AsiaLIFE Cambodia March 2016

032016 ISSUE111

SCREENING

CAMBODIA

note from the editor AsiaLIFE Group

Marissa Carruthers Angelina Jolie Pitt is undoubtedly the Hollywood A-lister who planted Cambodia on the map on an international scale. As the star of Tomb Raider, which used the crumbling Ta Prohm temple as the backdrop in several scenes, Jolie Pitt was touched by the country.

With the world’s eyes on the film star’s every move, she became an international advocate for the kingdom.

When she stepped onto the stage as president of Cambodia International Film Festival’s honorary committee during an opening ceremony in December, it was symbolic of the home-grown talent, which has taken a step forward since she made her debut in Cambodia more than 15 years ago.

For this issue’s cover feature, Joanna Mayhew takes a look at the development of the country’s film industry in the last few decades, and how, in recent years, independent documentaries and movies have piqued international interest. Thanks to an increase in access to technology and the rapid rise of the digital age, more local directors, actors and movie makers are upping their game and paving the way for a new, exciting genre in Cambodian film.

I have always been astonished by the high number of Cambodians I meet who cannot swim despite living or working so close to water. So it came as no surprise when I heard that six children drown here every day – a sad statistic nonetheless. That made it a pleasure to sit in on a session with the proactive Cambodian nannies that are learning to swim each week. And with the women pledging to pass on their skills to family and friends, hopefully the tragic figure will decrease.

Staycations were the thing of 2015, and while the ease of checking into a hotel a few minutes from your doorstep is always appealing, it never really gives you the chance to truly unwind. Thankfully, 2016 is all about Koh Dach, and taking a break a few more steps away – ok, a ferry ride and then a little bit further – can lead to another world. Steve Noble wiles away a weekend on the latest getaway for capital dwellers.

We’ve got plenty more packed inside this issue from food and style to art and design. Oh, and an exclusive interview with Dengue Fever, who squeezed us in for an interview despite a day rammed full of drama. On that note, I’ll leave you to enjoy.

www.asialifemagazine.com

4 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

FOR SALES ENQUIRIES: Nicola Sturrock Tel: 0973646011

Group Editor-in-Chief / Director Cambodia: Mark Bibby Jackson mark@asialife.asia

Group Director Sales & Marketing / Director Vietnam: Jonny Edbrooke jonny@asialife.asia

Managing Editor Cambodia: Marissa Carruthers marissa@asialife.asia

Director Thailand: Nattamon Limthanachai (Oh) oh@asialife.asia

Associate Editor: Joanna Mayhew

Art Director Cambodia: Thang Pham L.C.

Siem Reap: Sarah Brown

Photographers: Charles Fox & Lucas Veuve

Accountants / Distribution Seang Seiha 012 887 118

Sales Director Cambodia: Nicola Sturrock 0973646011

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Special thanks to: Darren Gall, Paul Dodd, SOS International, Ryan Drewe Taylor and Cambodian Living Arts for their contribution.

On the Cover Design and Art Direction: Thang Pham AsiaLIFE is a registered trademark.

No content may be reproduced in any form without prior authorisation of the owners. © 360º Media.

Next time you're in Vietnam, check out the latest issue of AsiaLIFE or download it from www.asialifemagazine.com

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032016 ISSUE111

front

10 Picks of the Month 12 Openings

getaway

42 Riding Sri Lanka

food

44 Black Bambu

style & design

46 Behind the Design

back

53 Listings

16 Street Smart 20 Phnom Penh Calendar 22 Photo Essay 26 Q&A: Sam Thomas

on the cover

28 Screening Cambodia

storyboard

34 In At The Deep End 36 Rock Revolution 38 Mobile Medicine

45 Kaifun

48 Sonkei

78 Phnom Penh Map 86 PP Palette

40 Rural Staycation

28 6 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

34 36

38

Mar 2016

News & Events Krousar Thmey Honoured

Neang Phalla, co-ordinator of the teaching program for blind children at NGO Krousar Thmey, was awarded Knight of the Order of the French Academic Palms for her work as co-ordinator of the national programme, Education

8 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

for Blind Children. Having fled the Khmer Rouge regime, Neang attended UN training courses in a Thai refugee camp before setting up a school teaching blind people there. Returning to Cambodia in 1991, she contacted newly established Krousar Thmey and began teaching while developing a specific curriculum for the blind.

This led to the opening of the first School for blind people in Cambodia, in 1993.

Flying High

The number of people travelling to Cambodia continues to increase, according to figures from the Ministry of Tourism.

Overall visitors jumped by more than 8 percent in November. All areas of the country reflect this increase except, notably, Angkor Wat, which has suffered a 9.5 percent drop in visitor numbers between Jan. and Nov. 2015.

Phnom Penh welcomed the highest number (2,298,786) and highest increase of 20.9 percent in tourist arrivals across the Kingdom. By far, the largest number of tourists (1,632,816) came from within the ASEAN region. China ran a close second, sending 540,651 visitors to Cambodia. These figures are likely to increase given the closer regional ties created by the

launch of the AEC in January and the co-operation between the Cambodian and Chinese authorities to encourage greater numbers to visit the Kingdom.

Corruption Perceptions

Cambodia’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) score for 2015 reveals perception of Cambodia as a highly corrupt country. Despite various reforms, corruption perceptions in the

public sector last year remain unchanged from the previous year – 21 out of 100. “The result reflects that the Government's’ effort to undertake reforms and to fight corruption is not yet effective,” says Ok Serei Sopheak, chairman of the board of directors of NGO Transparency International (TI) Cambodia. TI Cambodia has produced a report on the need for legislation to be put in place to protect whistleblowers.

Individuals who wish to report incidences of institutionalised corruption are not currently protected under Cambodian law.

TI Cambodia feels that this could have a deterrent effect on those who speak out.

The Altered Mirror

Franco-Guatemalan artist, Erick Gonzalez, shows his latest work, an exhibition of objects, installations and paintings at Phnom Penh’s Bophana Centre.

Moving to Cambodia in 2015, Gonzalez has been deeply influenced by the discovery of Khmer culture and history, drawing parallels with the history of Guatemala, his home, which experienced its own genocide in the early 1980s and is currently undergoing a process of reconstruction and reunification.

For this project, Gonzalez’s research has focused on Cambodia, retracing his journey from Guatemala to the country through “altered mirrors” that reflect the inner landscape created by the artist. The exhibition opens

on Mar. 2 with a reception at 6pm, and runs until Mar. 30.

Perfect Pint

Heineken has launched its Star Serve programme in Cambodia to boost the standards of bar staff training. Heineken’s Global Draught Master, Franck Evers, believes that, “You buy your second beer based on the quality of the first beer”. Any experienced bartender knows that, beyond the quality of the brew itself, it also takes technique to pour the perfect pint of draught beer. To ensure the consistent quality is delivered everywhere in the world, Evers has developed and established a serving ritual, the Heineken Star Serve Ritual, for bar staff around the world to serve and present a glass of Heineken draught beer at its absolute best. Heineken has now brought its Star Serve Training programme to Phnom Penh so customers in Cambodia can enjoy perfectly poured pints.

Talk Time Down

Sales of mobile SIM cards slowed in 2015 while people subscribing to mobile internet services leaped by 30 percent, according to a Ministry of Telecommunications report. It revealed that by the end of last year, the number of SIM card subscribers had hit 20.9 million – just a 2 percent increase compared with 2014. Mobile internet usage, however, saw a rapid rise, with 6.3 million subscribers using their mobile phones to access online content last year – a leap of almost one third. The report also revealed that of those internet subscribers, almost 99 per cent – about 6.3 million – used mobile internet services to access the web.

Just 64,000 used fixed-line internet devices. Cambodia has nine mobile internet providers compared to 29 wired internet service providers. After a crackdown on more than 30 inactive internet and voice-over-internet protocol.

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 9

PICKS OF THE MONTH Sleep Tight: Aerotel Singapore

Go See: Body of Work

As if Changi Airport needed much improvement. However, it has in the form of Plaza Premium Group’s Aerotel Singapore transit hotel. Located on level three in Terminal 1, the hotel is the world’s only transit hotel equipped with an outdoor swimming pool, Jacuzzi and pool-side bar in the airport restricted area. “Aerotel Singapore is our first airport transit hotel, which meets the demand of passengers by promising a comfy airport accommodation, swimming and gym facilities, and convenient booking hours,” says Song Hoi-see, founder and CEO of Plaza Premium Group. Employed with antique brick walls, fine timber and quality fabric in grey and aqua, the 70-room hotel’s design blends contemporary with chic. Aerotel Singapore offers flexible booking hours, for more information, visit myaerotel.com.

Designer and artist Alan James Flux presets an exhibition of fashion portraiture in the form of Body of Work. His aim is to challenge the traditional gaze of the fashion photographer.

For example, the models were not chosen because they enhance the look of the clothes they wear, rather because their looks made an impression on Flux, who gained his MA in fashion design at London’s Royal College of Art. The resulting images are as much about the individual as they are about the cut of the fabric.This exhibition brings together a selection of images and sketches that distill the artistic intent behind the work and the ways in which it challenges the aesthetic traditions of the fashion and fashion photography industries. It opens at Java Café on Mar. 17 with a reception at 6.30pm.

Read: Cambodia Captured

Get Online: Shake It Off

Cambodia Captured – Angkor’s First Photographers in 1860s Colonial Intrigues is a 272-page journey into the colonial past.

Packed full of grainy black and white photos combined with meticulous research from a bygone era, the A4 book chronicles the creation of the French Protectorate of Cambodia through the accounts of people who were instrumental in its inception. It also commemorates the 150th anniversary of the start of photography in Cambodia, which is marked this year. Inside are photographs of more than 145 rare engravings, maps and the remarkable first photos captured at Agkor ad Phnom Penh by John Thomson and Emile Gsell. The book is available to buy at Monument Books and Friends’ restaurants and gift shops for $25.

Following in the footsteps of Epic Arts’ ‘Happy’ and ‘Uptown Funk’ parody videos, which scored between 120,000 to 150,000 YouTube hits, the organisation has unveiled its latest internet release, ‘Shake it Off’. The video, produced with Amrita Performing Arts and Tiny Toones, features Epic Arts’ senior manager, Onn Sokny in the lead role. Sokny became disabled at an early age when she contracted polio. She now walks with the help of a crutch.

Despite this, Sokny overcame many barriers and has worked her way up to be a key voice in the Cambodian arts scene.

Following Epic Arts previous videos, which featured male leads, management decided it was time to have a strong female leading the video. Sokny was the obvious choice. View the video at asialifemagazine.com/cambodia.

Watch: The Little Prince It was during an arduous 15-hour plane journey that I discovered The Little Prince crackling on the tiny screen that stared at me from the seat I faced. Flying with a less than desirable airline, I was shocked – but delighted to the core – to find this adaptation of one of my most delicious childhood reads. I’d missed it at the cinema but here it was, helping me to kill a couple of hours. While the plot steers off track from the Antoine de Saint-Exupéry book of the same name – focusing on a young girl who befriends the story's now elderly aviator narrator as she deals with her overbearing mother – the 2015 hit retains the charmingly quirky characters, same morals and witty charm of the original.

Directed by Mark Osborne, it is the first animated feature film adaptation of Little Prince and stars the voices of Jeff Bridges, Rachel McAdams and Paul Rudd.

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Goodnight Gogh Art lovers flock to spend a night in a replica of Vincent Van Gogh's bedroom up for rental on Airbnb for just $10 in Chicago.

Wartime Sweethearts American Second World War veteran Norwood Thomas flies to Australia to meet British sweetheart, Joyce Morris, after 72 years.

Keep it Up A bill citing men must visit a doctor twice and get a note from their wives before being given Viagra is mooted in Kentucky.

Fuel Error A computer glitch led to a price war between two petrol stations in Ohio, with motorists filling their tanks for pennies per gallon.

Gecko Ears A low-power hearing system could be developed for robots by German researchers inspired by the gecko's hearing structure.

GOING UP GOING DOWN Hairy Panic A menacing weed known as "hairy panic" wreaks havoc in a rural Australian town, blanketing homes, cars and driveways.

Bat Attack An invasion of small bats leads to the closure of the standalone emergency section of a hospital in the US’s east Texas.

Quick Bite A man is arrested after throwing a live alligator through the drivethrough window of a Wendy’s restaurant in Florida.

Sinkhole Escape A crane is deployed to rescue a family and their car swallowed by the hole, thought to have been caused by rain, in Peru.

Greedy Goat A goat called Babli is arrested in India accused of repeatedly damaging a judge's garden by eating flowers and plants there.

OPENINGS MAYA'S APARTMENTS

COMFORTABLE LIVING

Maya’s Apartments offer affordable, well-located units in a small welcoming three-story apartment block. A total of eight, one-bed units are available, including western style kitchen, bathroom and balcony, TV, washing machine and AC. The units are available on minimum of sixmonth leases and cost $350 to $550 per month. With a modern design and a central open staircase ensuring each apartment has plenty of light and good air flows, all tenants have access to the shared roof top. The apartments are ideally located, five minutes from Tuol Kork Avenue and 10 minutes north of Phnom Penh city centre in a neighbourhood close to hotels, shops and a fitness centre. There are on site cleaners and security.

9Eo Street 107R4 Sangkat Toul Sengke, Phnom Penh. Tel: 012 576 878.

Open daily from 9am to 10pm.

POSH NOSH DELI BAKERY

TASTY PASTRIES Aiming to offer the best bagels, croissants, baguettes and pastries in Phnom Penh, as well as a selection of quality imported cheeses and cured meats, Posh Nosh has flown in a Parisian pastry chef to ensure the highest standards. Traditional French baked goods, such as croque monsieurs, ham and cheese croissants, add savoury to the selection of sweet, which include a variety of small cream puffs (custard-cream, raspberry, caramel and chocolate-coconut flavours) for $0.75, coffee or chocolate-coconut ĂŠclairs ($2.50), almond or almond-chocolate croissants ($1.75) with more pastries in the pipeline. The quaint shop is run by the management from Brooklyn Pizza + Bistro and also offers jams, crisps, imports beers and wines and Belgian ice-cream.

20 Street 123, Phnom Penh. Tel: 089 925 926.

Open daily from 7am to 9pm.

TIPICO TAPAS The experienced owners behind Tipico Tapas have put a lot of thought into the concept, design and Spanish-influenced menu that boasts specialist gin drinks. With a variety of dishes that take in traditional Basque tapas classics, such as fried calamari ($5.95) and patatas bravas ($4.50), there is also a selection of tortillas ($4.95) and larger dishes, such as steaks and pork meals. The nine types of gin mixers are paired with flavours, such as mint, rosemary and Kampot pepper. There are a variety of weekday specials with set lunches, happy hours from 5pm to 7pm and ladies nights on Wednesdays. Cocktail selections come by the glass or jug. For the sweet tooth, desserts sell for $3.75 and include the Crema Catalana (traditional Catalan caramelised custard dessert) and Chocolate Y Churros.

80 Street 454, Phnom Penh. Tel: 023 986 453.

Open daily from 11am to 11pm.

