Food is the Way of Life
In most if not all cultures, food is beyond a way to staying alive, but an expression and a way of life. The most common dishes often reflect the local crops and agricultural environment. The way to eat on the other hand would mirror the daily routine and natural habitat condition.
I've only had one trip worth's encounter with Cambodia cuisine, thus far from being an expert in their foods or traditions. However, through this one interaction, I saw how modern day Siem Reap is so closely intertwined with its food.
Apsara Dance is a Khmer classical dance created in mid-1900s, for Apsara is a mythical goddess figure in Buddhism and Hinduism. Along with the Park Hyatt, there are many restaurants that offer Apsara dance performance with dinner. Though likely not the most original Apsara dances, it was still a mesmerizing and immersive experience with elements of food, religion and art. (Plus, who can resist that beautiful banyan tree in the courtyard?)
As part of the influence for Siem Reap becoming a world famous tourist destination, the local community now has a growing source of income and on the other hand caters to the tourists. The Pub Street grew its popularity over the years, allegedly after Angelina Jolie and crew filmed the Tomb Raider here. There are pretty much an equal amount of Western visitors and local Cambodians wandering at Pub Street, which has a collection of bars, restaurants, message parlors and market stalls. It's quite a cultural experience walking down Pub Street, knowing it's a byproduct of tourist business, which indirectly provides the necessary funds and monetary support to maintain the heritage in the Siem Reap area. Making Western or Western-influenced cuisine in Siem Reap is now part of the modern way of life.
Other than the performance-infused or western-influenced food scenes, I was also incredibly impressed by the new creative culinary environment in Siem Reap. There are a wide selection of boutique restaurants making Cambodian food with a new twist. Chanrey Tree is a great example here, every dish looks as exquisite as it tastes! Located in a new two floor building along the river, you can choose to sit indoors with air conditioning on the second floor, or no air conditioning on the first floor or the beautifully lit garden. Again, maybe not as authentic as many Cambodians would argue, but I totally appreciate the effort to re-interpret Cambodian cuisine and deliver new tastes.
At last, to my utmost appreciated dining experience in Siem Reap was at Marum restaurant. At first look, there's nothing special about it. Like Chanrey Tree, it is a newly built modern looking 2 story building with a garden. It's food is mainly Cambodian as well but with some new age twists. However, as part of the TREE alliance, these restaurants operate under the mission to train young apprentices in the city to gain necessarily skills (i.e. cooking or serving) to be able to work and provide for themselves and their families. Recognizing tourism as the largest source of income in Siem Reap and some other parts of Cambodia, these restaurants are essentially helping local communities to sustain their way of life. As a visitor in their land, I was able to contribute a tiny part to creating a more sustainable community. (Plus the food was fantastic, so why not!)