VACATION DETAILS

Traveling Spoon

Ben has come a long way - from driving a tourist scooter to being a receptionist at a hotel to now owning his own cooking school. He is truly an inspiration and continues to work very hard, dedicating himself to supporting orphan children in rural areas. He is passionate about introducing people to Cambodian culture and way of life through food. He conducts his cooking class in a countryside village, a 15-minute drive from Siem Reap city center. An experience with Ben is filled with the simplicity and joy that emanates from the locals living in the village, eager to cook and share an everyday Khmer meal with you! Your experience will take place in a traditional kitchen outdoors in the village, surrounded by rice paddy fields. Ben helps translate as Mrs. Phat La, the village chief who will conduct your cooking class, does not speak English. Mrs. Phat La learned to cook from her mother and has been cooking for years now. She is renowned for her cooking skills in the village and is often called to prepare traditional wedding feasts. After you learn about local ingredients and traditional cooking techniques, you will sit down to share a meal together that may include dishes such as fresh spring rolls or banana blossom salad, fish/chicken amok (Cambodia’s national dish of a herbed fish mousse) or beef lok lak (beef stir fry). For dessert you might enjoy pumpkin custard or banana rice cake. If you book the cooking experience, learn how to cook three Cambodian dishes from scratch in a hands-on cooking class that will last for 1-2 hours. The cooking area is simple, modest and very traditional. A wood-fired cooking stove is used to prepare all the meals, just like how it is traditionally done in the village. You will leave learning a great deal about Cambodian cuisine, ingredients, cooking styles and traditional culinary secrets!

Ben also offers an optional market tour add-on. If you book the market tour, Ben will pick you up from your hotel and drive you 15 minutes to a local market. Tour the market with Ben, hear about the vendors and see where the locals shop. The market tour will last 30-45 minutes before you return to the village for your cooking experience and meal.