious hotels.

We spent a lot of time hanging out at the Warehouse, an ex-pat bar owned by Gabe’s friend Jed who also runs a summer camp in Vermont. Next door to the Warehouse is Laundry Bar, a music bar that lets you download full albums of mp3s from an overwhelming selection of any genre you could ever imagine…they literally have tens of thousands of albums in a catalogue. While listening to their great lounge music you can twist something up, play pool, and just soak in the atmosphere. It’s up there with Bob’s Bar on Kamala Beach in Phuket as my favorite place to chill in Southeast Asia, so far.

Cambodia is a fascinating place, and the Amok will be missed. A very merry Christmas to everyone back home - I won’t be going to the movies, doing my Jewish thing, but it's 90 degrees here...can't complain.