When it comes to tourism in Cambodia there are not a lot of reasons to visit Kampong Chhnang, save a few sites related to the Khmer Rouge days.
It is though this lack of development and indeed remoteness that actually means that the Street Food Kampong Chhnang scene is pretty epic. Street food in Kampong Chhnang is not a luxury, it is quite simply just how people eat. Oh and no, there is no KFC here…
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What the Kampong Chhnang?
Kampong Chhnang is a riverside province and provincial capital located roughly halfway between Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. Historically it has long been a trading and transport hub thanks to its position on the Tonlé Sap River, which connects to the Tonlé Sap lake and the Mekong system. The province is known for clay‑pot production, pottery villages, and its role as an agricultural and fishing center, supplying fish and produce to other parts of the country. While it has never been a major tourist draw, Kampong Chhnang remains an important node of rural economic life in Cambodia, especially in terms of ceramics, small‑scale manufacturing, and river‑based trade. In recent years, its Khmer Rouge–era airport and some surrounding sites have brought a trickle of visitors, but for most Cambodians it is still remembered as a quiet, working‑class province rather than a glossy destination.
Street Food Kampong Chhnang
Kampong Chhnang is one of the poorer provinces and cities in Cambodia, even being included on the odd “shit city” list. This means that there are no big chains like KFC, or small ones like 5 Star. Here street food is not a gimmick, it is daily life and how people live.
This means that street food is all around and everywhere, although from what we could see there are different areas specializing in their own genres. Mostly it is BBQ and Khmer classics, with a particular emphasis on river fish, but for whatever reason there is also quite a bit of Khmer Pizza and fried chicken, both of which happened to be pretty good.
Where to get street food in Kampong Chhnang?
So, while street food, much like love and air, is all around in Kampong Chhnang, there are at least two main areas to get your street‑eat jollies, which are!
The Riverside
Street Food Kampong Chhnang is all about the riverside. Here you will find vendors out all day, but of course it is at night time when things get freaky‑deaky‑Dutch! Most of the action is Khmer BBQ, but there is also a whole heap of what appears to be locally caught river fish. I am not gonna lie, much of this was of the dried variety and was pretty stinky, so I did not try it. What I did have though was Pong Tia Kun, AKA Khmer balut, which seems to be a thing in these parts.
Stalls by the park
This was found by us by accident after the main Western restaurant was closed. And it worked out really well, as this seems to be the “Western food” alley. On both sides of the street were stalls mostly doing pizza and fried chicken, although at varying prices and indeed quality. We tried a few stalls and actually the pizza was pretty damned good, certainly much better than I had expected from rural Cambodia. Although this seems to be a bit of a thing in Cambodia in general of late.
These though are just two of the options, with there being food of some description found throughout the city, with the evening time being where it is at. There are a few restaurants too, which I will probably give some air time to, but overall it is all about the street eats.
What to eat in Kampong Chhnang?
Usually I like to only include things that I have eaten on these lists, but I will make an exception for Street Food Kampong Chhnang, as my anus was not ready for some of the iffy dishes.
5 – Khmer Pizza (ភីហ្សាបែបខ្មែរ – Khmer-style Pizza)
Not actual Italian pizza, this is a Cambodian‑style baked or griddled flatbread with a thin layer of tomato sauce, shredded cheese, and often sliced sausage or ham on top. It is usually cooked on a flat griddle or in a small oven, so the crust is soft and chewy rather than crispy. The concept is popular in smaller towns and provincial capitals, where it serves as a cheap, filling “Western” snack for locals. In Kampong Chhnang, some of the riverside and park‑side stalls make it surprisingly good, with a decent balance of cheese and sauce, even if the toppings are basic. It feels like a distant cousin of the real deal, but still oddly satisfying.
4 – Fried Chicken (មាន់ចៀន – Moan Chean)
Fried chicken in Cambodia is usually bone‑in pieces, often marinated in a simple mix of soy, garlic, and a bit of sugar, then deep‑fried until golden. In Kampong Chhnang, the street‑stall fried chicken is not the same as global fast food chains; it is more rustic, salty, and oily, with a thin batter that puffs up in the oil. The chicken is usually sold in quarters, halves, or full plates, and is often eaten with bread, rice, or just by the hand. It is cheap, easy to find, and, in this case, tends to be hot and freshly fried, which makes it a solid choice for a quick, greasy, and comforting meal.
3 – River Fish BBQ (ត្រីអាំង – Trey Tonle Ang)
Kampong Chhnang sits on the river, so fish is abundant. The classic street‑food move is fish on the grill over a charcoal brazier, often scored with slashes and brushed with a soy‑and‑garlic‑based marinade. The fish is usually served sizzling hot, with a side of pickled vegetables or a simple chili dipping sauce. Because the stalls are right by the water, the fish looks fresh and the vendors often point to the collection of smaller fish still swimming in tubs or tanks nearby. This is genuinely local food, and the fat, slightly charred pieces of river fish are flavorful and cheap, though sharing the grill space with other meats can make the smoke and aromas a bit heavy for some.
2 – Pong Tia Kun (Pong Tia Kun / ពងទាកូន – literally “pregnant duck egg”)
Pong Tia Kun is the Khmer take on balut: a partially developed duck egg, boiled and sold from street carts. In Kampong Chhnang, these eggs are often laid out in trays, still warm from the pot, and served with a bit of salt or chili for dipping. The texture is an acquired taste – the liquid yolk, the soft tissues, the hints of beak and feathers – but for many locals it is a normal, cheap protein snack. The aroma can be strong, and the idea takes some mental preparation, but as a piece of street‑food culture it is absolutely real and widely eaten. If you are willing to push past the concept, the rich, eggy flavor can be surprisingly satisfying.
1 – Dried River Fish Snacks (ត្រីងៀត – Trei Ngeat)
Dried fish is a staple around the Tonlé Sap and its tributaries, and Kampong Chhnang is no exception. The vendors along the river sell long, thin strips of small river fish sun‑dried until they are rock‑hard, with a pungent, fermented smell that hits you from several meters away. These are eaten as a chewy, salty snack, usually with beer or rice, and act as a high‑protein, cheap protein source for poorer households. The taste is strong, fishy, and salty, with a bit of funk from the drying and fermentation process. For many locals it is comfort food; for others, the smell alone is enough to pass. If you are looking for something genuinely “rural Cambodian” and not at all tourist‑market, this is it.
Conclusion
I actually really like it here, to such a degree that we spend the night on our tours here rather than going back to Phnom Penh. Doing so, there is not much to see, save the airport built by the Khmer Rouge, but this is also what gives it some flair.
This is rural Cambodian life, and the Street Food Kampong Chhnang scene is testament to this – simple, easy, and slow. Ultimately though, very rewarding.