A Slice of Singapore: ASEAN Food Center Brought Hawker Culture to Phnom Penh

Kaya Butter Toast With Soft Boil Eggs and Teh Tarik [pull tea with condense milk] from Jom Kopi stall

In Singapore, hawker centers and coffeeshops form the backbone of daily life. From grabbing breakfast before rushing to work to braving the lunchtime crowds, savoring afternoon snacks with kopi [coffee with sweet condense milk] and teh peng [iced tea with condense milk], or bringing home ta pau [take-away] dinner—these 24/7 culinary havens provide comfort food whenever cravings strike.

As a Singaporean expatriate living in Phnom Penh for over two decades, finding that familiar hawker atmosphere was once nearly impossible outside Malaysia. In early 2000s Phnom Penh, Singaporean and Malaysian cuisines existed only as scattered individual establishments, requiring cross-city journeys just to assemble a proper meal.

ASEAN Food Center | Phsar Kabko

The landscape began to change around 2015, with more familiar Singapore and Malaysia food options becoming available. However, the launch of the ASEAN Food Center truly transformed the experience by creating a hawker center atmosphere with a variety of comfort foods all in one place. It offers beloved Singapore and Malaysia comfort foods like Bak Kut Teh, Sliced Fish Soup, Nasi Lemak, Roasted Pork or Duck Rice, Chicken Rice, Nasi Briyani, Prata, and Yong Tau Foo, among others. Additionally, there's an Indonesian food stall offering dishes like Ayam Penyet, Cambodian mixed rice and fried food, and Western grilled inspired with Cambodian flavor. Meals range from light to hearty, starting at $2.00.

Boneless Chicken Rice

Roti Prata

Nasi Lemak

Indian Mix Rice Set

Chendol

Nasi Lemak

Nestled in the vibrant Phsar Kabko area, just a three-minute stroll from Independence Monument, this culinary destination has become a melting pot where Singaporeans, Malaysians, Indonesians, locals, expatriates, and tourists converge to celebrate Southeast Asian food culture.

Independence Monument Park in Phnom Penh

When it first opened in 2023, this food center only served Khmer food and had just two stalls offering Singaporean and Malaysian noodles. However, since the entire stretch of Phsar Kabko already featured numerous Cambodian food vendors, the management—who understood the concept of Singapore's hawker centers—decided to appoint a Singaporean to revamp the ASEAN Food Center in late 2024. This transformation brought more offerings from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia in 2025 and potentially other iconic foods from Southeast Asia.The convenient location makes it easily accessible via Grab or PassApp, whether by tuk-tuk or car.

Winner of Masterchef Cambodia Season 2 winner Pech Srey Noch's stall at The ASEAN Food Center

Grilled Salmon

Grilled Lamb

Seafood Papaya Salad

My final thoughts as a Singaporean here in Phnom Penh: this food center is a great hangout for food and culture within an open, relaxed communal dining environment. Of course, I can enjoy a bite of my favorite comfort food. By the way I was told the last stall to open at the ASEAn Food Center is Singapore's Satay Bee Hoon. YUM!

Map: ASEAN Food Center

**Satay bee hoon is a unique Singaporean dish that combines rice vermicelli (bee hoon) with a rich, savory peanut-based sauce similar to that used in satay. It's a popular hawker food, often featuring a variety of toppings like cuttlefish, cockles, and vegetables, all drenched in the flavorful satay sauce. The dish is a result of cultural fusion, likely influenced by Javanese Malay and Teochew culinary traditions.