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SMALL BITES

BOROBUDUR

INDONESIAN EATS Borobudur is named after an iconic 9th-century Buddhist temple in Indonesia and the restaurant plans to deliver the finest middle to high class Indonesian cuisine in Phnom Penh. The selection is diverse, with lunch and dinner meals ranging from $4 to $5. Popular dishes include ayam penyet (smashed fried chicken) and sat ayam (spicy Indonesian chicken kebabs), nasi lengko cirebon ($3, rice, vegetables and satay sauce) or nasi padang ($6, steamed rice served with chicken). There are a lot of vegetarian choices too, such as the tempe bacem (marinated soybean cake with brown sugar and tamarind) or sayur lodeh (vegetables in coconut milk). Some renovation work is planned to complete the transformation from the previous coffee house incarnation and deliver a cafĂŠ and restaurant with a family room.

28B Street 310, Phnom Penh. Tel: 097 7088 559 or 097 7895 999.

Open daily from 7am to 10pm.

LE BOUTIER

CLASSY COCKTAILS

Le Boutier is a stylish and ultra-cool, three-storey cocktail bar with large windows offering great views of the passing traffic on the bustling lane. The concept and theme of the bar are to honour the Golden Era of Cambodian music and culture from the 1960s. The artwork and photos on display are a homage to iconic artists and the 10 unique cocktails ($6) are named after artists, such as Sinn Sisamouth (bourbon, honey, coffee, cinnamon and tincture) and Cambodian Space Project (rye, chartreuse, mancino rosso, Kampot pepper tincture and angostura). There is also one food item, the Saraman curry ($5, traditional beef curry served with baguette) as well as a wider selection of beers and wines available. Daily Golden Hour includes $1 off house cocktails and 2 for 1 beer and wine from 5pm to 6pm.

32 Street 308, Phnom Penh. Tel: 097 675 3004.

Open Monday to Saturday from 5pm to 11pm.

LA CASITA

DECADENT DRINKS Welcome to the new home of the La Familia crew, who bring upscale and quality cocktails to the city and offering masterclasses, brand ambassadors, training and pop up events. La Casita offers a fantastic range of spirits that have been rare finds in Phnom Penh. The small showroom displays these fine spirits as well as equipment and tools and glasses for keen mixologists.

Tuesday evenings see the venue transform into a bar featuring weekly cocktails, guest bartenders and small event pop ups until 10pm. With other events, house tastings and a shared space to promote ideas, ask questions, encourage and ultimately elevate the cocktail scene. Monthly Drinking for a Cause nights are planned with a portion of proceeds going to selected local charities as well as hosting friendly competitions for local bartenders 5Ae0 Street 244, Phnom Penh. Tel: 078 890 617.

Open Tuesday to Sunday from 11am to 7pm.

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 13

ROKKU SUSHI LOUNGE & BAR

SUSHI SONGS The classy and fine dining six-story glass building that is Rokku Sushi Lounge & Bar is co-owned by singer Laura Mam and offers Japanese and Western cuisine. Each floor is themed and boasts a range of activities, from open mic karaoke stage to a live band and DJs. The menu is extensive and includes signature dishes ($12, the Laura Mam Rock and Roll sushi roll, with spicy scallops, tuna and baked clams). The fusion creations are impressive with sushi rolls set between $7 to $10. Appetizers sell for between $5 and $14 (Lobster Miso Soup or Lobster Ceviche).

Shared platters include salmon tartar, Unagi pizza (eel, manchego, nori, shiitake, bonito flakes, eel sauce) and desserts.

507 Sisowath Quay, Phnom Penh. Tel: 070 999 1000.

Open daily from 5pm to 12am.

BATTBONG BAR The first “hidden bar and restaurant� in Phnom Penh is an uber stylish prohibition era inspired venue. The vintage couches, lights, wall decor and the mix of exposed brick face and woodwork beams help create a great atmosphere, with the playlist consisting of crooning classics and swing jazz with some modern twists. The black clad staff entrance add to the well thought through theme, while the selection of bourbons, whiskies, rums, gins and cocktails are extensive. The signature cocktail, Oknha J Walker ($7) is a mix of Johnnie Walker black, blueberry liqueur, peach puree, and mint leaf and lime juice. Other customised drinks are named after icons, such as Al Capone. A selection of food is also on offer, with pork ribs, spicy frog, samosas, spring rolls, pizza and vegetarian on the menu. Find them on Facebook to discover their location.

BKK1, Phnom Penh. Tel: 069 291 643.

Open daily from 6pm to midnight.

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MYSTERIOUS NIGHTS

Mar 2016

SR News & Events Foodies Rejoice

Phnom Penh’s highly acclaimed Malis restaurant has long been the jewel in the crown of Cambodia’s fine dining scene, but last month saw the grand opening of a second incarnation in Siem Reap, to the delight of many local foodies. Temple Town’s very own Malis is located along the river next to Chanrey Tree, and boasts a vast, Angkor-inspired purposebuilt restaurant and bar, as well as a teaching kitchen for Cambodian celebrity chef Luu Meng’s soonto-be-launched cooking classes.

The menu remains largely similar to that of the original Malis, with a signature focus on local and seasonal produce, with Meng

focusing on sourcing as many of the finest local ingredients possible.. For menu information and reservations visit, malisrestaurant.com/siemreap.

Bells A-plenty

February was a great month for new dining options in Siem Reap, as in addition to Malis there was also the opening of the Angkor W group’s newest addition – The Ten Bells. Nestled in Alley West, next to Wild Poppy, this beautifully renovated spot bills itself as an ‘internationally inspired tapas bar’, specialising in cocktails, champagne, wine, and – to the glee of some – oysters.

The extensive menu – also

featuring pasta and burgers – is being overseen by Chef Corentin, who comes to the Ten Bells from the kitchen of Michelin Star restaurant Le Chateau De Beaulieu. The Ten Bells is open from 4pm until late, offering afterwork specials and live music.

Cutesy Coffees

While most of Siem Reap’s new

coffee shops are located in the city centre, welcome newbie Red Buff (confusingly sign-posted as Coffee House 1997). The cafe has gone out on a limb and opened on Route 6, next to Lotus Blanc Hotel. With its contemporary industrial design, bunches of dried flowers, dainty baked treats, and over-flow of twee paraphernalia (think glass cloches and coffee served in jars), this is the perfect spot for a lazy morning (or afternoon!). A 25 percent discount is currently available for those who Instagram their purchases, and cake lovers and Anglophiles should take note – Red Buff will soon be offering High Tea.

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 15

StreetSmart Sothearos Boulevard

As one of the city’s most prominent thoroughfares, Sothearos Boulevard, also called Street 3 by some, passes by some of the city’s most historic and attractions, such as the Royal Palace and Wat Ounalom, as well as a number of fine restaurants, the city's biggest shopping experience, Aeon Mall, and local rattan crafts. Words by Steve Noble; photography by Lim Sokchanlina.

Wat Ounalom With Street 154

As the headquarters of Cambodian Buddhism, the site was founded in 1443 and comprises of 44 structures, which have been mostly restored, and continues to see ongoing renovation after the destruction under the Pol Pot regime. A number of monks live in this large complex, which has a peaceful charm and can be explored for free through narrow streets.

The main stupa charges $1 to enter and houses statues of former patriarchs of Cambodian Buddhism and artefacts damaged by the Khmer Rouge, as well as is what is said to be one of Buddha’s eyelashes. On religious holidays the wat comes to life with an increased number of guests, monks and dignitaries.

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Rattan Furniture Stores South end of Sothearos Blvd

As the street curves to merge with Mao Tse Toung Boulevard, a row of furniture stores selling Cambodian rattan offer a huge selection of sofa sets, baskets, shoe racks and bookshelves.

Rattan refers to the vine the furniture is made of and can be found in mountainous areas, forests and low lying flooding areas in Cambodia. The raw material is skilfully manipulated to make an endless list of household items and handicrafts that have a good life span in the severe Cambodian weather.

Good bargaining skills can be used along these shops to strike a deal, which is perfect to furnish on a budget an apartment or business.

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 17

Wat Botum Park

La Baguette 6F Sothearos Blvd

After seeing a change of decor, name and menu, La Baguette is now a cosy cafe situated on a quiet section of Sothearos near Wat Ounalom. However, there is a slow transformation in the area from selling traditional trophies, trinkets and souvenirs, to offering more eating options and renovated apartments. The cafe-restaurant has a wide selection of European and Asian cuisine, pizza slices baked onsite, croissants, desserts and pies, as well as daily specials, breakfast, lunch and dinner options. There are comfortable indoor and outdoor seating options, and a well-designed interior with friendly staff on hand.

One of the largest parks in the capital, Wat Botum’s centrepiece hosts the Cambodia-Vietnam Friendship Monument, a large concrete structure built to commemorate the relationship between Cambodia and Vietnam after the Khmer Rouge were toppled. Water fountains, benches and food and drink sellers are also dotted throughout the park, which is home to a children’s play area. Nocturnally, the park really comes to life with friends, families and couples taking relaxing walks or energetic runs around the park, while large speakers blare loud music to group workouts, which costs 1,000 riel to join. Skateboarding and games of badminton are also common. A golden stupa in the park is in memory of 16 people killed outside the old National Assembly in 1997.

Meta House 37 Sothearos Blvd

Meta House is a German-Cambodian cultural centre that runs daily cinematic screenings, often art house movies, short films, documentaries and education films. Screenings and festivals are sometimes followed by Q&A sessions with those involved.

The upstairs bar and restaurant serves a good selection of drinks and items, such as German sausages and snacks are available. The ground floor gallery and art exhibition space actively supports Cambodian artists and promotes the development of contemporary art in the country. There are regular workshops, community-based projects, artist exchange programs. There is onsite a full high end film & interactive media solutions service and event management agency.

Royal Palace Between Street 178 and 240

Aeon Mall 132 Sothearos Blvd

Aeon Mall is the country’s first mall and boasts an array of retail stores, from high-end fashion to electronics, toys, groceries, bakeries and food choice a plenty, as well as a number of international brands and franchises. The largest cinema complex (Major Cinema) is on the third floor, as well an ice skating rink, bowling alley and food courts. There are areas of the mall that host events and exhibitions, often tied in to holiday themes or brand promotions. For a shopping, dining and entertainment experience it's difficult to surpass in the city.

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Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra 26 Sothearos Blvd

The Royal Palace is arguably Sothearos’ focal point. Built in 1866, the site has seen many renovations and extensions, which include the Silver Pagoda and Napoleon building. Entry costs $6.25 and opening hours are from 7am to 11am and 2.30pm to 5pm, so don't get caught out by the lunch break and remember it’s closed for some holidays. Some parts of the grounds are off limits as it is still the home of the monarchy. Other attractions take in Throne Hall and Chan Chhaya Pavilion. Facing the Tonle Sap and Mekong rivers, the green space in front of the palace, now with a massive steel frame structure in honour of the King, is filled with food, drink and balloon sellers, and photographers who will charge to take a photo and print them. The area comes alive at night time and over holidays, often causing traffic problems.

This hotel is one of many luxury hotels in the city and boasts large gardens and a magnificent view of the Mekong and Bassac rivers. With 201 luxurious rooms and well-designed suites offering a range of amenities and modern facilities, the restaurants serve a variety of quality international cuisine. Onsite services, such as the spa, gym, Jacuzzi, sauna and outdoor pool are available, as well as tennis courts. As part of an international chain, the hotel prides itself on quality of design, care, and service. The hotel serves a buffet breakfast from 6am to noon, which has a great reputation, as well as a fantastic chocolate shop.

Have an event coming up?

Send information and dates to marissa@asialife.asia

CALENDAR MAR 01-26

Café Elephant presents an exhibition of the works of Czech artist, Jiří Slíva to mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Czech Republic and Cambodia. At the French Institute, Phnom Penh. Opening reception Mar. 1 at 6.30pm.

MAR 02-30

Bophana Centre hosts an exhibition of images by FrancoGuatemalan artist Erick Gonzalez. The Altered Mirror: Reflections from Guatemala and Cambodia draws parallels between the histories of his country of birth and the one he now calls home. Opening on Mar. 2 at 6pm.

MAR 02-23 EVERY WED

Phnom Penh Community College is hosting a course that covers self-portraiture, still life, figure drawing and landscapes, run

by France Damon. Cost is $100 for all workshops, including materials. Register at phnompenhcommunitycollege.com.

MAR 02

Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra in Siem Reap hosts its Wine Wednesday event giving guests the chance to taste Gerwürztraminer with a wine expert from Celliers d’Asie, complemented by seasonal canapés from Chef Maurizio Susan and a background of live piano music. From 7pm to 9pm, $22/person.

MAR 03-09

To celebrate the second year of the Asiadoc project, the French Institute’s cinema presents a series of documentary films. The 10 selected movies offer an overview of the world of today, following the lives of citizens living on the fringes of society or those fighting to change it.

MAR 04-08-11-25

Epic Arts presents Come Back Brighter with artists from Kampot Traditional Music School.

The performance features traditional and modern dances that use storytelling through physical theatre, video and movement to give the audience snapshots into Cambodia’s golden era, tragic past and exciting future. Old Royal Cinema, Kampot, at 7.30pm. Tickets are $10.

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MAR 09

The Plantation presents its latest exhibition, 36 views of Phnom Penh,

by French teacher and artist Laurent Villate. It runs throughout March and opens with a cocktail reception at 6.30pm.

MAR 09-11

The Institute of Technology of Cambodia is hosting a series of events as part of its Maker Fair. This includes the second Cambodia Science and Engineering Festival. Daily from 10am to 4pm.

MAR 10-13

The International Motorcycle and Accessories Exhibition takes over Diamond Island’s Exhibition Centre for all those who love bikes and bikers.

MAR 17-31

Java Cafe presents Body of Work, Fashion Portraiture by Alan James Flux. This exhibition brings together a selection of images and sketches that distill the artistic intent behind his works and the challenges they present to the fashion industry aesthetic. Exhibition opening Mar. 17 at 6.30pm.

MAR 17-21

Bag a vintage bargain at The History of Things to Come’s clothing sale, which features dresses, skirts, tops and more from the Victorian period to the early 1990s, takes place at 21 Street 306, 10am to 8pm.

MAR 19

Phnom Penh Community College is hosting a double sewing workshop, introducing the basics of sewing, learning to make a folding tote bag and in the afternoon a zippered dress with Anneliese Helmy. Each workshop is $35, including materials, or $60 for both.

MAR 19

Dodgeball Phnom Penh host their second tournament at Premium Sport Club, 30 Street 347, from 9am to 3pm.

MAR 24

Wasaburo Fukuda in Concert: Born in Kyoto, Wasaburo Fukuda developed a passion for French chanson, and performed many times in the country, developing a talent for interpreting French songs as well as Japanese poetry. The French Institute has invited him to perform during the French Language and Francophonie Week, at 6.30pm.

EVERY MONDAY

Mad Monday at The Empire, 6pm • Yoga Phnom Penh, 8am vinyasa flow, 12.15pm power yoga and 6pm vinyasa beginners • Margarita Mondays at Riverhouse Lounge from 7pm until late.

EVERY TUESDAY

Yoga Phnom Penh classes at 8am ashtanga, 12.15pm slow flow, 6.30pm power yoga and 6.30pm fly fit yoga • Swing dancing at Doors with lindy-hop specialist Janice Wilson from 7pm. Classes are $3 or $25 for 10 lessons • Latino Time at Cabaret on Street 154 at 6.30pm • Two for 2-sday at Riverhouse.

