Dining at Dakshin’s Indian Restaurant.

Dakshin’s Indian Restaurant, Siem Reap.

April 2020.

I’ve said it before on these pages of mine. In fact, dear readers, I’ve no doubt expressed it too many times. But hey, I’ll throw it out there again, just for the sake of consistency you understand. I absolutely love Indian food!

It was my mum and dad who got me into Indian cuisine during my teenage years living across England and Scotland. Later, in 2004, I actually spent a month travelling around India as a 25 year old. Moreover, I have come to realise that no matter where I find myself in the world, I’m usually just around the corner from a great Indian restaurant.

Luckily for me, Siem Reap was a city virtually bursting at the seams with places offering creamy curries. Curious as to which restaurant was generally considered the best, Sladja and I did a bit of research and, ta-dah!, up popped Dakshin’s.

Dakshin’s Indian Restaurant, Siem Reap.

It wasn’t a difficult decision to take a chance on Dakshin’s. After all, this is a place championed by a number of heavyweight travel publications, including Lonely Planet. Furthermore, in 2013 TripAdvisor voted Dakshin’s Best Restaurant in Siem Reap. Our first visit here came in January 2020, back when the world was a (relatively) normal place.

Needless to say, I was mightily impressed with our Chicken Tikka Masala, Cheese Naan, Jeera Rice and complimentary poppadoms. Hence we decided on a repeat performance a month later for Valentine’s night. Again, the food was delicious and we went home with full, happy stomachs.

It wasn’t until I kicked off my series on Siem Reap’s cafes and restaurants that I learned more about the Dakshin’s story. The restaurant is owned by Mr. B Pannirselvam, who kindly invited us to come and chat with him one sleepy April afternoon.

Mr. Pannirselvam, known simply as Pannir to his friends, was born in Singapore where he grew up watching his mother and grandma working their magic in the kitchen. Don’t ask him for any details about those old family recipes though, his lips are sealed!

Where to Eat & Drink in Siem Reap.

As an adult, his passion for cooking and eating Indian food eventually led him to the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, where he opened an upscale restaurant called East India Curry.

News of his amazing dishes soon saw local dignitaries visiting. On several occasions, he even found himself welcoming members of the Cambodian royal family! After thirteen fantastic years there, a regular guest made him an “irresistible offer” to buy the place, and that was that.

“Ah yes, the mango lassis” growled Pannir, with an approving twitch of his moustache. He had virtually insisted that we try them while waiting for our starters. My first impression of Pannir was that he’s quite a serious and reserved man. However, he soon opened up, with more than a glint of nostalgia in his eyes as he talked about those old Phnom Penh days.

His face also lit up when the conversation briefly switched to football. “So you’re a QPR supporter!” he grinned, before revealing that it was his lifelong dream to one day see a match in London.

Dakshin’s Indian Restaurant, Siem Reap.

Buoyed by the success of East India Curry, Pannir came to Siem Reap in 2012. There were numerous challenges in opening Dakshin’s he says, although in this regard having a Khmer wife certainly helped. His biggest issue in those early days was sourcing the very best spices. According to Paneer, this is one of the most important things in maintaining the quality of his food. As a result, he keeps the secrets of Dakshin’s spices under lock and key.

“Try to go into my spice pantry and I will chop your hand off!” 

– Mr. B Pannirselvam.

Equally important, he stresses, is his small but loyal team of Indian chefs. In fact, Pannir has spent months scouring India for what he describes as “the right chefs with the right attitude”.

It’s not enough that a potential Dakshin’s chef be talented, they also need to be passionate about their cooking. To put their hearts and souls into what ends up on your plate. “Even my mother gets nervous when I sit at her table” he chuckles. “She knows how fussy I am”.

“I’m not an easy guy to work for. I’m a perfectionist, always demanding the highest standards!”

– Mr. B Pannirselvam.

In return for their hard work, Pannir offers his staff more than just a competitive salary. He describes the team at Dakshin’s as “my family” and says it’s important that they’re happy in order to carry out their best work.

For example, he recalls a chef whose father was taken ill. This, considered Pannir, was his own problem too. An issue that had to be solved together for the good of everyone involved, including Dakshin’s.

Dakshin’s Indian Restaurant, Siem Reap.

Pannir is so confident in his team that his restaurant features an open view kitchen, the only such cooking space among Siem Reap’s Indian restaurants. Indeed I was able to go and have a quick look that day as a team of three began work on our main courses. It still makes me smile to see their serious expressions, which made me think: ok these guys really mean business! 

Sladja and I asked Pannir what he was most proud of. This, he admits, is a tough one. Maybe it’s the Model Expat Award he received from the President of Singapore. Or the charity event he organised in Siem Reap for Angkor Children Hospital last year.

The event was a huge, all-you-can-eat, pay-what-you-want dinner, with over twenty dishes prepared. Singapore’s ambassador to Cambodia flew in, along with a singer who Pannir describes as “the Bob Dylan of Singapore”. Oh, how I wish I’d seen that.

“I couldn’t have pulled it off without the support of the local community” he admits. It certainly was a mammoth team effort! Silk Garden agreed to host the event, while the cocktail bar Miss Wong provided extra staff. Elsewhere, Les Celliers sponsored the wine and The Raffles Grand Hotel chipped in with the table setting and food layout.

When our mains arrived that afternoon, Pannir politely rose and left us to our devices. And what a spread it was, far more than we could eat as it turned out. The Butter Chicken was incredibly creamy, just perfect alongside the saffron-infused biriyani and essential for garlic naan dipping.

Dakshin’s Indian Restaurant, Siem Reap.

The Tandoori Chicken meanwhile was perfectly cooked, while there was a genius diversion of flavours and spices with the Dal Makhani and an earthy Bhindi Okra Masala. As a personal touch, Pannir was also keen for us to try a little paratha, a flaky Asian flatbread of Indian origin that’s highly popular in Singapore and Malaysia.

We loved the food so much, I made sure to go and thank the chefs. I found them outside in the alley behind the restaurant getting some air. Much more relaxed now that they had delivered their masterpieces.  Pannir says he is proud that through the entire CoronaMess he didn’t lay off a single member of staff.

“Imagine having to send one of my chefs back to India in the middle of all this” he ponders, drumming his fingers on the table. “Unthinkable”. 

Update: November 2022. I’m happy to report that Dakshin’s has survived the pandemic and that both its Siem Reap and Phnom Penh branches are still going. Congratulations to Pannir and his team for getting through those tough times! Get in touch with Dakshin’s through their Facebook page.

For more on Siem Reap’s excellent cafe, restaurant and bar scene, check out my detailed guide on Where to Eat and Drink Siem Reap.

You can also read my exhaustive overview of What to See and Do in Siem Reap.

Looking for a roof over your head? Check out my articles on Where to Stay in Siem Reap.

To read about my long ago travels around India, take a look at my short story collection Incidents in India.

I’ve been living, working and traveling all over the world since 2001. So why not check out my huge library of travel reports from over 30 countries.