Cambodia: insect restaurants

If you are looking for bugs, Cambodia is less known than Thailand. But actually, it is easier to eat insects here than in Bangkok. While in Thailand insects are mostly eaten in the countryside, in Cambodia they are appreciated everywhere, and social status does not matter (while it does in Thailand).

Silkworms, crickets and tarantulas can be found in the street, but also in supermarkets and fancy restaurants. For example, in the super-cool eatery Friends, in downtown Phnom Penh. Friends is also a social project which saves kids from the streets by giving them training and a job. In 2015, Friends used to serve a beef stew with red ants. Since 2018, the menu features a Creepy Burger with a number of crawlers.

The beef stew with ants is now served by another restaurant in the Capital, Romdeng. You can find here also crickets, and tarantulas. In Cambodia the big spider is a delicatessen.

Beef stew with ants on the menu also at Eleven One, a casual style, highly ranked restaurant in the city center. Eleven One cares about sustainability and health.

If you go to Siem Reap, the second largest city in Cambodia, don’t miss one of the few restaurants in the world with an entire insect menu. Owned and managed by French people, the Bug Cafe’ is a must if you want more than just whole fried insects.