The Khmer Saravan restaurant, looking out over the the gentle water where the Mekong River meets the Tonle Sap near the Royal Palace of Phnom Penh, has lured me in for lunch.

(Really, the spruiker out the front timed his pitch perfectly as I walked past and hooked me like a fish.)

I’ve enjoyed some killer curries in Sri Lanka and South-East Asia, but this is my first Khmer amok. I find it to be a mild curry, sweetened deliciously by coconut milk, with shredded white cabbage which gives it bulk, lime leaf and garnished with a few strips of what appears to be red capsicum. It is served on banana leaves in a bowl. I’ve opted for added prawns, for an extra 50c.

The amok mixes well with a serve of steamed rice, accompanied by a pot of green tea.

This location is the prime tourist strip of Phnom Penh; the “Riviera” if you like, and priced accordingly. Only wealthy Westerners and Chinese can afford to eat here, the locals just work here.

My bill, all up, is just US$6.69.

U gotta love Cambodia…

Khmer amok with prawns, steamed rice and green tea