EVERY WEDNESDAY

Trivia in the garden at The Willow, $2 entry and 7.30pm • Acoustic music at Kep’s Sailing Club from 6pm to 9pm • Classes at Yoga Phnom Penh at 8am ashtanga, 12.15pm slow flow and 6.30pm fly yoga • Wicked Wednesday at Riverhouse from 7pm • Tempting Thai at La Coupole, Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra, from 6pm to 10pm, $32.

nd drinks m ad e f r o m t h e F o od a

EVERY THURSDAY

Art House Sessions at 8.30pm at The Flicks 1. Enjoy the secret treasures on the big screen for only $3.50 • Steak Night at The Empire • Movie nights on the beach at Kep’s Sailing Club from 7pm • All About Jazz at Cabaret from 7pm, wine and beer happy hour from 5.30pm to 7.30pm • High Heels ladies' night out at Riverhouse • Italian night at Willow Boutique Hotel from 6pm. Choice of pastas, pizzas, desserts and carafe of wine. All $3.50 • Ladies Night at Cambodiana Hotel's QBA. Buy one, get one free.

EVERY FRIDAY

Seafood Haven at Korean Grill restaurant, NagaWorld, from 5.30pm to 10pm. $20 per person excluding beer, $30 per person including free flow draft beer. Tel: 023 22 88 22, www.nagaworld.com • Rhythm sessions at Doors from 9.30pm • An evening of music with Sylvie and Senastien Jazz Acoustic at Knai Bang Chatt in Kep, from 5pm to 9pm.

• Yoga Phnom Penh, 8am fly yoga, 12.15pm yoga for well-being and 6pm hatha.

EVERY SATURDAY

Cine Saturday at Bophana Center, 64 Street 200, at 4pm • Art classes for children and adults at Romeet Gallery on Street 178, costing $8.50 per session or $65 for 10. Register interest with Sreymao at romeetgallery@gmail.com or by calling 077 55 07 59 • Yoga Phnom Penh. Vinyasa flow 10am and yoga for stress at 1pm • An evening of music with Sylvie and Senastien Jazz Acoustic at Knai Bang Chatt in Kep, from 5pm to 9pm • Dim sum brunch at Fu Lu Zu, Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra, from 10.30am to 2.30pm, $19.80/ $28.

EVERY SUNDAY

Escape at the InterContinental Hotel’s Regency Café from 11.30am to 3pm. Free-flow wine at $36 plus taxes • Phnom Penh Hash House Harriers’ run, 2.15pm at the railway station • Sunday Rave Party at Riverhouse, from 6pm.

EVERY DAY

Daily half day $55, full day $110, photography tours around Phnom Penh with professional photographer Michael Klinkhamer. Start at FCC, Sisowath Quay at 9.30am and 13.30pm. Tel: 060 873 847 or visit cambodiaphototours.asia.

EVERY MONDAY TO SUNDAY

A world of flavours international dinner buffet at The Pangea Fusion restaurant, NagaWorld, from 5.30pm to 9.30pm, adults $19.90 or $29.90 with free flow drinks. nagaworld.com. • Yoga Phnom Penh, 9.30am fly yoga and yoga for well-being.

EVERY WEEKEND

Fishing trips on the Tonle Sap river from 3.30pm to 6.30pm • Kids' films at The Flicks 1, Saturday and Sunday 10am.

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 21

Photo Essay

TRAVEL, EXPLORE, LIVE

By Matt Baddley

A

merican event photographer Matt Baddley has been making his way through Asia with the goal to share the world as he sees it through photography. Baddley's love of travel and culture has led him to many areas of the region, capturing everything from landscapes and cityscapes to street scenes and more, using his photography as an outlet to share the beautiful elements of culture that each uniquely possesses.

Wanting to show his ailing sister the world's most captivating aspects of culture, architecture and scenery, Baddley photographed and later created his website, Travel, Explore, Live, to show the beauty in places she'd never be able to explore on her own.

Baddley aims to tell a story of each new place from the brief moments he observes. He hopes to inspire others to travel and view life through eyes of their own. But for those who can't, Baddley helps them discover the world through his ever-growing website. Here, he shares tips for travelling on a budget, places to see and historical facts about people and culture.

Follow his Facebook page, Travel, Explore, Live, and subscribe to his travel blog at TravelExploreLive.com.

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AsiaLIFE Cambodia 23

24 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 25

SAM THOMAS

With more international acts and a diverse array of gigs, the country’s growing comedy scene is no joke. Amateur stand-up comedian and English teacher Sam Thomas discusses the art of funny. Writing by Joanna Mayhew. Photography by Lucas Veuve.

funny without being a pro.

What does it take to be a stand-up comedian?

How did standup start here?

We got started in 2013, when professional comedian Aidan Killian [hosted] one of [his] comedy workshops in Phnom Penh. A bunch of us worked on jokes for an entire weekend, then performed for mostly friends. For a long time there was stand-up comedy happening [in country], but it was only international professional comedians brought in. Once we established we were pretty funny, we started opening for the international acts.

[The scene] is on the upswing – the Verbal High comedy showcase is each month; we’ve got a regular open mic at Top Banana, another at Sundance.

We work really hard, and we’re very serious-minded. Nobody is doing comedy to get laid.

We’re all thinking of it as, this is where I’m going to get my comedy education. Part of building a scene is just waiting for word to get out. People have to learn it’s not cringe-worthy amateur stand-up. You can be

26 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

I subscribe to the belief that every human has at least five minutes of stand-up inside them. I don’t think we’re an anointed group of God’s chosen funny people. Everyone has [that] capacity. What it takes is you have to put up with some embarrassment, because stand-up comedy is like a friend audition. If you do well, you’re a hero. Everybody shakes your hand; people want to buy you drinks. But if you fail, people will shun you. They’ll pretend not to recognise you from when you were on stage because it’s just simpler that way. So you have to put up with that terrifying result.

I don’t think I ever would’ve started if someone would’ve sat me down and said, “Listen, this is what’s at stake here”.

How do you come up with sets?

It’s often just funny things I’ve said to people, or stuff that’s happened in class. I try not to tell too many of those though, because to make your students laugh you only have to suck less than school. It’s a very low bar. I’ve been doing stand-up longer than I’ve been teaching, so I knew I was funny before I got a classroom of bored Khmer students who’ve never seen a white man with long hair.

What’s one of your recent jokes?

So I was at the bar the other day.

I left my backpack at the bar so I could go for a swim. And one of my buddies was like, “Oh shit, Sam, I think somebody’s been through your bag; somebody’s been rifling in there.” And I said, “Ah man, that’s okay, the most valuable thing in there is my jokes.” I was so offended that they left my jokes, and they stole my laptop. This joke was in there; that’s how valuable they are. Good luck getting free beers just for having a laptop.

Is stand-up easier or harder in a small city?

What makes it easier is people get to a point where they recognise you, so they trust you more when you take that stage. They’ve already decided you’re funny, so they’re going to give you more leeway. What makes it harder is you have to write a lot. You can’t repeat a set from one month to the next because everybody will be like, “Uh, this again?” We need to switch out jokes, so it is a lot of work. But as a result, all of us have [a] big catalogue.

Is censorship an issue here?

Other scenes have rules. In Saigon, they ask comedians not to use certain slurs [or jokes] about the war, the government.

We’re fortunate enough that we don’t really have to have that conversation. We’ve said some awful things on stage about awfully important people. My understanding is in China they’ll send government people to your show who will write down any seditious things you say and get

you in trouble. If the government would send somebody to our shows, that would actually be great, because then we’d always know there’s one Cambodian guy in the audience.

Tell me about the recent Stand Up Bangkok comedy competition, and your upcoming tour.

The competition was a really cool networking opportunity. The first night I was the top-scoring finalist, so I felt really validated by that experience. I had been shitting my pants watching these guys, being like, oh my gosh, they come from a scene where they can do eight shows a week at nice places, and here I am from Cambodia, where I just go around ruining music nights.

But it felt like, okay, I can hang here, and what I’m getting out of this scene is good stuff. [For the tour,] Aidan Killian is coming out. We’re going to do shows [in] Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam. He’s going to do Phnom Penh Apr. 1, to kick it off. I’m looking forward to it.

What are you hoping will come out of comedy here?

For me, I would love to go pro.

Comedy is a great way to see the world. For Phnom Penh’s scene, I’m hoping we get a comedy room here, so we always have a perfect venue that will attract more headliners. And I’d like to see more different types of humans getting involved. Like I said, everybody’s got five minutes inside them. So the line-up should reflect that.

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 27

SCREENING

CAMBODIA

28 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

The Kingdom’s film industry, long hindered by the past, is springing into action, and featues, documentaries and short films from local artists are steadily gaining recognition. Writer Joanna Mayhew captures the scene.

Photography by Charles Fox.

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 29

D

uring a low-key forum at Cambodia International Film Festival in December, a petit and elegant figure, wearing a simple black dress, floated up to the stage in the capital’s historic Chaktomuk Theatre.

Looking content and at ease, she settled into a plush chair, and began posing questions to several of the country’s filmmakers.

In a way, her presence represented a milestone for Cambodia’s film industry, as the festival welcomed one of the world’s most famous Hollywood stars: Angelina Jolie Pitt. The actress, director and humanitarian, who served as president of the festival’s honorary committee, was at the time directing First They Killed My Father, an adaptation of Loung Ung’s Khmer Rouge memoir, z to be released on Netflix this year.

But what her co-presenters symbolised is perhaps more striking. Surrounding the actress was Cambodia’s internationally renowned and Oscar-nominated filmmaker and producer, Rithy Panh, as well as two young emerging filmmakers: the homegrown talent and pillars of the film industry, who are gradually coming into focus.

30 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

Reeling from the Past

Cinema in Cambodia has suffered a turbulent history, as the country went from the golden age of films in the 1960s headlong into the horrors of the Khmer Rouge, under which entertainment and arts were dismantled. In the 1980s and 1990s, the industry started making a gradual, slow comeback, led in part by French-trained powerhouse Panh, who escaped the country after living under Pol Pot’s rule. Foreign films highlighting the country, such as The Killing Fields, Tomb Raider (the first film to be shot here following the Vietnam War, Pol Pot era and civil war) and City of Ghosts, helped boost these efforts.

In the more than 15 years since Jolie Pitt first came to the country to star in Tomb Raider, the industry has taken major steps forward. “Cambodia has changed so much, in a way that makes me very excited for the future of filmmaking in Cambodia,” the Hollywood icon said on stage.

Previously branded by its unique horror-comedy genre, the industry is diversifying, with movies now running the gamut from action flicks and comedies,

to thrillers and documentaries. “The current film industry here is very buoyant,” says screenwriter Michael Hodgson. “There are lots of productions going on with different genres being explored, which can only be a good thing for the movie business.” Director Polen Ly, who also sat alongside Jolie Pitt at the festival, adds, “It’s a Cambodian renaissance.”

While small, the industry is made up of several sub-groups, according to freelance director Jimmy Henderson.

There is the local slapstick horror market, which efficiently churns out lower-budget films, the high-budget international market, for production such as First They Killed My Father, an emerging highquality local market producing dramas and comedies, and an independent art house or underground scene. The industry is also expanding to include more players, with a mix of local, foreign and diaspora filmmakers involved.

In recent years, the country has secured some big wins, most notably in Panh’s The Missing Picture being nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the 86th Academy Awards –

becoming the first Cambodian film to make the final cut. Panh also made history in 1995 when his docudrama Rice People was the first Cambodian film to be submitted for an Oscar. Cambodian director and producer Kulikar Sotho’s The Last Reel snagged a prize at the Tokyo International Film Festival and was put forward for this year’s Oscars, though it did not make the short list, and Chhay Bora’s Lost Loves was entered for the 85th Academy Awards. “These are great achievements, as it shows to other countries that Cambodia’s film industry is on the rise,” says Loy Te, producer for local production house Kongchak Pictures.

Films also have a local platform through the growing number of festivals in the Kingdom: the Cambodia International Film Festival saw its sixth iteration last year; the Chaktomuk Short Film Festival has been running since 2012; and the first annual Phnom Penh Youth Film Festival will launch at the end of this month to “plant seeds to grow the film industry,” according to festival organiser Rich Herbeck.

Starting Short

Independent short films are currently one of the most exciting cinematic areas in the country, with artists pushing creative boundaries – and being well recognised for their efforts. In the region’s two most recent Tropfest South East Asia festivals, Cambodians have taken top honours. For his work on Colourful Knots, Ly swooped the first prize in 2015, as well as second prize for Duetto in 2014, when fellow Cambodian Sothea Ines won for her short film, Rice.

Chap Somchanrith also placed third last year with A Fistful of Pebbles.

“We have a lot of new stories to tell,” says Ly, of the unexpected domination by the Kingdom. “Those stories have been hidden for a long time.”

From Kandal province, the 26-yearold is emblematic of the new generation of filmmakers. Self-taught, he started making short films just a few years ago while in medical school – after being surprised to discover the genre even existed – using a simple Canon Powershot camera. Inspired by French, Russian and other international cinematic influences, he left school

and has since directed dramas and experimental movies, making nuanced films from the simplest of subjects.

“Even the small things – a drop of water – can inspire you to make great stories,” he says.

According to Ly, the award-winning Duetto was made on a slender $100 budget. “It’s a good lesson for other filmmakers. You don’t need a big budget to make films.” He argues that this lack of equipment and finances even furthered creativity.

These offerings, though, are not yet popular among the general population.

“Cambodia is still developing, so people are not so interested in watching independent films,” says Ly. “But I think we learn the most from [the] complex.”

While less recognised internationally, feature films are also getting better, breaking from the typical genre and using improved equipment, postproduction and casts. Recent large-scale productions include Cambodian zombie apocalypse film Run, martial arts revenge movie Hanuman and war thriller Before the Fall. Soon-to-be released Poppy Goes to Hollywood is an upbeat, musical AsiaLIFE Cambodia 31

profile of the LGBT community centred on a ladyboy, and upcoming Jailbreak is a stuntaction flick.

“It’s good to see more content being put together,” says producer Theavin Uk of 802AD Productions, adding comedy Kaob Pich to the list of game changers. “The industry is gaining interest within the younger generation.”

For Italian director Henderson, who wrote and directed Hanuman, the main goal is to create Khmer films that appeal both within and outside of Cambodia, [though] he added [this is tough] to achieve. “I’m trying to find the balance,” he says. “That’s the holy grail of film here.”

Hanuman is partially there: the over-the-top violence appeals to Cambodians, while Westerners will find the same portrayal humorous, he says.

For filmmakers, both short and feature films also provide an opportunity to send a message. “I had this realisation that it’s not only about the art of making film; it helps me communicate with people,” says Ly, who made a documentary to raise awareness about and accurately portray Cambodia’s LGBT community.

“It’s finding an alternative to tell a story without being too obvious about what you’re trying to say,” adds Henderson, who is soon-to-release Forest Whisperers, an allegorical fantasy drama and horror flick about an oppressed society.

Movies also offer a chance to

32 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

showcase Cambodia’s positive aspects, such as the generosity represented in Ly’s winning Colourful Knots, rather than portrayals of genocide and the sex trade.

Filming in Progress

Factors for this recent rise vary, but a prominent one is access to technology. The switch to digital cameras has made making films easier and cheaper, including the option to shoot video from a smartphone.

And the internet has meant that Cambodians without access to formal training institutions can teach themselves about everything from sound engineering to directing, according to Henderson.

