Khmer Lesson 3: ordering food and drink

Part of the Khmer course for expats and travellers. Previous: Lesson 2: Numbers and money.

Food is where a little Khmer pays off fastest: you will use these phrases at every single meal. Restaurant and street-food staff respond warmly to even a few attempted words, and it genuinely helps with the two things visitors worry about most: ordering the right thing, and controlling the spice.

Getting a table and ordering

• I would like...: khnom jang baan... (“k'nyom jong ban”), put any dish name after this.
• Menu, please: som menu (“som men-oo”). Som means “please/may I have” and works before almost any noun.
• Water: tuk (“tuk”). Ask for tuk saat (clean/filtered water) if you want to be sure it's not tap. Picture a tuk-tuk splashing straight through a puddle.
• Rice: bai (“buy”), also used generically to mean “a meal”, since rice is central to Khmer food. Picture going to the market to buy a sack of rice.
• Delicious: chgnanh (“ch'ngnyan”), a genuinely appreciated compliment to give after a meal.

Controlling spice and dietary needs

• Not spicy: ot hell te (“oht hel tay”), say this when ordering if you're spice-sensitive; some Khmer dishes are hot by default. Picture a fire alarm blaring “oh, HELL, that's hot!”, then saying this phrase to make sure yours isn't.
• A little spicy: hell tic tic (“hel teetch teetch”).
• I don't eat meat: khnom ot si saich te (“k'nyom oht see sait tay”). Fish and seafood (trei) are sometimes not considered “meat” locally, so it helps to specify further if you also avoid fish.
• No peanuts: ot dak sandaek dei te (“oht dak son-dike day tay”), worth knowing if you have allergies, since peanuts appear in several sauces.

A few dishes worth knowing by name

Being able to name a dish, not just point at a photo, makes ordering faster and gets you better recommendations from staff:

• Amok: a mild, creamy fish curry steamed in banana leaf; probably the most iconic Khmer dish.
• Kuy teav (“kooy teeow”): a noodle soup, usually breakfast, with pork or beef.
• Bai sach chrouk (“buy sait chrook”): grilled pork with rice, a classic breakfast street dish.
• Lok lak: stir-fried beef cubes in a peppery lime sauce, usually served over rice or salad.

For a curated list of places actually serving these well, see the best Khmer & local restaurants and street food picks.

Paying

• Bill, please: som kit luy (“som kit looy”). Picture a waiter clicking a pen to kit the numbers together before handing you the total.
• Can I pay by card? chgnol luy tha kaat baan te? Cash (or KHQR scan payment) is still the safer default at smaller places, though.

Next: Lesson 4: Getting around, for tuk-tuks and directions once you've eaten.