Ask anyone who grew up with Cambodian food what they miss most, and the answer is often not a curry or a grill. It is the sweets: warm rice, rich coconut cream, ripe fruit and a little crunch on top. Khmer desserts are simple, comforting and not overly sweet, which makes them the perfect way to finish a shared meal.
At ANGKOR in West Melbourne we keep three desserts on our dinner menu. Here is what each one is, how Cambodian sweets differ from Western desserts, and how to fit them into your next visit.
What makes Cambodian desserts different?
Most Cambodian sweets are built from a handful of everyday ingredients: rice (especially glutinous or "sticky" rice), coconut milk and cream, palm sugar, fresh tropical fruit, beans and seeds. Instead of butter, flour and chocolate, you get texture and fragrance: chewy rice, silky coconut, a pinch of salt to balance the sugar, and toasted seeds or beans for crunch.
In Cambodia, many of these desserts are sold by street vendors and at markets, eaten as an afternoon snack as much as after dinner. They also appear at family gatherings and festivals, where sticky rice in particular has a special place on the table.
Black Rice Pudding ($15.90)
Our Black Rice Pudding is black rice with coconut cream and sesame seeds. Black glutinous rice cooks down into a deep purple, gently chewy pudding with a nutty, almost earthy flavour. The coconut cream poured over the top adds richness and a touch of salt, and the sesame seeds bring a toasty finish.
It is warming and filling without being heavy, and it is the dessert we recommend to guests who want something genuinely Cambodian rather than familiar. If you have never tried black rice as a dessert, this is the place to start.
Sticky Rice with Mango ($16.00)
Sticky Rice with Mango is coconut rice, mango and toasted mung beans. Glutinous rice is steamed and soaked in sweetened coconut milk so every grain is glossy and fragrant, then served with ripe mango. The toasted mung beans on top are a lovely contrast: crisp, slightly savoury and very moreish.
Mango sticky rice is enjoyed across Southeast Asia, and it is one of the easiest desserts to love on a first visit. It is also part of our Angkor Classics Feast, so if you order that banquet, you will finish with it.
Homemade Coconut Ice Cream ($14.50)
For something cold, our Homemade Coconut Ice Cream is served with a crispy coconut roll. It is light and refreshing after spicy or peppery dishes like Kampot Pepper Seafood or Beef Loc Lac, and the crisp roll gives you something to crunch.
Prices are taken from our live dinner menu and can change, so please check the current menu when you visit.
How to fit dessert into a Cambodian meal
Cambodian meals are shared, and desserts work the same way. A few tips:
- Order one or two to share. For two people, one dessert with two spoons is usually plenty after starters, mains and rice.
- Pair warm with cold. Black Rice Pudding and Coconut Ice Cream together give you warm and cold, chewy and creamy.
- Leave room. Our mains are generous. If dessert is the goal, try two starters and one main between two.
- Start with the classics. New to Cambodian food? Begin with Fish Amok, Beef Loc Lac or My Grandmother's Dish, then finish with sticky rice and mango.
Dessert as part of a feast
Our Angkor Classics Feast ($79 per person, minimum two guests) includes Betel Leaf, Spring Rolls, Fish Amok, Red Curry Chicken, Roti or Coconut Rice, and finishes with Sticky Rice with Mango. It is a relaxed way to try a full Cambodian meal, from start to sweet, without having to choose.
Planning a birthday, team dinner or celebration for a bigger group? Our event feasts are separate packages for a minimum of 12 adults. See Groups & Functions for details.
A sweet finish before Marvel Stadium
ANGKOR is at 389 Spencer Street, West Melbourne, a short walk from Marvel Stadium and Southern Cross Station. If you are heading to the footy or a concert, book ahead, tell us your start time, and we will help you fit in dinner and dessert. More on our Marvel Stadium dining page.
Take Cambodian flavour home
Love our curries as much as our sweets? Our Angkor Amok Curry Paste is available in our online shop, so you can cook a little of the ANGKOR kitchen at home.
Opening hours and location
ANGKOR Cambodian Flavours
389 Spencer Street, West Melbourne VIC 3003
Phone: (03) 7034 8353
- Monday: closed
- Tuesday to Thursday: 11:30am to 3:00pm and 4:30pm to 9:30pm
- Friday: 11:30am to 9:30pm
- Saturday: 12:00pm to 9:30pm
- Sunday: 4:30pm to 9:30pm
Book a table or order
Save room for something sweet. Come and try Black Rice Pudding or Sticky Rice with Mango the way we serve them in West Melbourne.