“Due to historical events, Cambodian audiences missed out on films that others had seen,” adds Hodgson, who noticed a lack of film literacy when he first taught a screenwriting course in 2007.

Since then, access to Facebook and YouTube has allowed for the quick spread of information from differing viewpoints and access to international films, which has increased the diversity of filmmaking.

YouTube also allows for Cambodian directors to get their short films seen on a wide scale, or even their trailers: Hanuman’s teaser currently has close to 500,000 views.

Another major impetus is the advent of theatres in country, according to Te. “Everyone was excited about being able to catch the latest superhero movies on the big

screen. But for filmmakers it meant much more,” he says.

Before cinemas, filmmakers had limited ways to make a return on investment. Now, with Legend, Major Cineplex and others joining the scene, along with distribution companies, such as Westec Media, producers now have the potential to earn money from ticket sales and be protected by piracy, says Te. But challenges remain plentiful in the nascent arena.

Financing is still hard to come by for many filmmakers, as well as a profit. Box office returns vary between $20,000 and, for the very successful, $120,000, but with cuts to the cinema and investors, it remains difficult to land solidly in the black, says Henderson. “The goal is to make the money back, but without compromising what I like to do,” he adds.

Post-production can also be a hurdle, with director Sotho choosing to complete the process overseas, though

outlets like ithinkasia are slowly changing this.

Finding talent too can be challenging for directors.

“Most of our actors tend to be over-acting,” says Sotho, who worked closely with her crew to develop their skills.

Part of the reason for this is a lack of formal training, according to Te, as well as few mentors. Short workshops are now being offered, but institutions specialising in film will help equip prospective actors and filmmakers.

There is also a gender gap in films, with males dominating the industry across the board, with the exception of independent offerings. Sotho felt this keenly while working as a first-time female director for The Last Reel. “It was definitely a challenge working with a male crew and cast, because it is a male-dominated society where male opinions are very highly regarded,” she says. “Female opinion has to always have a second thought, and that’s

what I felt with them.” Speaking alongside Jolie Pitt, female documentarian Ngoeum Phally said, “I want to change this stereotype.”

Future Takes

Henderson predicts that within a few years, between 10 and 20 high-quality films will be made yearly. “It’s not there yet, but it’s the right time to make movies here,” he says. Adds Hodgson, “I can only see the local industry developing more and getting better.”

Despite low costs and the wide freedom given to international filmmakers, Cambodia is still largely unknown as a filming destination. Industry players hope this will change, in part by promotion from the government. As big-budget movies enter, they can help create employment – with Jolie Pitt’s film reported to be temporarily employing more than 500 Cambodians – as well as develop skills. This is a sentiment that is echoed by Lord David Puttnam, producer of The Killing Fields, which was released in 1984. “When we filmed The Killing Fields, we used as many Cambodians as possible,” he recalls. “We created a kind of mini industry, and many of the people we worked with continue to work in the film industry today. If you have the time to invest in teaching locals the skills, this can have a dramatic impact on local business.”

Though some local filmmakers have pushed back against foreign involvement and large-scale films, such as First They Killed My Father, most see this collaboration as the only way to truly propel the industry forward. “It’s a good thing to start with, because we have somebody to learn from,” says Ly. Back at the festival, Jolie Pitt added, “This film will show people… what Cambodian filmmaking can be. We’re very excited to be able to show what we can do together.”

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 33

IN AT THE

DEEP end

34 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

Horrified by the number of Cambodians who drown daily, one group is equipping nannies with survival skills in the water. Editor Marissa Carruthers meets the women who are swimming to success. Photography by Charles Fox.

E

very day, six Cambodian children drown – this figure is driven by the lack of locals who can swim; shocking given the Kingdom is a country where many rely on the sprawling waterways for survival.

Compelled into action 12 months ago by the alarming Swim Safe statistic, and the fact many nannies looking after children around swimming pools not only lack the ability to save a child but also harbour a fear of water, AUSTSWIMqualified swimming teacher Simone Antoney and Ruth Penfold, community first aid nurse for Phnom Penh, launched a 10-week programme taking in poolside CPR and simple swimming skills, to help tackle the problem.

“It was aimed at any caregiver who supervises children around water and wanted to improve or indeed learn how to save a life if a drowning occurs, as well as overcoming fear of the water,” says Antoney, recalling a group of women – mostly above the age of 40 – cautiously dipping their heads under the water for the first time.

“Being Australian, water is second nature to me,” she

adds. “As children we sit in a bath and tip water over our heads. We make whirlpools, have handstand competitions or play Marco Polo. These ladies have not been exposed to any of those things so it was a challenge to teach them as we had to overcome their fear of water first.”

Going for Gold

Maoy takes a huge gulp of air, stretches her arms to the sky and launches headfirst from her position, perched on the edge of the pool, into the water.

She glides gracefully, a few kicks propelling her before she surfaces at the half-way width mark wearing a triumphant grin.

It is hard to believe just 10 weeks ago, the 56-year-old had never dipped her head beneath water. In fact, the very thought froze her with fear. “I had never thought of swimming before,” the nanny says.

However, working with children at a complex complete with a pool, Maoy knew if the children were to fall in the water, she would be left helpless. “I had to do this for the children,” she says.

After hosting the water safety programme, Antoney was approached by a handful

of women wanting to continue their swimming sessions. To cater to the trickle of students, the teacher started up free, weekly one-hour lessons, teaching breaststroke, freestyle, floating and diving, among other swimming skills.

“Their determination was, and still is, simply amazing” says Antoney, who recently returned to Australia, handing over the reins to fellow AUSTSWIMqualified Bianca Sharp. “These are just everyday women doing something we all take for granted in the Western world.”

Passing the Baton

“I have two daughters and I want to be able to teach them to swim as well,” says 42-yearold swim student, Indy, as she bobs in the water. This is another priority for the three women who attend the weekly classes and understand the life-saving imperative of being able to stay above the water.

“There are so many people in Cambodia who cannot swim and I want to help them,” adds Kanneka, 35. She also plans to pass on the swimming and water safety skills she has learnt in class to her family and fellow villagers by holding a series of swimming lessons.

This is the ultimate aim of the group, says Sharp after an impressive session working on the ladies’ freestyle, diving and underwater techniques.

“Eventually, we want to see these three as the teachers,” she adds, casting a proud glance at her class, who are perfecting their kicking.

“These women are fearless and there’s a real passion in them. I think that’s amazing.”

As well as equipping the group with life-saving skills, watching the ladies learn amid the chaos of splashes and laughter, it’s evident they are gaining much more than just swimming and safety.

“Not only are they learning to swim, but they are getting fit, making friends and having a lot of laughs,” says Antoney.

“I hope more women will join in, and we can provide more people with the chance to learn to swim; not just to save a life, but for the pleasure of it as well.”

Water Safety for Nannies meet every Tuesday, from 8am to 9am at Les Jardin du Bassac on Norodom Boulevard.

For more information, phone 017 986 178.

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 35

ROCK

REVOLUTION With a day of drama behind them, and the evening’s only just begun, Dengue Fever’s Chhom Nimol and Senon Williams squeeze in an interview with editor Marissa Carruthers. Photography by Charles Fox.

36 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

“When she showed up, all the other singers backed off very quickly. I remember when she sang, all of us got chills. It was pretty remarkable.”

“I didn’t speak English and didn’t understand what they wanted me to sing,” says Nimol in defence of her no-shows. “I had only ever sung in Khmer, I had no idea what was going on.” To try and get her on board, the band sent her some of their songs, which she played to a fellow Cambodian friend. “I asked her, “What do you think about these guys singing Cambodian music?”

She said, “It’s good. Keep with it.”

And so Dengue Fever was born, performing their first gig at packed out punk rock dive bar, Spaceland.

“I was so nervous because the audience were all white,” recalls Nimol, who had immigrated to America the previous year. The show was a raging success, with Nimol being wheeled on stage in a cyclo shipped over by a friend from Cambodia. “LA’s a very tough crowd and that night people went insane,” says Williams. “We knew from that moment.”

By Lim Sokchanlina

C

hhom Nimol closes her eye to perfect her signature smoky make-up and sweeping eyeliner. She remains unflustered despite a disastrous day trying to salvage Dengue Fever’s scheduled street gig at The Mansion in Phnom Penh. Just hours before taking to the stage, the band came close to scrapping the show after officials closed down operations, claiming the correct licenses had not been secured.

“It has been a bit of a nightmare,” Nimol says with a giggle. Pontoon stepped in at the eleventh hour, saving the day, but it’s 7pm, the band is still waiting for the sound check, and they’re due on stage in 90 minutes. “It always turns out okay in the end.

It will be a great show.” And what a show it was. The LA-based outfit carried out their sound check in front of an already packed Pontoon before injecting electric energy into the air with their fun combination of Cambodian rock classics, psychedelic sounds, horns and bass.

“We wanted to do something else,” says bassist Senon Williams, recalling the bands inception in 2002. “Not be an indie rock band, not be a

shoegaze band; something totally different.” Williams had travelled to Cambodia in 1995 and fallen in love with the country’s 1960s Golden Era rock scene, a move replicated by Zak Holtzman who was inspired to form the band after hearing the hits of the age.

“When Cambodians heard The Shadows or Santana or Jimmy Hendrix or any type of Western music, they didn’t carbon copy it,” says Williams of the Cambodian rock scene. “They used their own instruments with Western instruments, used their own melodies with Western melodies.

It was a mash up more than a copy, and that’s what I thought was beautiful about it.”

Cambodian Classics

Driven by their desire to do something different, the band’s ultimate aim was to use old Cambodian rock hits as a platform to create original sounds.

However, their early life saw them recreate songs from the era, with their debut album Dengue Fever made up of covers, such as ‘Lost in Laos’ and ‘22 Nights’.

“We would play the old songs and Nimol would sing, and we’d all be like her voice is amazing,” says Williams. Having never sung in English before and still finding her feet, Nimol also struggled with the original material. “Making that

album and getting to know each other allowed us to make the records that followed,” Williams adds.

Since then, Dengue Fever has racked up a catalogue of five albums, releasing their latest, The Deepest Lake, last year and extensively toured America, Europe and Asia. “We have evolved into making our own sounds and not just using Cambodia as an influence,” says Williams, listing Latin, African, Turkish, surf music and psych rock as some of their current influences. “Nimol has enough Cambodia for all of us,” he adds, letting out a hearty laugh.

In 2005, the band made their Cambodian debut with performances at Snowy’s bar and Talkin to a Stranger in Phnom Penh. They also teamed up with Cambodian Living Arts to host a free gig in a Tonle Bassac shanty town. “It was immense,” says Williams.

“I like the surprise element,” the bassist adds – receiving a huge helping of that when they stepped off the plane from a performance at the FCC in Siem Reap to the news of the lack of venue in the capital. “There’s always something unexpected around the corner. What moves me today is that Cambodians are singing along to our songs, not just the covers. They’re not waiting for ‘I’m Sixteen’, they’re singing to ‘Only a Friend’ and songs we wrote.”

Catch the full video of AsiaLIFE’s exclusive interview with Chhom Nimol and Senon Williams on AsiaLIFE Magazine’s You Tube Channel, youtube.com/user/ AsiaLIFEmag. Follow our Facebook page for details of when it is online.

A Band is Born

“Zac called me up in a panic one day and said, ‘Hey man, I’ve got like 10 singers lined up here in Long Beach [California], can you play bass?’ So I did,” Williams says. The next three weekends were spent hosting auditions to find a vocalist to add the signature female flutters of the music movement. “Everything was falling flat,” recalls Williams, adding they waited for a recommended singer called Chhom Nimol to put in an appearance. Those that did audition failed to meet the mark.

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MOBILE MEDICINE In a bid to boost health in rural Cambodia, a group of visionary Cambodian doctors have taken on the challenge of reaching out to some of

the

Kingdom’s

poorest and most isolated communities.

Writer Jessica Sander joins them on a trip.

Photography by Sam Putaroth.

I

n a dusty elementary school located deep in rural Battambang, there is flurry of activity occurring, and it’s unrelated to study.

The Doctors Alliance (DA), which sits under the Union of Youth Federation of Cambodia (UY-FC), is visiting the district of Banan, on one of its monthly missions to provide free treatment to villagers, of all ages, who flock from far and wide. Today, there is a crowd of almost 1,000 people gathered at the school grounds to receive treatment from the proactive medical professionals in one afternoon.

On the Ground

After an official address across the loudspeaker about how the clinic will operate, a 38 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

bell sounds and chaos ensues as droves of people rush to receive referral vouchers and find the appropriate classroom for specialist treatment. General medicine is by far the busiest, with crowds pushing and shoving while frantic volunteers attempt to organise patients into orderly queues.

Disabled landmine victim, Meas Mea sits patiently on a bench under the dappled shade of a tree as he waits for a general checkup. He took the 10-kilometre walk from his home after the village chief told him the clinic was coming to town. “I get free treatment and

medication, which usually costs me $10,” he says. “The clinic is good.”

As well as offering medical care, dentists are also on hand to dish out treatment in makeshift clinics, moving patients towards light streaming in through windows so they can see better.

Up until now, Phan Thoan has never seen a dentist, but the 60-year-old is in pain, and a tooth extraction is necessary. , “I don’t normally see a doctor, I just go to a traditional healer,” she says. “The clinic is very good because it’s free and saves me 15,000 riel.”

Doctors Do Good

Formed in November 2014, DA is a response to the limited healthcare access for impoverished people living in remote areas. Started by a bunch of like-minded Cambodian clinicians in private practice, trained both domestically and abroad, their vision is a healthier Cambodia, achieved through providing free health care to Khmers.

Covering everything from general medicine, minor surgery and ophthalmology, to pediatrics, gynecology and psychiatry, DA’s mobile clinic travels to all 25 provinces,

picking one or two each month and asking village chiefs to spread the word.

During last year, the DA treated more than 14,000 Cambodians for free. “His Excellency Hun Mony, [director of UY-FC] has been instrumental in facilitating our work and spreading the word in the rural regions,” says Dr Reasey Sreng, dermatologist and DA deputy executive. “Our goal is to provide more qualified practitioners into these hard-toreach areas in the treatment of acute and chronic diseases. We want to transfer our knowledge to other doctors operating in provincial health centres; to assist them with chronic disease management and ongoing

health promotion within these communities.”

Dr Veng Heng, a private pediatrician who previously worked at Kunthea Bopha children’s hospital in Phnom Penh, has been involved with the alliance since its inception.

“Today I saw 70 patients, mainly with respiratory problems,” he says. He sees the alliance as an opportunity to share his knowledge about treatment and prevention with patients, while improving the health knowledge of Cambodians overall.

Psychiatrists, Dr Chhuor Sokha and Dr Kim Sophea, are busy assessing patients’ mental health.

“Today we issued antidepressants and benzodiazepines to treat people suffering from anxiety,

depression and somatoform disorder”, explains Dr Sokha.

Both doctors strongly encourage their patients to follow up. “There are only 55 psychiatrists to service the whole population of Cambodia, with the majority practising in Phnom Penh, so we know that their chances of follow up are slim,” says Dr Kim. “Yet still we try.”

Future Care

DA is currently securing a series of Memorandums of Understanding with provincial hospitals to ensure patients are able to follow up on necessary referrals. Dr Reasey says, “We urgently need a more organised healthcare system while improving the overall standard

of treatment in both the public and private sectors.” He notes that treatment guidelines along with inter-clinic cooperation need strengthening, and the development of one overarching model of care is key to addressing some of the gaps in the current healthcare system.

