Forget the hotel restaurant scene honestly. The real food happens at the stalls along sisowath quay (the riverside strip) and inside phsar chas (old market) after 6pm when the dinner crowd starts. Anything over $3-4 for a main dish and you're paying tourist prices. Fish amok should be $2.50-3, nom banh chok (rice vermicelli with fish curry — Completely different from thai noodles despite what everyone thinks) runs $1.50-2 when it's fresh in the morning.

Must-try dishes: fish amok steamed in banana leaf (not the fancy restaurant version), nom banh chok from any stall with a queue of locals, and those grilled beef skewers they make roadside around pub street after 8pm. Spice level is honestly pretty mild compared to thai food but they automatically tone everything down for foreigners so always ask for extra chili even if you think you can't handle it.

Street food prices are fixed — No haggling like you would for souvenirs. Vendors will just stare at you confused if you try to negotiate over a $1.50 noodle soup. Save your bargaining energy for the silk scarves and wooden carvings.

The stall with the longest queue near the old market entrance (corner of sivatha boulevard) has the best fish amok in town. Period. Get there before 1pm or they sell out.