Meric Khchei Khmer Cuisine

Meric Khchei restaurant has an ambitious vision: it wants to make Cambodian food famous throughout the world. That’s why this restaurant uses only fresh, locally-sourced ingredients to prepare its mouth-watering Khmer delicacies.

The vegetables and meat are selected from local villages, the fish are caught from Tonle Sap Lake and Mekong River, while the seafood is sourced from Sihanouk Ville. The purpose of choosing these fresh ingredients is to enhance the authentic Cambodian taste of the meals, so tourists can experience all the depths of the Khmer culture. In fact, Meric Khchei is famous for using ingredients with a backstory which are no longer used by top, fine-dining Cambodian restaurants.

You can sample traditional meals, such as Borbor Phek, a Khmer rice-based congee, or the Khmer Khroeung, a dish based on fish and the aromatic, throat-itching taro stem. At Meric Khchei restaurant, all the ingredients have a purpose and a story, helping you immerse into the Khmer history. For instance, taro stem was originally pig’s fodder. However, during the Khmer Rouge, Cambodian people were left to starve so they had to find new ways to cook the taro stem to remove its pungent taste.

Ka Duch is another good example of an overlooked ingredient with a backstory. This poisonous root has to be thoroughly cooked to remove the poison, so this base ingredient makes your dining experience more thrilling.

An excellent restaurant in Siem Reap, Meric Khchei is owned by chef Ratana and therefore benefits from his extensive experience and single-minded focus.

Chef Ratana trained at Paul Dubrule School for a year, and worked at various hotels throughout Siem Reap, including Victoria Angkor, Hotel de la Paix, and Charney Tree Restaurant. From trainee to sous chef to executive chef, Chef Ratana now runs his own restaurant.

Meric Khchei is a restaurant with a unique selling proposition. Both the owner and the ingredients he uses for his meals have a captivating history, which tourists can learn more about at Meric Khchei.