As the heat of the day starts to dissipate and the queues of patients subside, Dr Reasey wipes the sweat off his brow after frantically overseeing operations. “I think today was a success,” he says with a smile.

Paying sentiment to the old adage, a doctor’s work is never done, he adds. “Tomorrow, we will do it all again in Pursat province.”

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Writer Steve Noble joins the steady stream of expats seeking a quick-fix break on Koh Dach, which sits a short ferry ride away from the hustle and bustle of capital life. Photography by Lucas Veuve.

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N

o tooting horns, reverberations from earth-shattering drills or the constant call of, “Tuk tuk, Sir”; escaping Phnom Penh has become a regular pursuit of those who work in the increasingly congested capital.

And the neighbouring intimate islands of Koh Dach, or Silk Island, and adjoining Koh Okhna Tey are enjoying a transformation to cater to the trend of those seeking a convenient weekend getaway out of the city.

A badly marked sign states "turn off", indicating a dusty ferry crossing at the Mekong River at Preak Lip and onto Koh Dach. Costing a mere 500 riel per person and 500 riel for a motorbike, or 4,000 riel for a tuk tuk and 6000 riel for a car, it's a brisk, no-frills journey that passes by the fast-changing Chroy Chongvar peninsular and onto Koh Dach.

Once ashore the island, a short trip over a recently renovated steel bridge takes visitors onto the smaller isle of Koh Oknha Tey. The island takes a few steps back in time and is dotted with holdings, farms, stilted homes and hints of new development with the Silk Island Restaurant and Guesthouse (077 696 444) opening late last year by Australian Bob Wiltshire.

Rural Retreat

“I wanted a break from the increasingly busy city, and love it here on the island”, says Wiltshire. He gestures towards the laid-back lifestyle he enjoys just a stone’s throw from Phnom Penh. Hammocks swing above manicured lawns that look out across the river and the wafts of Khmer cooking from the kitchen are seductive.

He points to two nearby renovated pagodas, exposing their fresh coats of paint. They also house the elegant and well decorated wooden longboats used by locals for the boat races during Water Festival. “Seeing the village band together

to heave the heavy boats towards the water some 50 metres away is quite a sight.

A lazy bike ride along dirt tracks to the north of the island hits a privately-owned area, but on the grounds are the relics of a former zoo and theme park, with the only remaining relics being an ant-ridden apsara stage and decaying buildings. The park shut its doors about a decade ago, and, oddly, a skeleton crew still maintains the grounds.

With an estimated population of 20,000 people living in seven villages, the island’s main economy is agriculture, from farming corn, cassava, ginger, tomatoes and taro.

This gives it a real rural feeling, right on the footsteps of the Kingdom's busy capital.

Villagers wash cows in rivers, pony carts lug supplies around and the visible use of traditional medicines all indicate a traditional way of life.

Evidence sits in the fact that electricity from the city only reached the island last year, with power previously serviced by two diesel run generators, which have been kept as backup.

Island Exploration

The quiet country roads make the destination an ideal cyclist getaway and companies, such as Grasshopper Tours, run half-day rides along trails that run by small farming communities, schools, pagodas and silk shops. The roads are flat, although bumpy, and the recent paving of the coastal roads on the southwest side marks the start of a project that will see more roads takes shape.

Popular on Koh Dach are the silk weaving and silk farms. It costs $1 for foreigners to enter the silk village – be wary of buying cheap Chinese silk copies elsewhere on the island. An original handmade silk dress takes a couple weeks to craft and can cost up to $200. The weaving village is a typical rural Cambodian village, with Khmers

operating hand looms underneath stilted houses, while others dye and spin silk.

Along the south coast, Red House is another new addition to the accommodation scene and the nicely designed space is run by a charming French owner and his Cambodian family. The location marks the finishing point for the annual Mekong River Swim fundraiser, which takes place on Apr. 24. They also know some real gems for exploring the island; among the seven pagodas on Koh Dach, one is home to a beautiful painting on wood, which villagers hid during the Khmer Rouge, saving it from destruction.

Silk Island also boasts a seasonal river beach, which only puts in an appearance when water levels are low. An array of wooden floating bungalows and inflatable tyres congest the shoreline and are available to hire, with bungalows costing $5 and the tubes 5,000 riel. The food stalls on the beach sell drinks and Khmer food with some basic toilets and changing rooms also available on the sandy beach.

On the northern shores of Silk Island, Hotel Le Kroma Villa offers six varied rooms ($9 to $23), with a large terrace and courtyard garden. The new Villa Koh Dach ($35 to $75).offers a pool, restaurant with Khmer cuisine prepared using local products, a shaded patio area and terrace.

The only market on the island, Psar Samaki, is close to these French-run guesthouses.

As Phnom Penh continues to encroach outwards and upwards, the peaceful getaway experience of Silk Island may well be disrupted in the future but, for now, remains a beautifully tranquil and largely untouched treasure that is there to be enjoyed.

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Sri Lanka boasts sacred treks, stunning scenery and an unexplored north, while offering cheap eats and even cheaper travel with a view. Writer Joanna Mayhew traverses the South Asian country by rail.

RIDING SRI LANKA C

a-clunk, ca-clunk, ca-clunk. After days of listening to it, the hypnotic sound of the aged and swaying train engrained itself in my mind. It became the soundtrack for my weeklong exploration of Sri Lanka’s diverse settings. While vistas changed from tea plantations to shimmering ibis-graced waters, the lens through which I viewed them remained the same – a smudged and scratched roundededge window, with the repetitive clickety-clack of rails below, interrupted only by the sudden screeching of brakes when approaching the next stop.

Railways remain the most cost-efficient way to get around the country, allowing for a firstclass visit on a third-class budget.

Tickets are shockingly cheap, with one near-10 hour journey costing just over $3. For most legs, tickets can be purchased the day of, as certain carriages are sectioned off for last-minute travellers. And on the busiest stretches, vendors keep you satiated with coffee, roti and samosas.

Sacred Pilgrimage

The first leg of the trip took

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us from Colombo’s tracks to the southwest of the nation’s central hill country, to attempt the sacred Adam’s Peak climb.

Jutting up in a perfect triangle, the iconic mountain is said to be where Adam first set foot on earth, or where Buddha left a sacred footprint. As opposed to neighbouring India, the majority of Sri Lankans practice Buddhism, and hundreds of thousands of believers flock to the peak between December and May to pilgrimage up the mountain for sunrise. We hit the trail just prior to the pilgrimage season, which meant there were no lanterns lighting the way, but – while it would add to the setting – we ended up being grateful to avoid the crowds. In high season, pilgrims are said to amass to 500,000, making the climb frightfully slow, and even dangerous.

Staying the night in tiny Dalhousie town, just a few minutes walk from the trail, we set out at 2.30am in the brisk cold, after being awoken by a parade of worshippers with fire, drums and oversized whips moving towards a temple.

Sleepy and armed with head

torches, we began the 1,000metre ascent, consisting of 5,200 steps.

The three-hour hike moves from gradual, spaced out steps to endless steep ones. Luckily, vendors are scattered up the climb to offer benches and hot tea, and the 360-degree sunrise view at the top makes it all worth it – with mist rising off of large lakes, tree-covered hillsides and stupas far below.

Just keep in mind you then face the same 5,200 steps on the way down.

Hilltop Hideouts

A few hours after the climb, dragging our tired legs, we boarded the train onwards to Nuwara Eliya, in the heart of the hilly interior. The ride – perhaps the most picturesque in the country – snakes through Sri Lanka’s tea country, with dramatic sloping mountains, lush green landscapes, waterfalls and tidy plantations.

Known as Little England, the town recalls its colonial past, with old-fashioned hotels, a Victorian post office and British names still branding the largest tea companies. At an altitude of 1,800 metres, the town has cooler weather, and makes for a cosy stopover to explore Horton Plains National Park, an hour’s drive away.

The park’s main draw is World’s End – a stunning lookout point towards the south of the country from a cliff that drops 800-plus metres.

Unfortunately, engulfed in mist, we missed the view altogether.

But thankfully the weather cleared throughout the rest of the peaceful 10-kilometre loop, which takes in streams, rolling moorlands and dense forest, as well as sightings of the elegant sambar deer.

Uncovering Jaffna

For the final leg, we forewent the typical southern tourist route

for a glimpse into the island’s war-affected north, only recently opened to tourists. Following a brief visit to Kandy, we boarded a train due west to Kurunegala, then eight hours north to Jaffna, past green rice paddies and stately peacocks rustling through long grass.

While Jaffna is not strikingly beautiful, its rich Tamil history and not-so-distant conflicttorn past make it an interesting destination. And for a touch of luxury, you can stay at Fort Hammenhiel Resort – a 1600s Portuguese fort on a small island, with four rooms built into the structure, above the original prison cells.

Though English is more limited, residents are incredibly open and grateful for the influx of new visitors. The north also offers all the benefits of cheap southern Indian food paired with tasty Sri Lankan staples, such as shredded coconut and chilli sambol, bowl-shaped egg hopper pancakes, biryani and pol roti flatbread.

The town tour took only a few hours, with stops at the old coastal fort, public library and the impressive Nallur Hindu temple, where men are required to remove their shirts, and others can be seen chanting while balancing coconuts on their heads.

Throughout Jaffna and its surrounding eerily empty islands, bombed-out, abandoned, overgrown and bullet-ridden buildings can be explored at length unimpeded, including historic landmarks, such as the 104 AD Rajamanthree Palace. But as landmines can still be found in some areas, be careful where you step.

A few days later, having traversed the area at length, we begrudgingly boarded our last train back – with full bellies, and, more importantly, not-yet-empty wallets.

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BLACK BAMBU 429 Street 228, Phnom Penh. Tel: 023 966 895.

Open Tuesday to Sunday, 10.30am to 11pm.

Eclectic sharing plates shine at Black Bambu, where a good cause is just the garnish for creative, global food.

Writing by Joanna Mayhew. Photography by Lucas Veuve.

Black Bambu’s contemporary cuisine is hard to put in a box.

Though often labelled as Asian fusion or tapas, executive chef Al Schaaf insists it is neither.

“We want to give people an opportunity to experience a lot of different flavours.”

While the majority of plates are designed for sharing, they are decently sized and draw from a plethora of influences: Khmer, Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese, Moroccan, Indian, Spanish, American and everything in between.

Inspired by Schaaf’s travel and work in Asia, North Africa and the Mediterranean, dishes range from vegetarian flatbread pizza and mini burgers to chilli crab linguini and Koh Kong chicken wings.

Opened in late 2014 as a 44 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

Cambodian Children’s Fund project, the restaurant – managed by restaurateur Tom O’Connor – also serves as a vocational training centre, with trainees making up half the staff and profits funnelled back into the organisation. But rather than use this as a draw card, the venue relies simply on the food. “We’re good at what we do,” says Schaaf.

This, thankfully, is an understatement. Each creation is not only masterfully plated, but also layered with numerous small, surprising touches and flavours.

The house made ricotta salad ($7) boasts moreish ricotta dotted with roasted eggplant, cherry tomatoes, rocket and basil. The airy cheese is offset by sharp sun-dried tomatoes, crunchy edamame beans and small cubes

of sweet preserved lemon peel.

The soy and black pepper caramel pork belly ($7.50) is braised for four hours with soy, ginger, cinnamon, star anise, garlic and peppercorns, and glazed with reduced brown sugar. Served with fried pork skin, pickled vegetables and toasted rice powder, the offering’s added Kampot pepper nicely balances the sweet sauce.

The heavier miso salmon and okonomiyaki ($8.50) combines two Japanese dishes, with thick cubes of miso-glazed salmon topping vegetable-stuffed pancakes. The corncake-like option has added details of sliced nori, local sprouts and delicate roe.

But the braised lamb shoulder ($14.50) was the most impressive dish. The large, tender cut of meat is cooked Moroccan-style

using fennel seeds and cumin, topped with a demi-glaze using pomegranate molasses, and served with tumeric and ginger sautéed chickpeas, spinach and a light mint and cucumber yogurt.

Black Bambu’s only downside is its environment, which feels sterile and overly stark, though sleek. The minimalist, modern and light space has high black tables and tube lights, with pops of colourful Khmer art, and outdoor seating.

Luckily, the restaurant also does not skimp on creativity for desserts, with Schaaf concocting a line of homemade ice creams incorporating everything from craft brews to roasted pumpkin.

“Ice cream should be fun,” he says with a laugh. “I’m serious about my food, but I try not to take it too seriously.”

KAIFUN 25 Street 334, Phnom Penh. Tel: 023 900 545, Open daily from 12.30pm to 9pm.

Boasting a vast menu of tasty tapas dishes, Kaifun aims to offer a casual dining experience. Editor Marissa Carruthers and photographer Charles Fox put it to the test.

My first visit to Kaifun had left me unimpressed. I’d met up with a friend for lunch. We slathered over the menu of multiple offerings for a while, ordered at the counter and spent 45 minutes waiting for our food despite there being tumbleweed rolling through the joint. With our stomachs growling when we were annoyingly informed our order actually hadn’t been placed, we ditched the idea and went elsewhere.

However, this was during the laid back restaurant’s first week, and seasoned expats know all too well how vital the settling in period is to operations, so I decided to give it a second chance.

And I’m glad I did. Taking its inspiration from Singapore’s bustling hawker centres, which offer a selection of snacks at affordable prices, Kaifun replicates that

typical tapas eating experience in a courtyard setting, offering barbecue, rice and noodles, pizza and taco dishes, all for $1.50.

Diners can eat inside or at the personally recommended outside shaded deck area, which skirts a colourful courtyard containing a clay pizza oven, a blue VW Kombie van transformed into a taco truck, and a street barbecue cart. Rice and noodle dishes are made near the inside counter.

The low price nudges towards the portions, which are small, but ordering a few to share with friends makes it fun. We opted for the chicken curry rice, pork belly and sour sausage from the barbecue, two tacos, vegetarian pizza, two French fries and a Cuban sandwich – for $13.50.

The chicken curry came out with a separate bowl of rice

almost instantly. Cooked in true Khmer fashion – with the meat on the bone – the chicken remains tender and the broth has a bite.

Fresh from the metal barbecue, the pork belly was next, its enticing aroma having tantalised the tastebuds minutes before landing before us, thanks to the wafts from it being cooked.

The result is tender meat, given its flavour by miso marinade.

The spicy sausage saw skewered fermented pork sausage stuffed with sticky rice brought to the table. While not to my personal taste, my companion gave them the thumbs up. The eatery's signature dish in the form of tacos are served in a soft shell filled with juicy pulled pork, fresh peppers and veg, and a sauce that compliments the sweetness of the meat with a spicy kick.

The tapas-sized pizza is, again, a light bite. Served on a small wooden board, the base is thin and crispy and the topping consistency just right with a thin layer of tomato sauce topped with cheese, peppers, onions and chilli.

The Cuban sandwich presented an almost too-sweet soft baguette packed with well-seasoned pork that works well with the sharpness of the gherkin and the sour of the cheese. Satisfied, we rounded off our mini feast with an iced coffee. Served in the heat, there was no worries about it becoming diluted with melted ice cubes as they are made from the drink. A nice surprise.

Pitting itself as a fun and funky eatery, Kaifun and its cheap and cheerful menu is the perfect place to laze away lunch with friends.

