Dude, seriously, avoid eating along Sisowath Quay (the main riverside strip facing the Tonle Sap) unless you want to pay $12 for amok that tastes like coconut water with depression. These waterfront spots see white skin and immediately start serving garbage fish that probably died during the Clinton administration, all while charging premium prices like they're doing you some massive favor.

Walk literally one block inland to Street 178 or Street 240 and you'll find proper local joints doing the same exact dishes for $3-4. I'm talking real spice levels, fresh ingredients, and techniques passed down through generations instead of that tourist slop designed to separate backpackers from their money faster than a rigged poker game in Bangkok.

My go-to move: hit the local spots on Street 178 between Russian Market and Independence Monument area. Look for places packed with Cambodian families, zero English menus, and plastic stools that have seen some serious action. That's where you'll get lok lak with actual flavor and amok that doesn't taste like someone's first attempt at cooking.

Real talk - I've made this riverside mistake way too many times before learning. Save your cash for better waves... I mean, better street food adventures. The quality difference will blow your mind once you taste what proper Khmer cooking actually tastes like.