Foodpanda, Grab and Nham24: A Guide to Food Delivery in Siem Reap
Which app to install, what it costs, and how to order dinner to your hotel room.
If you are in Siem Reap and you do not feel like moving, two apps will bring almost anything you can imagine to your door. Foodpanda and Grab Food dominate the local delivery scene. A third option, Nham24, has a smaller but loyal user base and sometimes carries restaurants the other two miss. This guide covers what to install, what to expect, and what it costs.
Which app to use
For a first-time visitor, install Foodpanda first. It has the widest restaurant coverage in Siem Reap, the cleanest user interface for non-Khmer speakers, and reliable delivery times. Grab Food is a strong second and worth installing in parallel. Sometimes it shows a restaurant that Foodpanda does not, or has a promo Foodpanda has not matched.
Nham24 is a Cambodian-only app worth installing if you plan to stay longer than a week. It carries more local-only spots and occasionally has prices a dollar or two cheaper for the same meal.
All three apps require a phone number to register. A Cambodian SIM card (about $5 at the airport or any Smart, Cellcard, or Metfone shop in town) is the easiest path. International numbers work in some cases but verification SMS can be unreliable.
What it costs
Approximate prices in U.S. dollars, applicable to most central Siem Reap addresses.
| Item | Typical price |
|---|---|
| Delivery fee | $0.50 to $2.00 |
| Minimum order | $3 to $5 depending on restaurant |
| Service fee | $0 to $0.50 |
| Tip | optional, $0.50 to $2 is generous |
| Total cost on top of food | usually $1.50 to $3.00 |
A typical Khmer rice plate from a local restaurant arrives for $4 to $6 all in. A Western-style pizza from a Pub Street pizzeria runs $9 to $14 delivered. Hotel-quality dining from a four-star kitchen comes in at $20 to $40 per dish.
Premium memberships exist on both Foodpanda (pandapro) and Grab Food (GrabUnlimited). They typically waive delivery fees for $4 to $7 per month. Worth it if you order three or more times a week.
Payment
All three apps accept:
- Cash on delivery. Standard. Have the right change ready in U.S. dollars or Cambodian riel.
- Credit and debit cards (Visa and Mastercard). Most international cards work without an issue.
- ABA Pay: the dominant Cambodian payment app. You scan a QR code in the app at order time. Works once you have a Cambodian bank account.
- Wing: another local mobile wallet, similar to ABA. Common in Phnom Penh, gaining in Siem Reap.
Cash is fine for tourists. ABA Pay is what every long-term resident uses.
Practical notes
- Coverage runs from the city center outward. Anywhere within about 5 km of Pub Street is reliable. Further out (toward the airport, the Angkor temple gates, or remote homestays) coverage thins and delivery times rise.
- Delivery times are usually 25 to 45 minutes. Friday and Saturday evenings stretch toward an hour. Sunday mornings are quick.
- Driver communication is sometimes a challenge. Most drivers speak limited English. The app's in-app chat has auto-translate that handles most exchanges. If a driver calls, expect a short Khmer-language confirmation that the address is correct. A hotel name in the address field helps; the address itself is often less precise than the GPS pin.
- Hotel deliveries drop at reception, not at your door. Tip the driver and the bellman if you have a long walk through the property.
- Late-night delivery runs until about 11 pm to midnight for most restaurants. After that, your options are 24-hour mini-marts, hotel room service, and a quiet walk to Pub Street.
When the apps fail you
A few situations where the apps cannot help:
- Most street food. The carts and pop-ups along the riverside, around the Old Market, and outside the Angkor temples are cash-only and in-person.
- A handful of cult favorites. Some neighborhood Khmer kitchens have refused to join the delivery apps. You will need to walk or take a tuk-tuk.
- Anything from Phnom Penh or further afield. The apps are city-scoped. A Phnom Penh restaurant cannot deliver to Siem Reap, and vice versa.
In any of those cases, a tuk-tuk and 15 minutes will get you there and back for $3 to $5 total. Sometimes the analog option is faster.
What to order on a first night in town
A first-timer's app-delivery menu, if you cannot face going out:
- Khmer Grill: fish amok and a green mango salad, around $8 to $10 combined
- Il Forno: wood-fired Margherita pizza, around $9 to $12
- Jungle Burger: the bacon cheeseburger and a side of chips, around $11
- HAVEN: beef lok lak and a Cambodian iced coffee, around $9 to $12 (supports a social enterprise)
- Sombai for dessert: small bottles of the mojito flavor delivered through some retailers as a novelty
Add a bottle of Angkor Beer at $1 to $2 and a tip and the night ends at under $20. The delivery apps make it possible to have a complete Cambodian dinner in your hotel room. The temples will still be there in the morning.