Battambang

Deep Fried Pork Intestines. You read that right. Pork intestines, also known as chitterlings, aren’t just a triumph of nose-to-tail eating, but a prized delicacy eaten all around the world. After the intestines are thoroughly cleaned and dried, Cambodians slice and deep-fry them until they’re all kinds of crispy deliciousness. There are two Battambang restaurants in Cabramatta, but the one on John Street has a buzzier atmosphere, hidden down one of the multiple arcades that run off the main strip. It’s small and brightly-lit, with a constant flow of couples and families stopping in for a quick feed. The menus on the wall are a little daunting at first, written in Chinese, Khmer and Vietnamese but friendly staff will provide you an English menu (with photos!) if you ask. On offer you’ll find a good range of Khmer, Vietnamese and Chinese dishes.

You can order the 'Crispy Large Intestines' with rice, fried noodles or noodle soup, but the best way to have it is Phnom Penh style ($9), scattered over a bowl of thin fresh rice noodles moistened with garlic oil. The noodles are the right level of chewiness, and the intestines have an external crunch that gives way to a pleasing juicy fattiness in the middle. Be warned. This stuff is addictive. If you’re still craving more intestines like we were, you can order a whole plate of them for $10 and just dig on in.

Cambodian yellow fish noodle soup ($6.50) is a mellow, creamy dish that uses the Khmer kitchen staple, prahoc. This much-loved paste is made by fermenting gouramy fish in ground rice and salt until it breaks down to a creamy consistency that looks like cheese. “It’s Cambodian cheese!” our server says. “The more the better!” Fried rice drop noodles ($8) are best eaten in the traditional Khmer style, cooked with beef, bean sprouts, garlic chives and topped with a fried egg. And it’s hard to resist chomping down a plate of deep-fried quail ($10), marinated and fried to a bone-crunching brown. If you’ve still got game, order the congee ($6.50) with pig's blood rust-coloured cubes that are guaranteed to give you an iron boost.