Famous for being a popular stopover for delicious meals and snacks for people who travel along National Road 1, Bayon Restaurant has joined the latest trend by home delivering its cuisine to reach a wider set of patrons.

For those who prefer to stay home and avoid unnecessary travelling, the restaurant also offers its popular dried food options.

Located some 2km from Monivong Bridge, Bayon has become a household name for local people searching for great tasting Khmer food with healthy options.

The restaurant owner, Thae Dalen, established her restaurant in 2010. With 10 years of experience in the industry, she said what makes her establishment unique are the dishes, service, healthy choices and affordable prices.

“One of the values here is thinking about our clients’ health. Our food is all about quality and taste. I think about their health. I believe that if I take care of what they eat, they will live longer as my loyal customers,” Dalen says, adding that the restaurant has its own farm to supply the kitchen.

To satisfy her loyal customers’ needs, the restaurant has created a clean dine-in atmosphere to welcome them.

However, Covid-19 has forced people to stop non-essential contact and unnecessary travel. To meet these challenges, her restaurant has created new dishes which her customers can order for home deliveries.

From 6:00am to 4:00pm, Monday to Sunday, Bayon serves an array of local food and Chinese dishes in its menu.

Its signature dishes for breakfast are Kuy Teay Sach Choenhchram Pises (special noodle soup mixed with diced pork), Mi Keav Pises (special dumpling noodle soup), Nom Banhchok Kary (Khmer noodles with chicken curry), and Bay Sach Moan Hainam (Hainanese chicken rice).

During lunchtime, the popular foods are Moan Dot Sieng (Chicken grilled with fermented beans), Khor Mam Puos Tan (fermented pork innards), Kapi Buk Pises (special fermented fish with fresh vegetables), Kapi Phav (shrimp paste with pork and coconut milk), Prahok Ktis (steamed fermented fish paste with pork) and Fish Amok (a type of curried fish with coconut milk steamed in banana leaves).

The business of delivering restaurant meals and drinks to homes is moving rapidly as the use of online platforms cast the net wider for restaurants.

Customers have also found it more convenient to shop online than from brick and mortar shops due to limited time. This has continued through to ordering food from different restaurants using online apps.

Bayon serves hundreds of locals and expatriates daily. It has grown its business, thanks to the need for social distancing and avoiding public places.

Delivery staff is also taught to maintain good personal hygiene and always carry hand sanitisers and alcohol solution for their safety and that of their customers.

“Our chefs created new dishes to delight customers who cannot dine-in, which is why they came up with the dried food products to begin with. This type of food can be stored for a long time and is easy to cook as well. Besides, it enhances food security,” Dalen says.

Giving customers many food options is a goal during these trying times, with the pandemic causing havoc around the world. Most importantly, her new offerings are also produced with quality and hygiene in mind.

Such dried foods that come with new ingredients and free delivery service is a set to make life easier.

“Our restaurant stresses on food safety. All our chefs and cooks are trained well at culinary institutes. The restaurant has free food-delivery services for all online orders.

“Dried food can be easily delivered to homes especially since dining in is no longer recommended. These dried foods include pork sausages, beef sausages, dried fish, dried pork, and dried beef,” the entrepreneur says.

Prices range from $8.75 to $30 per kg, with free delivery. But the highest price is boneless dried fish costing $45 a kg.

The dried food process is safe as it is simple. The food is preserved by removing water from it, thus inhibiting the growth of microorganisms.

Open-air drying using the sun and the wind has been practised since ancient times to preserve food. This method will save fish for later consumption without it spoiling.

Besides selling food, Bayon has entered into joint-ventures too. With the rising cost of living, Bayon has welcomed partners among those seeking new opportunities to earn money from home.

Online sellers can sell its dried food products without any initial investment. They just need to post the products online and earn a 10 per cent commission from each order.

“To grow our base of loyal customers, we will continue improving our food quality and service, apart from developing a wider range of dishes. We also plan to open a new branch in a different location each year,” says Dalen.

Bayon Restaurant is located at #84, National Highway 1, Niroth commune, Chbar Ampov district, Phnom Phen. For more information, visit Facebook page @BayonRestaurant or call 017 979 767 and 060 979 767.

Its other branch on Street 598 can be reached by 076 7979 767 and 096 7979 767.