Kep Crab Market: Seafood and Kampot Pepper in Kep
Contents
Psar Kdam, commonly called Kep Crab Market, is the famous seafood stop in Kep, Cambodia’s small coastal province.[1] Its signature dish is Kampot pepper crab: fresh Kep crab from the sea, cooked with the green pepper that Kampot is known for.
Start with the pepper crab
Kampot pepper crab is the iconic food of the area, and Psar Kdam is where it begins.[1] To try the dish away from the market, La Plantation, a farm and restaurant near Kampot, serves Kep crab and shrimps sautéed with fresh green pepper on its lunch menu, open from 07:00 to 15:00.[2]
At Psar Kdam, ask what seafood is on offer, how it is portioned and whether cooking is charged separately. Agree the full price before you order.
Things to Do
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Build a Kep outing around the meal
Make the market meal the anchor, then add one more stop.
| Option | What it adds |
|---|---|
| Psar Kdam | Fresh seafood and the Kep crab with Kampot pepper[1] |
| Kep National Park | Well-maintained walking and cycling trails with views over the coast and countryside[1] |
| Kep Beach or the historic villas | A coastal pause or a look at Kep’s French colonial villas[1] |
| Koh Tonsay, or Rabbit Island | A boat trip to sandy beaches and rustic bungalows, for a day trip or an overnight stay[1] |
For a simple day, pair the meal with Kep Beach or the villas, and add the park trails if you want time outdoors. Rabbit Island is the bigger undertaking because it depends on a boat, so agree the departure and the return before you go.
Keep Kep and Kampot distinct
Kep and Kampot are neighbouring provinces, and the pepper’s name does not mean the market is in Kampot. To see where the pepper grows, plan a separate farm visit. La Plantation near Kampot is open daily from 09:00 to 18:00, with the last visit at 16:00, and offers a free guided tour of the pepper and spice plantation with a tasting. From October to March you book your slot in advance.[2]
Practical details
At the stalls, ask whether the quote is per crab, portion or weight, and whether the restaurant charges separately for preparation. For Rabbit Island, agree the boat departure and return before you set out.
Sources and background
Numbers in the text such as [1] refer to these sources.
- [1] Cambodia Coastal Master Plan (MPSEZ): Kep Tourism. Retrieved October 20, 2026.
- [2] La Plantation: Our farm - Kampot - La Plantation. Retrieved October 20, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Psar Kdam. It is the famous seafood market of Kep, a small coastal province in Cambodia.
Kampot pepper crab, the iconic dish of the area. Ask which crab and pepper preparations are available that day.
No. Kep is the coastal province with the market. Kampot is a neighbouring province known for its pepper. A pepper farm near Kampot is a separate stop, not part of Kep Crab Market.
First ask the vendor for the portion or weight and its price. Before choosing a cooking style, ask whether preparation is charged separately, then agree the combined total.
Prices are set at the stalls. Ask whether the quote is per crab, portion or weight, whether cooking costs extra, and what the full total will be before you order.
Kep is the next coastal province along from Kampot. For a day trip, arrange a ride out and a return pickup with a driver or your accommodation, and agree the pickup point and time before you leave.
Kep Beach, the walking and cycling trails of Kep National Park, the historic French colonial villas and boat trips to Koh Tonsay, also called Rabbit Island. Treat the island as a separate outing and agree the boat departure and return in advance.
