*Fish Borbor with Cha Kway at Sinorn Borbor Monsrae*

Down one of the quieter streets in Siem Reap, but close enough to the action, lies a small (ish) restaurant that serves up borbor, like none other I have ever tried. One spoonful of this soupy rice porridge has the power to transport you to someone's home with the dusty red floor beneath your feet, observing a weathered skin grandmother with glistening kind eyes, cooking this comforting creation of goodness over a charcoal stove.

What is bor bor?

Borbor is essentially a rice porridge that is of a soupier consistency than its distant relatives in Thailand (Jok), Vietnam (Cháo), and China (Congee). The rice grains in borbor swim separately in a bowl of umami-rich broth that is bursting with flavours of chicken stock, pepper, and a hint of MSG.

It is an extremely affordable Cambodian breakfast dish that is served with cha kway (Khmer: ឆាខ្វៃ) (fried dough sticks) and a myriad of condiments including red chilli paste, preserved soybeans, pickled garlic, and small pickled chillies.

Borbor is culturally significant using the country's most important crop (rice) and is a symbol of community and togetherness. It is prepared for religious ceremonies and celebrations throughout the year.

Sona, the master of borbor, is keeping her family’s tradition alive in the heart of Siem Reap. Sinorn Borbor Monsrae started many years ago in a small village on the outskirts of the city and back then, it was made by Sona’s mother who used pork, a much cheaper protein to sell to the locals in the village.

When you visit the restaurant, you will most likely run into one or more of the 8 siblings Sona has. While Sinorn has stepped back from the borbor duties, she is still present in the restaurant as well Chamrong, Sona’s brother who is a trained chef and prepares the other dishes on the menu such as Cambodian beef lok lak and a pretty mean fried rice.

Sinorn Bor Bor Monsrae is a perfect example that good food does not have to be fancy and should be accessible to all. From the friendly smiles of the family that has built this business, to the delicious consistency of the food, I keep returning because of how the place makes me feel; welcomed, at home, and part of the family.

Sinorn borbor Monsrae សុីណន បបរមាន់ស្រែ
Stueng Thmei Stueng Thmei Siem reap, 17252
Monday to Sunday 7am-8pm
+855 0965557444
Click on the map HERE

Sona’s sister, whom the shop is named after, adapted her mother’s traditional recipe by adding some extra umami kick to the broth, including dried seafood (I won’t disclose her secret!), to the mother stock. Their first shop in the city opened in 2000 and was on the other side of the river near Wat Bo until they moved closer to Pub Street. In 2020, Sona took over the responsibility of making the borbor and she dreams of expanding the business into another outlet, yet this is quite challenging due to the high and low seasons that are drastically prevalent in a tourist town like Siem Reap. Sona prepares the borbor with so much passion and kindness, that you can feel the comfort when you take each slurp of the delicious rice soup.

As I continue to ask questions and observe Sona preparing her signature borbor, she calmly and swiftly tends to the customers that walk in as well as the food delivery orders that ping through on her phone. She is constantly smiling, talking about her dish and her dreams for the future.

The shop opens at every day at 7 am sharp and prior to this, Sona gathers the fresh ingredients at the local market that are needed to make the soup. The borbor takes about an hour to cook and she also has to prepare the proteins and toppings for the dish – fresh Khmer chicken and fresh river fish. She works swiftly and precisely, relying on eye, practice, and intuition which is the key to her consistent flavourful dish.