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BehindtheDesign

Sun & Moon Urban Hotel

Words by Marissa Carruthers Photography by Lucas Veuve

Wanting to create a balance that would inspire guests to mirror a healthy equilibrium in their own lives was the ultimate aim of the brains behind Sun & Moon Urban Hotel. The clue is in the title, with the name being chosen by operating chairman, Okhna Dr Chea Ratana, a big believer in feng shui. “According to the concept of yin and yang, opposites attract and balance each other, in this case, the sun and the moon,” says executive assistant manager Meansambo Nov. Driving their desire to do something different in a capital saturated with boutique hotels, the hotel was designed by award-winning Adrien Desport Architects.

Covering a total construction area of 7,200 square metres, the property takes the form of a T-shape, with a total of eight facades. Two face the outside streets while the remaining face low-rising houses, securing great views all around. At its centre sits a spacious open air atrium filled with stretching palms and a mini jungle of tropical plants making it easy to forget this is central Phnom Penh.

Having opened its doors in early December, the ninestorey architectural feat shines – literally – like a beacon on the horizon. The 80-room hotel boasts a clean, simple, modern design with Unplug Bar and Salt ‘n’ Pepper restaurant based on the ground floor. Having been two years and three months in the making, the owners wanted to ensure their offering was of the highest quality. “It takes time to build something like this with underground parking and flood prevention,” adds Nov. Each of the rooms is inspired by the pop art movement of the 1950s and 1960s, with sweeping white walls, sharp edges and block colours making up the

46 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

decor. Lacquered sofas, tables, beds and cabinets in orange, grey, red and black stylishly decorate rooms, which come complete with quirky touches, such as mugs that change colour when hot water is added.

Funky sketch-style paintings of celebrities, such as Paul McCartney, Nicole Kidman and Marilyn Monroe, adorn the walls, making it the perfect base for modern day businessmen and women, as well as the cool crew wanting a central spot from which to explore the city.

On the eighth floor sits an exclusive VIP members bar and restaurant as well as a spa, Jacuzzi, sauna and gym ($80 a month membership, including access to the swimming pool). But the pièce de résistance undoubtedly lies on the rooftop, where a sumptuous infinity pool looks out across the city and Tonle Sap River. The Cloud Nine skybar offers a selection of snacks and drinks. At night, the rooftop is transformed into a shimmering light show, with the light designer behind Kuala Lumpur’s Petronius Towers working his magic with the thousands of colour-changing lights that twinkle into the evening. Nov adds that if you book seats on the left side of the plane, you can watch the hotel’s lights flashing as you fly across Phnom Penh for landing.

“Our moto is ‘stay inspired’, and that is what we want to do,” says Nov. 68 Street 136 (corner of Street 15), Phnom Penh.

Tel: 023 961 888 Website: sunandmoonhotel.com

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SONKEI Photographer: Luke Ding Model: Felix Morel Hair, make up and styling: Ryan at The Dollhouse All clothing: Kool as U Location: Yakitori Jidaiya

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LISTINGS

Skywing Asia Airlines IOC building Monivong Blvd.

Tel: 023 217130 Silk Air Regency Complex C, Suite 2-4 Samdach Monireth Blvd Tel: 023 988 629

hotel & travel Airlines Air Asia Domestic Terminal Arrival Office A17 Phnom Penh International Airport Tel: 023 890 035 Asiana Airlines Room A16 Phnom Penh International Airport Tel: 023 890 441 Bangkok Airways 61A Street 214 Phnom Penh Tel: 023 722 545 Bassaka Air 335 Preah Sihanouk Blvd.

Phnom Penh Tel: 023 217 688 Cambodia Angkor Air 206A Preah Norodom Blvd. Phnom Penh Tel: 023 666 6788 Cambodia Bayon Airlines 174ABCD, Mao Tse Toung Blvd.

Phnom Penh Tel: 023 231 555 Cebu Pacific Air 333B Preah Monivong Blvd Phnom Penh Tel: 023 219 161 China Airlines 32 Preah Norodom Blvd. Phnom Penh Tel: 023 222 056 China Eastern 68 Street 606 Phnom Penh Tel: 016 985 668 / 016 985 304 China Southern Room F-G-H-I, Ground floor 53 Phnom Penh Hotel, Monivong Blvd Tel: 023 424 588 DragonAir 168 Monireth Blvd Phnom Penh Tel: 023 424 300 Eva Air Suite 11-14B Street 205 Phnom Penh Tel: 023 219 911 Jet Star Asia 333B Monivong Blvd Phnom Penh Tel: 023 220 909 Korean Air 254 R03 Monivong Blvd.

Phnom Penh Tel: 023 224 047 / 023 224 049 Lao Airlines 58B Preah Sihanouk Blvd.

Phnom Penh Tel: 023 222 956 Malaysia Airlines 35-37 Street 214, Phnom Penh Tel: 023 218 923 / 023 218 924 Myanmar Airways International 90-94Eo Charles de Gaulle (Street 217) Phnom Penh Tel: 023 866 404 Qatar Airways 296 Mao Tse Toung Blvd.

Ground floor, Intercontinental Hotel Phnom Penh.

Thai Airways 294 Mao Tse Toung Blvd.

Phnom Penh Tel: 023 214 359 Tiger Airways 296 Mao Tse Toung Blvd.

Intercontinental Hotel, Suite 16B Phnom Penh Tel: 023 5515 888 Vietnam Airlines 41 Street 214 Phnom Penh Tel: 023 215 998

Battambang Bambu Hotel Phum Romchek 5 Tel: 053 953 900 / 053 953 905 Email: bookings@bambuhotel.com 16 rooms arranged in four traditional inspired buildings with swimming pool, bar and restaurant.

Battambang Resort Wat Ko Village, Battambang Tel: 012 510 100/ 053 666 7001 Email: info@battambangresort.com Café Eden 89 Group 5, Mapei Outsapeea Village Tel: 053 731 525 Eclectic café with incredible food that overlooks the river. Non-profit boutique with handmade local crafts that focuses on training Cambodians. WiFi, AC, Local Art. Happy hour 3pm-7pm. Open Wednesday - Monday 7.30am-9pm Jaan Bai Restaurant Road 2 (near Psar Nat Market) Tel: 097 398 7815 For those with a passion for food and an interest in supporting Cambodian youth.

Using seasonal organic produce sourced from their own kitchen garden, local farmers and neighbouring markets. Open Tuesday – Sunday 11am–9pm.

Kinyei Café Street 1 and 1/2, Phum 20 Osaphea Tel: 017 292 119 Social enterprise with the best coffee in town, serving snacks, lunch, breakfast and other drinks, friendly staff, free space for small open workshop. Won the National Barista Championship 2012 - 2013.

Open daily from 7am-7pm.

La Villa 185 Pom Romchek 5 Tel: 017 411 880 / 053 730 151 lavilla.battambang@gmail.com Beautifully restored 1930s colonial house with six rooms. A premium hotel in the country’s second city and with an excellent kitchen and bar.

Sangker Villa Hotel Pool Restaurant 200 Street, Romchek4 Village Ratanak Commune Tel: 097 764 0017 Sangker Villa has seven rooms and one balcony suite. It is a 10 minute walk from the city centre. The hotel combines the charm of the countryside with the advantages of the city. Swiss management, speaking English, French, German, Italian and Spanish.

Kampot Bokor Mountain Lodge Riverfront Tel: 033 932 314 / 017 712 062 Beautiful French colonial building situated on riverfront with well-fitted air-conditioned rooms. Has a good restaurant

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and bar.

Epic Arts Café Old Market Street Employing deaf staff, this café next to the old market has a good range of bagels, shakes, brownies and coffee. Is also the centre for the community arts programme. Open from 7am-6pm.

Les Manguiers 2km north of Kampot Tel: 092 330 050 Small resort with bungalows and rooms set in beautiful gardens overlooking the river with a restaurant which has daily changing menu and freshly prepared food.

Mea Culpa 44 Sovansokar Tel: 012 504 769 Email: meaculpakampot@gmail.com Accommodation established by the former manager of Bokor Mountain Lodge set in the French Quarter. Six rooms have AC, hot water, DVD and TV. The large garden has a patio pizzeria and bar.

Rikitikitavi Riverfront Tel: 012 274 820/012 235 102 www.rikitikitavi-kampot.com Western food served in large portions in this river-facing restaurant, bar and threeroom guesthouse. A more upmarket venue for Kampot, the upstairs seating affords great sunset views. Restaurant and bar open daily.

Rusty Keyhole Riverside Road Tel: 012 679 607 Friendly British owner has recreated the atmosphere of a rural British pub in outer Kampot, or at least as close as it gets.

The ribs remain as good as ever. Open 8.30am until midnight.

Kep Knai Bang Chatt Resort Tel: 078 888 557 www.knaibangchatt.com An exclusive resort offering personal service in private grounds housing a collection of remodeled 1960’s style colonial villas. Offering 18 rooms, infinity pool, spa and media centre. All rooms refurbished to international standards. Choice of two dining options – upscale The Strand or the adjoining Sailing Club.

Le Bout du Monde Tel: 011 964 181 www.leboutdumondekep.com Individual and separate bungalows in traditional Khmer architecture located on a hill-top with good views and nice gardens. Serves French and Khmer cuisine. Rooms have hot water, mini-bar, fan and safe.

Spring Valley Resort /Mr. Mab Tel: 036 666 6673 mrmab.com www.springvalley-resort.com Spring Valley Resort, at the base of Kep National Park, is just a short walk to the beach. The rooms are scattered throughout vibrant green gardens, connected by walkways that wind through vines, trees and flowering plants.

Their restaurant, Mr Mab takes a fresh look at traditional Khmer street food.

Villa S’aat Tel: 017 383 185 www.villa-kep.com Elegant and spacious villa for rent in Kep during holidays and weekends. Located around 2km from the crab market, with spacious rooms, fully equipped kitchen, swimming pool, large terrace, garden and household staff. Maximum capacity of 12 guests.

Kirirom Kirirom Pine View Kitchen

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Tel: 078 777 284 www.vkirirom.com The restaurant is surrounded by pine trees, located in Kirirom National Park.

Serves special Khmer and western dishes, overlooking this beautiful nature.

Open daily from 7am-10pm.

Mondulkiri Mayura Hill Resort Tel: 077 980 980 www.mayurahillresort.com Mayura Hill Hotel & Resort has 14 exclusive private bungalow villas embodying the northeastern province’s lifestyle. The first eco-tourism resort in Sen Monorom city located just 1km from downtown, surrounded by wonderful views of the highlands.

Pailin Memoria Palace Resort Tel: 015 430 013 / 015 430 014 Email: reservation@memoriapalce.com www.memoriapalace.com Memoria Palace Resort features 16 beautiful bungalow, three unique ecolodges, a hilltop saltwater swimming pool, restaurant, bar and conference room. The perfect environment for peaceful relaxation or adventurous outdoor activities in the Cardamom Mountains.

Phnom Penh – Apartments Bellevue Serviced Apartments 68 Tonle Sap Street Tel: 023 432 999 www.bellevueservicedapartments.com Located in a deluxe hotel complex on the riverbank of the Tonle Sap, Bellevue offers spacious, contemporary accommodation 10 minutes away from the city.

Himawari Hotel Apartments 313 Sisowath Quay Tel: 023 214 555 Email: reservation@himawari.com.kh www.himawarihotel.com Choose from panoramic views of the Mekong Delta or the city skyline backdrop with the Royal Palace, the spacious and well-appointed suites are a home away from home, both for tourists and long-stay guests. Amenities include fullyequipped kitchen, daily housekeeping services, international pool, fitness centre, tennis court, spa and various food and beverage outlets.

Season Residence Apartments 109-133, Street 144 Tel: 023 990 628 / 012 457 408 www.seasonresidence.com Season Residence is self-catered accommodation located only 9km from the airport. Featuring spacious apartments with free Wi-Fi access.

Silvertown Metropolitan 251 Street 63 www.silvertowncambodia.com Located in BKK1, one of the most vibrant neighbourhoods of Phnom Penh, the fully serviced apartments take everyday living and lifestyle at the highest quality.

Features include a tranquil rooftop skybar and infinity swimming pool.

Phnom Penh – Deluxe InterContinental 296 Mao Tse Toung Blvd.Tel: 023 424 888 www.ihg.com One of Phnom Penh’s most luxurious 5-star hotels, the 346 air-con rooms have all the expected facilities including in-room safes and king size beds. Also has a large swimming pool, a fitness centre and spa.

Raffles Hotel Le Royal Street 92 Tel: 023 981 888 www.raffles.com/phnom-penh/ Emanates the same class as its more famous namesake in Singapore. The Elephant Bar is a popular expat haunt during the 4pm to 8pm happy hour.

Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra 26 Old August Site, Sothearos Blvd.

Tel: 023 999 200 www.sofitel.com Set on the riverside amongst landscaped gardens this 12-storey, 5-star colonial style hotel is close to key attractions, embassies and the central business district.

Sokha Phnom Penh Chroy Changvar Peninsula Tel: 23 685 8888 www. sokhahotels.com/phnompenh An blot on the horizon or testament to the rising wealth of the capital - you choose.

Located on Chroy Changvar peninsula opposite the Royal Palace the views are quite spectacular, but the opulent interior can not disguise the distance to Phnom Penh’s bars and restaurants.

Phnom Penh – Mid Chateau the Meliya 10B Street 264 Tel: 023 987 212 Hotel and serviced-apartments, in a great central location, close to Independence Monument, Royal Palace, Silver Pagoda, National Museum and Riverfront. 54 units (studio, one bedroom and two bedrooms), with contemporary design and amazing city and river views.

The Billabong Hotel 5 Street 158 Tel: 023 223 703 www.thebillabonghotel.com Phnom Penh’s premier boutique family hotel with 41 well-appointed rooms surrounding a large free form salt water swimming pool. Poolside alfresco dining.

The Laneway Boutique Hotel 2 Street 278 Tel: 089 985 956 The Laneway Boutique Hotel is located in the heart of Phnom Penh and offers all the essential comforts you would expect from a first-class leisure hotel, including a cocktail bar, swimming pool, grill restaurant and recreational facilities.

Sokea Suites Extended Stay 168 Monireth Blvd. www.sokeasuites.com The 21 apartments ranging from 37 m2 to 95 m2 are designed with one idea in mind: to make guests feel at home in Phnom Penh.

Mito Hotel 11 Street 174, corner Monivong Blvd.

(North of Wat Koh Pagoda) Tel: 023 213 999/ 023 220 188/ 023 220 199 Email: reservation@mitohotel.com www.mitohotel.com Mito Hotel is a newly renovated business hotel in the heart of Phnom Penh.

Blessed with premier central location, diverse international clientele of business men, entrepreneurs, adventures with affordable luxury. Mito Hotel is the preferred choice for business and leisure travellers.

TAMASA Serviced Apartment Located next to Cambodia Country Club Tel: 023 995 594 The 26 rooms all have different designs and layouts. A café is located on the ground floor of the building and it also has an infinity pool on the top floor, which is opened for residents and guests.

Pandan Boutique Hotel 15A Street 282 Tel: 012 373 78 www.pandanboutiquehotel.com Ideally located in the heart of Phnom Penh, at walking distance from the shopping and business district, 5 minute walk from Independence Monument. 26 rooms with unique and classy design.

