Shadow of Angkor****

We believe this is one of the three most attractive restaurants in terms of value, taste, and ambiance in Siem Reap. Most Western dishes, like Chicken Mexicana, domestic beef steaks, and pork chops, are less than $6.00, while Khmer dishes, such as lok lak with beef or chicken, smoked eggplant with pork, and Cambodian curry with coconut milk, are less than $4.00. The serving portions of these dishes tend to be rather large.

In addition, the restaurant serves a large assortment of delicious pizzas that cost between $3.50 to $7.00 depending on size. Particularly good are the vegetarian pizza for vegetarians and the spicy beef pizza for meat lovers.

One other point of interest at this eatery is that between 5 and 9 PM, the special "Happy Hour" prices are given. For example, a glass of Angkor draft beer is 75 cents, while large bottles of Angkor and Lao beer are $1.75 each. This is quite a bargain when you think that most other establishments nowadays charge up to about $4.00 for a bottle of domestic and Lao beer and $1.50 for a draft beer. So, in the evening, one can sit in a whicker chair and have beer or a rather inexpensive cocktail, in an old colonial building, with plenty of pot plants and a view of the river.

The only warning we should give you is that even if one feels like garlic bread, do not order it here, as it is one of the most pathetic food items in all of Siem Reap. On the other hand, their bruschetta is excellent.

At the end of your meal, this restaurant offers you, free of charge, a dish of fresh fruits, which is a very friendly gesture not found in other places near the Old Market.

One sad practice at this restaurant is the use of paper napkins. We do not understand the owner would not think of cloth napkins that are so much more elegant and do not cost every much.