Why go
Start with the structure of the meal: plain rice can sit beside a soup, grilled freshwater fish, vegetables and fresh herbs. Sweet, sour, salty and bitter tastes may come from different dishes or condiments. This makes a shared spread a useful introduction to Khmer food, especially if you can try small portions of several things.
The full story
Rice is the everyday base of Cambodian meals, prepared in many ways. Plain white rice commonly accompanies family dishes, while rice noodles become a breakfast soup such as kuy teav. Rice porridge offers another morning meal, and sticky rice can become a dessert with fruit and coconut milk. A meal often balances more than one dish instead of making one plate do everything. A soup or samlor may sit beside grilled freshwater fish and vegetables. Herbs, leaves, pickles and dipping sauces let diners change each mouthful. Sourness can come from lime or other ingredients; black pepper and fresh chili give different kinds of heat, with chili sometimes served separately. The details vary by cook and region, but the underlying choice is useful for a traveler: try dishes together, and notice how the plain rice anchors stronger flavors. A menu of separate plates makes more sense once you think of them as parts of a shared meal.