Rambutan Resort 29 Street 71Tel: 017 992 240 www.rambutanresort.com Urban modern oasis located in a quiet residential area only 5 minutes from all major sights in Phnom Penh. Deluxe pool view and garden rooms with outdoor bathtubs. Salt water pool and private spa room for some unwinding treatments.

The 252 Boutique Hotel 19 Street 252 Tel: 023 998 252 www.the-252.com Conveniently located close to major attractions, the small boutique hotel offers a quiet and peaceful retreat from the bustling city. Spacious and stylishly decorated rooms with all amenities, swimming pool surrounded by a leafy tropical garden, outdoor restaurant and bar.

Mid-Range Almond Hotel 128f Sothearos Bld. Tel: 023 220 822 Owned by Cambodia’s top chef, Luu Meng, this hotel boasts 70 guest rooms, and is aimed at the visiting business community. Tasty dim sun is served from the ground floor restaurant, YiSang. Sister hotel about to open close to Aeon Mall.

The Artist Guesthouse 69 Street 178 Tel: 023 213 930 www.the-artist-guesthouse.com Located across from the National Museum, The Artist is an 11-bedroom guesthouse has a modern feel.

The Quay Sisowath Quay Tel: 023 224 894 www.thequayhotel.com Five-storey, 16-room riverside boutique hotel has beautiful contemporary rooms designed by Gary Fell. The stand-out features are the roof-top Jacuzzi and the very contemporary ground-floor bar and Chow Restaurant with WiFi. Tama Hotel Phnom Penh Tower – The H22 Phnom Penh Tower, 22nd Floor Tel: 023 964 020 www.d22h22.com Many of the rooms feature large windows allowing guests to easily take in the beautiful city view from your room on the 22nd floor of PPT. Room available from $25.

TEAV Boutique Hotel 14 Street 310 Tel: 023 981 818 / 017 989 191 Email: stay@teavgroup.com www.teavboutiquehotel.com Located in a quiet, peaceful setting in the prestigious central heart of Phnom Penh near the Independence Monument, the uniquely designed art deco style TEAV Boutique Hotel provides single travellers, couples, families, leisure and business with a relaxing and highly personalised stay.

Villa Borann 235A Street 19 Tel: 023 211 518 www.villa-borann-boutique-hotel.com Business boutique hotel in the historical centre of Phnom Penh with 14 rooms, swimming pool, bar and restaurant.

Nicely furnished rooms. Colonial style.

Villa Samnang 15 Street 302 Tel: 023 221 644 www.villa-samnang.com Boutique hotel with 14 rooms, swimming pool, bar and restaurant.

Villa Srey 16 Street 306 Tel: 023 213 219 www.villasrey.com Charming hotel, six rooms with terrace and swimming pool. Very quiet in the heart of Phnom Penh.

Phnom Penh - Budget Le Rit’s 71 Street 240 Tel: 023 213 160

Small & charming 6-room guesthouse with spacious rooms is managed by NYEMO NGO, part of its hospitality training.

Rooms equipped with queen-sized bed, cable TV, private bathroom.

Sihanoukville Café Sushi 25 Street Ekreach, near Golden Lion Tel: 012 777 476 (Khmer/English) 097 516 5727 (Japanese) Cafe Sushi serves up fresh sushi prepared by a master Japanese “itamae” in a stylish, air-conditioned lounge. Choose from an authentic range of sashimi, nigiri and other Japanese favourites, with both locally-caught and rare, imported fish, or go for more westernised choices. Open daily from 11am-2pm & 5.30pm-10pm.

Mick & Craig’s Restaurant Serendipity Beach Tel: 034 934 845 www.mickandcraigs.com A small, friendly restaurant serving comfort food from around the world since 1997. Open daily from 7am-11pm.

Reef Resort Road to Serendipity Beach Tel: 012 315 338 www.reefresort.com.kh Guesthouse set around a beautiful pool with well apportioned AC rooms, in-room safe and cable TV, family rooms also available. Has a welcoming bar with excellent TV screen.

Scuba Nation Lane off road to Serendipity Beach Tel: 012 604 680 / 012 715 785 www.divecambodia.com Five-star PADI centre offering daily trips to the area’s many islands and reefs, including the decent dive sites.

The Secret Garden Otres Beach Tel: 097 649 5131 www.secretgardenotres.com Modern beachside AC bungalows with hot water, TV, WiFi and swimming pool.

Restaurant run by professional Australian chef.

Travel Cambodia Uncovered 11B Street 370 Tel: 012 507 097 www.cambodiauncovered.com Offers village and cultural tours in Phnom Penh and surrounds including road trips, Mekong cruises, accommodation, cooking classes and other activities.

City Tour Hop on Hop off Tel: 016 745 880 Visit 10 popular attractions in Phnom Penh. Unlimited hop on hop off. English commentary, free Wifi and water. Departs hourly from the Night Market. Shuttle bus to Genocide Museum and Killing Fields: 9am and 11am from the Night Market.

Discover the Mekong Suite 1844, Canadia Tower 18th Floor Monivong Blvd.

Tel: 023 962 468 Email: dmc@discoverthemekong.travel Discover the Mekong offers unique adventures into the heart of Cambodia.

Exotissimo Travel 66 Norodom Blvd.

Tel: 023 218 948 www.exotissimo.com Excellent French-owned agency specialising in adventure tourism, flight bookings, package holidays and a range of tours of Southeast Asia.

Helicopters Cambodia 10 Street 310 Tel: 012 814 500 www.helicopterscambodia.com Over 12 years’ experience operating in the Kingdom offers scenic flights around

the Temples of Angkor and beyond. Is a wholly owned subsidiary of Helicopters New Zealand Group.

Intrepid Travel 468 Sivutha Blvd.

Tel: 063 966 655 For travellers with a yearning to get off the beaten track, Intrepid opens up a whole new world of adventure travel. With a huge variety of tours available.

Scuba Nation Lane off road to Serendipity Beach Tel: 012 604 680/012 715 785 www.divecambodia.com Five-star PADI centre offering daily trips to the area’s many islands and reefs including the decent dive sites at Koh Rung Samloem and Koh Kong.

Travel Indochina 43-44EO Street 108 Tel: 023 991 978 www.travelindochina.com.au Australian-owned travel company specialising in small group journeys around Asia that can tailor trips for individuals.

LISTINGS

siem reap Bars AHA The Passage Tel: 063 965 501 Sophisticated and beautifully designed wine bar selling a wide range of wines from around the world and tapas, as well as great cheese and Lavazza coffee.

Open 10.30am-10.30pm.

Angkor What?

Pub Street Tel: 012 181 4001 “Promoting irresponsible drinking since 1998,” this graffiti-laden bar is the mainstay of Pub Street. A healthy mix of loud rock, punk and grunge, buckets of vodka and red bull for $6.

Laundry Bar Old Market Extremely chilled music bar just off Pub Street with great mellow decor and extremely cool t-shirts. Free drink during the 6pm-9pm washing hours. Open 6pm until late.

Linga Bar Alley behind Pub Street Tel: 012 246 912 www.lingabar.com Laid back, gay-friendly bar with extremely chilled Buddha Bar tunes and amazing light boxes. Range of cocktails. Open 5pm until late.

Nest Sivutha Blvd. Tel: 063 966 381 Up-market drinking and dining, serving light Mediterranean and Asian food in a unique, highly stylised setting, with loungers and table settings.

The Warehouse Old Market Tel: 012 530 227 Popular expat bar plays great music with good fusion cuisine. Best stocked bar in town and homemade infused vodkas.

Open 10am-3am.

Galleries Diwo Galleries Vat Svay, Tonle Sap Road / between Monument Books and Ta Prohm Hotel.

Selection of refined Khmer statues and Buddhas. The larger Vat Svay location features a gallery exhibition of Thierry Diwo’s photography. Drinks are available in the garden and on the terrace.

Happy Cambodia Gallery 2 Hospital Street, next to Pub Street Tel: 063 963 114 www.happypainting.net The distinctive and highly colourful work created by long-time Cambodian expat artist Stef.

McDermott Gallery I & II FCC Complex Pokambor Avenue / Alley behind Pub Street Tel: 092 668 181 www.mcdermottgallery.com Two galleries devoted to photographic works. With permanent exhibition of photographs taken by John McDermott.

Open 10am-10pm.

Hotels Kingdom Angkor Hotel Tel: 063 760 526 Email: reservation@kingdomangkor.com or info@kingdomangkor.com www.kingdomangkor.com Lynnaya Urban River Resort & Spa Tel: 063 967 755 www.lynnaya.com A luxury resort equipped with swimming pool, spa and restaurant.

Prince D’Angkor Hotel & Spa Sivatha Blvd.

Tel: 063 763 888 Email: info@princedangkor.com www.princedangkor.com Experience ultimate luxury and bask in the splendor of elegance at the Prince D’ Angkor Hotel & Spa, the perfect base from which to explore the legendary Angkor temples.

Rambutan Hotels & Resorts Phum Wat Damnak, Kum Sala Komreuk, Krom 10 Tel: 012 654 638 / 063 766 655 Email: bookings@rambutansr.com www.rambutans.info The former Golden Banana resort has been rebranded but contains the same

deluxe suites and villas in modern Asian style build around a salt-water pool.

Private balcony or terrace with outdoor bathtub/splash shower. LBGT-friendly.

Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf & Spa Resort Vithei Charles de Gaulle Tel: 063 964 600 / 063 964 610 www.sofitel.com Ultimate in comfort and refinement, combining the traditional architecture of Cambodia with elegant French colonial style. Five-star accommodation, swimming pool, spa and international standard 18-hole 72-par golf course Sokkhak Boutique Resort Kok Chork village, Trorpeang Ses commune, Wat thmey Tel: 063 765 697 / 063 765 698 www.sokkhak-boutiqueresort.com Stay in either one of the two suites, four junior suites or five uniquely deluxe rooms and one classic standard room, decorated in a boutique and homely style that offers simplicity, comfort and relaxation.

Leisure Angkor Silk Farm Puok District (20min from Siem Reap downtown) Tel: 063 555 5768 www.artisansdangkor.com Learn about the meticulous process of silk-making and traditional silk weaving.

Free shuttle bus departing from Artisans Angkor’s shop in Siem Reap centre to the Angkor Silk Farm from 9.30am-1.30pm.

Open daily from 8am-5pm Helicopters Cambodia 658 Hup Quan Street.

Tel: 063 963 316 Professionally run company with flights over the temples and beyond in modern, safe helicopters.

Phare, The Cambodian Circus Behind Angkor National Museum on Komay Road Tel: 015 499 480.

A unique professional Cambodian theatrical circus show mixing traditional and modern artistic skills. Daily at 7.30pm.

Phokeethra Country Club Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Vithei Charles de Gaulle Tel: 056 396 4600 reservation.angkor@phokeethragolf.com International standard 18-hole, 72-par golf course 16km outside of Siem Reap.

Clubhouse facilities: pro shop, rental equipment, restaurant.

Sam Veasna Centre Wat Bo Area Tel: 063 963 710 Some of the rarest birds in Asia can be seen at Prek Toal and Ang Trapang Thmor, a day-trip from Siem Reap, or

Mezze 13a (1st floor) Street 11 Tel: 097 766 7343 mezze.siemreap@gmail.com www.mezzesiemreap.com Enjoy signature cocktails, original Cuban cigars, fine Champagne and fusion tapas.

Open daily 6pm-1am.

Miss Wong Lane off Pub Street Tel: 092 428 332 Imagine yourself in China at the turn of the last century and you won’t go much wrong in Miss Wong with excellent and original cocktails and dim sum. Open late.

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 55

combine bird watching with temple trips to Koh Ker and Beng Melea.

siem reap

Medical Royal Angkor International Hospital National Route 6, Phum Kasekam, Khum Sra Ngea Tel: 063 761 888 www.royalangkorhospital.com Royal Angkor International Hospital is part of the well-known Bangkok Hospital Network. Offering high quality care for all eventualities from routine care to emergency treatment 24 hours a day.

Pharmacies U-Care Pharmacies Old market Tel: 063 965 396 /Lucky Mall Tel: 063 966 68 / Siem Reap Airport Tel: 063 766049 / Sivatha Street Tel: 063 763 399 International cosmetic brands, leading imported health and beauty products, only certified medication. Open 8am-10pm.

Hidden Favourites Sarah Brown It’s no secret that Pub Street and the surrounding alleys and laneways are positively bursting with eating opportunities, with restaurants and ever-more streets stalls serving up everything from crocodile burgers and grilled water beetles, to frozen margaritas and piping hot pizzas. It really is a jungle out there, and if you can bring yourself to battle through the hordes, you’ll find food from every corner of the globe – though renditions may vary in their faithfulness.

If, however, fighting your way through large swathes of people and endless rows of tuk tuks starts to make your palms sweat – or you just don’t have the energy for it all – there are, thankfully, plenty of hidden dining gems located far from the madding crowd. One of my newest favourites is The White Fox – a charming little restaurant run by a KhmerJapanese couple. Located half-way down “Funky Lane” (the same road as Funky Flashpacker), The White Fox offers a delightfully brief menu of Khmer and Japanese favourites, including tonkatsu, goyoza and an incredible okonomiyaki. Opening times are from 5.45pm to 11pm.

Equally high on my list of favourites is the local noodle restaurant located opposite Lucky Mall, next to Black Sands café. While the interior

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Restaurants

may be nothing to write home about, this Thai-Khmer run restaurant serves up delicious noodle soup, as well as ginger and soy steamed fish and fried wontons that are as moreish as they are unhealthy.

There are only a few tables and they’re often full, but the soup is so good it’s definitely worth waiting for a seat.

A (thankfully) healthier hidden gem is the relatively new Veg G restaurant, which can be found on Wat Bo Road next to Hansa Bar-b-q (look out for the large carrot sign). The menu here is also on the short side, but every dish is so delicious that it doesn’t matter. My particular favourite is the lemon-bean fritters, though the croquettes and poached chicken have also been known to go down rather well. Prices are around the $5 mark, and the majority of dishes are meat-free.

Last on my list and furthest from the town centre is the newly opened Red Buff coffee shop, which can be found on Route 6 next to Lotus Blanc hotel. One step in the door and you feel more like you’re in Singapore than Siem Reap, with delicious and beautifully adorned cakes and iced coffees served in eco-friendly glass jars rather than plastic cups. This will no doubt be a hit with those looking for an Instagramworthy new hang-out spot.

Armand’s The Bistro 584-586 Tep Vong, Sangkat Svay Dangkom (Next to ANZ Bank) Phum Mondul 1 Tel: 092 305 401 A true bistro experience in a cosy woodpanelled space, despite the informal and relaxed ambience it has the menu to even satisfy high-rollers.

Chanrey Tree Pokombo Ave. Tel: 063 767 997 www.chanreytree.com Traditional Khmer food in a beautiful contemporary setting. Alongside the river, 50m before Preah Phrum Rath Pagoda.

Open daily. Lunch 11am-2.30pm, dinner 6pm-10.30pm.

Hot Stone Café Old Market area, next to Angkor trade center Tel: 012 926 562 / 063 966 966 Email: info@hotstonecafe.asia www.hotstonecafé.asia The hottest culinary concept in town, with two dining options, cook yourself BBQ selection and Khmer dining.

