Charming restaurant Jomno serves Cambodian cuisine interpreted in contemporary ways. Housed in a traditional Khmer home, the interiors channel a sort of cottage-core aesthetic: sage green windows framing a lush garden, white linen, soft lighting, and a weathered wooden roof. The Battambang sausages are a highlight, made with charcoal grilled beef; and pork sausage served with an eggplant salsa, banana flower blossoms, and drizzled with a cilantro dressing.

When Chef Seiha from the excellent JOMNO, and the chefs from Sala Baï collaborate to create a multi-course vegan fine dining meal you just know that this was an evening not to be missed. For a couple of years, Chef Seiha has been innovating and impressing with creative plant-based dishes (see pictures below) from his Wat Damnak restaurant, with many considering him to be one of the best chefs in Temple Town. Check out this post and video where we featured him alongside a couple of our other favourite chefs (we’re talking about you Chef Chantrea and Chef Pola), highlighting some of their most popular dishes.

Jomno is a beautiful little restaurant on Wat Damnak that serves modern Khmer cuisine, led by Chef Seiha Chomnab, who has won several street food festival competitions and has educated himself with European culinary techniques at the École d’Hôtellerie et de Tourisme Paul Dubrulein Siem Reap. Jomno, meaning tidal breeze in Khmer, is the chef’s tribute to the kingdom’s growing street food scene, tracing historical roots through food. Jomno is where I had Fish Amok, the national dish of Cambodia, made from fresh water fish from the Tonlé Sap Lake.

For lunch on our second day in the city, we headed to Jomno, one of the highly-rated restaurants in Siem Reap according to online sources. We tried some local dishes with different proteins: from Battambang-style sausage served with banana blossom salad to grilled chicken with bright yellow korko stew and river prawn larb (minced salad). If anything, everything we had for this lunch further affirmed the wide variety of tastes in Cambodian cuisine.

Known for his fusion cuisine with Japanese stylings, honed by a French culinary education but rooted in Khmer flavours and ingredients, chef Seiha Chomnab prides himself on his creativity. He takes inspiration from his mother’s recipes in dishes like a classic fish amok or Battambang sausage. The extensive plant-based menu in this casual, friendly restaurant features jackfruit curry.

Younger chefs like Chomnab Seiha of Jomno and Mengly Mork of Pou Restaurant are driven by the same sense of purpose – to celebrate sophisticated Khmer fare that their grandparents enjoyed, before war and famine had altered the local plate – this time with a more contemporary take, in more casual settings.

This place started in a small side street behind Wat Damnak with a street food concept, but moved to a bigger house next to the Deihoy market. Jomno offers fine Khmer food with a twist, a modern approach but still authentic. They have a nice garden, but also indoor seating.

The Kimasan Twins travelled to different countries like Switzerland, Myanmar, France, Singapore, Thailand, Australia, Japan, Vietnam and UAE to participate in various food events in order to bring the flavour of Khmer cuisine to the rest of world.

There’s a new star on the Siem Reap culinary horizon and Jomno is his name. Ha, I never thought I would use the word contemporary, but there I go. Yes, Contemporary Cambodian food is how best to describe the cooking style.

A casual fine dining restaurant that serves modern Khmer cuisine using traditional & local ingredients. Our menu includes plant-based options as well and we cater to gluten-free and other dietary requirements.