Siem Reap: Khmer Cooking Class & Market Tour with Chef

Summary

Explore Siem Reap’s flavors from market stalls to your own plate

You’ll start by exploring Siem Reap’s lively market with a local guide before heading back for a chef-led Khmer cooking class. Learn hands-on techniques, prepare classic dishes like fish amok and spring rolls, then share your meal with new friends. Expect laughter, real stories behind each recipe, and flavors you’ll remember long after you leave Cambodia.

What’s the experience like?

Ever tried to pronounce “amok” before tasting it? I hadn’t, not really. The morning started with a tuk-tuk weaving through Siem Reap’s side streets — our driver grinned at every pothole — until we reached the kind of market where everyone seems to know each other. Our guide, Sreyneang, handed me a sprig of something green and peppery (still can’t remember the name) and explained how it goes into half the dishes here. The air smelled like ripe mangoes mixed with fish sauce and something sharp I couldn’t place. I fumbled my phone trying to get a photo of a woman balancing eggs on her head, but she just laughed and waved me off.

Back at Banana Cooking Class, the kitchen was cooler than outside — or maybe it was just the relief of that icy towel they gave us. Chef Dara showed us how to fold spring rolls without tearing the rice paper (mine looked more like little pillows). He told stories about his grandmother’s banana palm dessert while we chopped lemongrass for fish amok. There was this moment when everyone went quiet except for knives tapping against wood, and you could hear birds outside and someone singing in another room. It felt strangely peaceful for a cooking class.

I didn’t expect to actually enjoy eating what I made — but sitting down together after all that chopping and stirring, everything tasted sharper somehow. Maybe it was just being hungry from all the smells earlier, or maybe food really does taste different when you’ve picked out every chili yourself. They handed us recipes at the end (I tucked mine in my bag; let’s see if I ever try banana palm at home). Walking out into the sticky afternoon heat, I kept thinking about that first bite of amok — soft coconut, earthy spice — and how much more there is behind every dish than you’d guess from just reading a menu.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Khmer cooking class and market visit

• Meet at Banana Cooking Class
• Take tuk-tuk to local market
• Explore market and learn about ingredients
• Return by tuk-tuk to cooking class
• Receive refreshing drink and cold towel
• Attend cookery demonstration by chef
• Practice cooking with chef's assistance
• Enjoy lunch of your own cooking
• Receive certificate and take photos

Top questions

What time does the Khmer cooking class start?

The half-day Khmer cooking class starts at 9:00am or 3:00pm.

Is transportation included in the cooking class?

Yes, tuk-tuk rides between Banana Cooking Class and the local market are included.

Will I get to visit a local market in Siem Reap?

Yes, the tour begins with a guided visit to a local Cambodian market.

What dishes will I learn to cook in this class?

You’ll prepare fresh vegetarian spring rolls, fish amok, and banana palm dessert.

Is lunch included in the Khmer cooking class?

Yes, you’ll enjoy lunch (or dinner) featuring your own creations after cooking.

Are recipes provided after the class?

Yes, printed recipes are given so you can recreate dishes at home.

Is this cooking class suitable for vegetarians?

The menu includes vegetarian spring rolls; check ahead for full vegetarian options.

How long does the Khmer cooking class last?

The half-day course runs approximately three hours including market visit and meal.

What’s included

Your day includes tuk-tuk transport between Banana Cooking Class and Siem Reap’s local market, hands-on instruction from an experienced chef, all ingredients for classic Khmer dishes like spring rolls and fish amok, refreshing drinks on arrival, printed recipes to take home—and lunch or dinner featuring everything you’ve cooked together before heading out again into town.