Il Forno Restaurant Siem Reap Paris Alley, off Pub Street Tel: 063 763 380 Come and try our wood fire pizza and our traditional homemade pastas. New air con room to cool off with a nice Italian wine and a charcuterie.

King’s Road Angkor 7 Makara Road, Achar Sva Street (opposite Old Market bridge) Tel: 093 811 800 www.kingsroadangkor.com A unique dining and shopping village in Siem Reap, comprising of 15 restaurants

and cafés and 12 boutiques.

Lava / Sushi Plus / Rio Tel: 085 330 093 / 063 962 952 Email: fb@riverbayvilla.com www.riverbayvilla.com Experience the flavors of the world under one roof. LAVA: sizzling specialized concept of oriental and creative international cuisine. SUSHI PLUS: cozy Japanese restaurant paying tribute to the origin of Sushi. RIO: the outdoor lounge filled with lazy loungers cushions.

Maharajah Indian Restaurant Next to Pub Street, Old Market.

Tel: 063 966 221 / 092 506 622 Authentic Indian vegetarian and nonvegetarian food. Maharajah believes that exclusivity with a touch of simplicity is important in the creation of every dish.

Open daily 11am–10pm.

Mahob Khmer Cuisine Tel: 017 550 206 / 063 966 986 Email: info@mahobkhmer.com www.mahobkhmer.com Mahob is the Cambodian word for ‘food’ serving traditional Khmer cuisine in the new level by using only the freshest local ingredients to tantalise your taste-buds.

Marum 8A-B Phum Slokram, (Between Wat Polanka & Catholic Church) Tel: 017 363 284 A winning mix of creative local cuisine.

Open from 11am-10.30pm (Kitchen closes at 9.30pm).

Palate Angkor Acha Sva Road, Wat Bo Village Tel: 063 965 252 www.palateangkor.com Palate Angkor restaurant and bar, is a recent addition to the Siem Reap culinary scene. Serving delectable Pan Asian cuisine. Open daily from 11.30am-11pm.

Shops Artisans Angkor Boutique and Workshops Stung Thmey Street (2min from the Old Market) Tel: 063 963 330 www.artisansdangkor.com Boutique offering collection of handmade souvenirs such as high-quality silk scarves, clothing and accessories, wooden and stone sculptures Free guided tours of the handicraft workshops.

Open daily from 7.30am-6.30pm Jasmine Boutique FCC Angkor, Pokambor Avenue Tel: 063 760 610 Same sophisticated, stylish boutique as on Street 240 in Phnom Penh.

Smateria The Alley West Tel: 063 964 343

www.smateria.com Boutique specialising in accessories made from recycled materials including a range of bags and wallets made from old cartons, plastic bags and mosquito nets.

Spas Body Tune 293-290 Pokambor Ave. (Next to the old market) Tel: 063 764 141 www.bodytune.co.th When you need to re-balance and rejuvenate your body in between daily routines, Body Tune is the perfect place to regain your energy. Open daily, from 10am-10.30pm.

Sokkhak Spa Sok San Street, Old Market Tel: 063 763 797 A nature-inspired décor with a tranquil atmosphere to relax, refresh and indulge.

Open daily 11am-10pm.

LISTINGS

food & drink Cafés Art Café 37 Sothearos Blvd. Tel: 012 834 517 Elegant bistro in the style of a European coffee house is now transposed to the Meta House with regular classical music performances.

Blue Pumpkin 245 Sisowath Quay, and at Monument Books on Norodom Blvd.Tel: 023 998 153 At multiple locations in Phnom Penh, serving breakfast sets, Asian and Western entrées and an array of ice cream flavours in air-conditioned comfort. Open daily from 6am-11pm.

Brown Coffee & Bakery 17 Street 214, and other locations throughout the city.

Tel: 023 217 262 Stylish, locally owned café with bakery on the premises serves a variety of coffees and pastries, with the green tea latte a house speciality. Open 7.30am8pm.

Café Le Point Tel: 077 974 921 Enjoy the cosy and relaxed atmosphere under a big mango tree. Located near KFC on Norodom Bvd, next to La Clef de Sol shop. Healthy, natural and delicious.

Open Monday to Saturday, from 7am7pm.

Café Yejj 170 Street 450 Tel: 012 543 360 / 092 600 750 Quiet, cosy café serving bistro-style Western cuisine, with extensive range of coffees, pasta dishes, pannini and wraps and fabulous cheesecake, making this an ideal spot to escape the bustle of the nearby Russian Market. Open every day from 7am-9pm.

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf 30 Street 57 Tel: 023 988 027 Peaceful coffee shop with different locations in town (BKK1, Phnom Penh Tower, Vattanac Tower & Aeon Mall)

provides you good quality products and excellent service.

Cupcake Rush 23A Street 57/306 Tel: 087 696 988 Sweet treats galore at this cute, specialist cupcake shop. Open daily from 8am-8pm.

Daughters of Cambodia 65E0 Street 178 / 130A Street 430 Tel: 077 657 678 www.daughtersofcambodia.org The café serve light lunches, a few main courses, home baked goods, desserts, coffee and some original smoothies.

Provides vocational training, where trainees have the opportunity to graduate to top end restaurants and hotels.

There’s also a shop selling clothing, accessories and jewellery made on site, or relax in the spa which offers head, shoulder, face and foot treatments. The Street 430 venue also has a children’s play area.

Gloria Jean’s Corner of Street 51 & Street 310 Tel: 092 404 365 Sisowath Quay along Phnom Penh Port Tel: 092 555 973 Canadia Tower Monivong Blvd.

Tel: 092 555 937 Popular coffee shop that serves hot and cold drinks and snacks. A great place to chill and relax, or to catch up with all those lost emails.

Java Café & Gallery 56 Sihanouk Blvd. Tel: 023 987 420 Great coffees, salads, mix-and-match sandwiches and juices served in an elegant setting. The upstairs terrace, overlooking the Independence Monument, is a good place to watch the chaos below, while the downstairs space is a great place for coffee and catching up on your emails. Has exhibitions both upstairs and down. Open 7am-10pm.

Kiriya Café 174, St.51, Cnr St.370 Tel: 016 363 730.

This Japanese café chain offers good locally sourced coffee, delicious desserts and a relaxing atmosphere. Open daily 6am-2am.

The Deli 13 Street 178.

Tel: 012 851 234 Chic delicatessen, bakery and small restaurant serving excellent bread and pastries, with take-away menu. Open from 7am-9pm (closed Sun).

The Shop 39 Street 240, Tel: 092 955 963 / 023 986 964 Stylish café, with a wide range of fresh bread, tempting patisseries and juices, excellent salads and sandwiches.

Crowded at lunchtime, but the small, cool courtyard at the back creates a perfect haven from the sun. Has a Chocolate Shop three doors along, and a second outlet in Tuol Kork. Open 7am7pm Mon to Sat, 7am-3pm Sun.

Cambodian Dot Grill 8 Street 144 Tel: 023 996 402 Dot serves delicious Cambodian grill specialties, prepared and served on large skewers made to order on an open grill in the restaurant’s centre. The menu includes the best of local cuisine as well as international all-time favourites. Open daily from 7.30am–10pm.

Garuda Khmer Restaurant 21 Street 466 Tel: 092 877 345 / 092 710 097 Authentic homemade Khmer cuisine

served at International standard and a museum where you can eat. Open daily from 11.30pm–2:30pm and 5pm-10pm.

Khmer Surin 9 Street 57 Tel: 012 887 320 Elegant restaurant featuring wood and silk décor with a tropical garden that serves Cambodian and Thai favourites.

Dishes are well prepared and large enough to share.

La Table Khmère 11E Street 278 Tel: 012 238 068 www.la-table-khmere.com Taste the flavour of traditional Khmer specialities and fusion cuisine in a stylish ambience and atmosphere on Street 278. Also serving Western dishes. Open daily from 11am-11pm.

Malis 136 Norodom Bvd Tel: 023 221 022 www.malis-restaurant.com Beautiful modern Khmer restaurant with a courtyard set around narrow water channels and decorated with terracotta floor tiles. Has air-con rooms inside for those who find the midday sun too much. The cuisine is modern Khmer, with no MSG. Open 6am-10pm.

Restaurant Le Royal Raffles Hotel Le Royal Tel: 023 981 888 (see also restaurants, French) Romdeng 74 Street 174 Tel: 092 219 565 Romdeng serves Cambodian food that ranges from almost forgotten recipes from the provinces to contemporary creative Cambodian cuisine. It is set in a beautiful colonial building featuring wooden carvings, tables, chairs and unique lights all hand-made in Cambodia. Open daily from 11am10.30pm (kitchen closes at 9.30pm).

Chinese Emperors of China 19 Street 163 Tel: 097 929 2699 Up-market Chinese restaurant, popular with the capital’s large Chinese community, private dining rooms, specialises in Peking duck and dim sum.

Fortune Palace NagaWorld, Hun Sen Park Chinese restaurant with authentic Greater Chinese cuisine and all-you-caneat Dim Sum buffet on Sundays. Open from 11am-3pm and 5pm-10pm.

Fu Lu Zu Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra 26 Old August Site, Sothearos Blvd Tel: 023 999 200 x 6613 Elegant Chinese restaurant specialising in contemporary Cantonese delicacies and dim sum with private rooms for intimate ambience. Open from 11.30am2.30pm and 6.30pm-10.30pm. Dim Sum weekend from 8am-2.30pm.

Hua Nam 753 Monivong Bvd. Tel: 023 364 005 Large Chinese restaurant that specialises in seafood and duck and has a good selection of wines, with VIP rooms. Open 11am-2pm and 5pm-10pm Sam Doo 56-58 Kampuchea Krom Tel: 023 218 773 The place for dim sum in Phnom Penh, baskets of steamed prawn dumplings, pork buns and more go for a pittance.

The wonton soup and other tasty meals are a steal. Open 7am-2am.

Tsui Wah

157 Street 63 Tel: 023 986 133 Offers a variety of roasted meats, including duck, pork and goose. Open 21 hours, serving Hong-Kong-influenced food. Open daily from 6am-3am.

World Dining 2/F Aeon Mall, 132 Samdach Sothearos Blvd, Tel: 023 90 17 77 Food Court that brings streetfood to the sanctuary of the Mall with 12 booths serving food from Cambodia and around the World. The Cambodian cuisine includes some fantastic, fresh and cheap bahn chhev pancakes, while there are steaks, Indian, Italian, Singapore chicken and rice, pho and chinese food from Yi Sang as cosmopolitan alternatives. Open 9am to 10pm.

Xiang Palace InterContinental Phnom Penh 2/F, 296 Mao Tse Toung Blvd Tel: 023 424 888 x 3562 Xiang Palace is locally acclaimed for its authentic Cantonese cuisine and delicious dim sum, all prepared with the finest ingredients. Open daily for lunch and dinner.

Yi Sang Chinese Restaurant 128F Sothearos Blvd Tel: 023 220 922 www.almondhotel.com.kh Set on the ground floor of the Almond Hotel, this stylish restaurant specialises in Cantonese food that fuses the traditional with the contemporary, including excellent dim sum. Open from 6.30am-10am, 11.30am-2pm and 5.30pm-10pm. Dim Sum not served in the evening.

French Armand’s The Bistro 33 Street 108 Tel: 015 548 966 A true bistro experience in a cosy woodpanelled space, despite the informal and relaxed ambience it has the menu to even satisfy high-rollers. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 5pm-11.45pm.

Comme à la Maison 13 Street 57 Tel: 012 951 869 www.commealamaison-delicatessen.com Sophisticated French restaurant with a beautiful outdoor terrace area at the front, yet secluded from the street. One of the best French kitchens in town.

Small delicatessen at the back of the restaurant. Open daily from 6am10.30pm.

The D22 Dining & Bar Phnom Penh Tower 22nd Floor – Inside Tama Hotel Phnom Penh Tel: 023 964 021 The dining offers French bistro cuisine where you get to enjoy the dishes that go well with wines. The bar has a great selection of wines and also offers cigars that can add spice to your night. Dining 6.30pm-10pm, bar 4.30pm-midnight.

K West 1 Street 154, cnr. Sisowath Quay Tel: 023 214 747 Stylish aircon bar and restaurant below the Amanjaya with an excellent steak menu and good value happy hour from 6pm-8pm Fridays. Now has a brasserie menu with daily specials. Also has free WiFi. Open 6.30am until midnight.

La Marmite Cnr Streets 108 & 51 Tel: 012 391 746 This small, reasonably priced French bistro has two adjoining rooms (one non-smoking) creating a relaxed, cosy atmosphere. Serves excellent fish, steaks and offal as well as daily specials, for a taste of real home-cooked French cuisine.

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Open 11am-2.30pm, 6pm-10.30pm.

La Residence Restaurant 22/24 Street 214 Tel: 023 224 582 Fine dining on an international scale in this sophisticated restaurant, where French classics meet gourmet, modern cuisine. Open from 11.30am-2pm and 6.30pm-10.30pm.

Le Bistrot 218 Street 184 Tel: 012 495 841 information@institutfrançais-cambodge. com.

Nestled inside the entirely renovated spaces of the Institut Français, Le Bistrot offers great coffee break, lunches and dinner. Le Bistrot is between the media library, cinema, exhibition gallery and garden of the Institut Français. Open Monday to Saturday from 8am-10pm.

Le Gourmet NagaWorld Hotel and Casino, Hun Sen Park.

Tel: 023 228 822 Quality ingredients come together in beautiful presentation on the plate, with the luxury of the surroundings complemented by professional and attentive service. Open daily from 12pm3pm and 6pm-10pm.

Restaurant Le Royal Raffles Hotel Le Royal Tel: 023 981 888 www.raffles.com Treat yourself to the finest French & Khmer cuisine in one of Indochina’s most elegant restaurants. The Chef’s Degustation menu allows you to try a myriad of dishes in a single meal in a refined atmosphere. Private rooms are available on request. Open from 6.30pm10.30pm.

The Wine Restaurant 219 Street 19 Tel: 023 223 527 Excellent fine dining restaurant in the same grounds as Open Wine deli. The fresh food and extensive selection of wines make this one of the exclusive places to dine in town. The set lunch is one of the most attractive packages on offer.

Topaz 182 Norodom Blvd.

Tel: 012 346 555 / 023 221 622 Sophisticated, air-con restaurant with outside dining, upstairs bar, wine shop, cigar room and private rooms. One of Phnom Penh’s finest restaurants. Has a popular piano bar, night club upstairs.

Open 11am-2pm, 6pm-11pm.

Van’s Restaurant 5 Street 102 Tel: 023 722 067 French fine-dining in a grand setting awaits at Van’s, located on the second floor of a well preserved colonial-era building near the Post Office. Has an excellent value set lunch. Open daily 11.30am-2.30pm, 5pm-10.30pm.

Indian Sub-Continent Dosa Corner 15 Street 51 Tel: 012 673 276 This small South Indian restaurant has a wide range of very good value dosa as well as thali and biryani dishes. Airconditioned. Open 7am-10pm.

Flavours of India 158 Street 63 Tel: 012 886 374 Relaxing Indian and Nepalese restaurant with friendly staff and a good range of dishes including good value vegetarian and meat thalis. Open 10am-11pm.

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Indian Delight 115Eo Sisowath Quay Tel: 023 724 885 / 098 776 543

Delicious North Indian tastes served at a modest yet clean and bright spot on the riverside. Opposite Titanic restaurant.

Open daily 11am–11pm.

Sher e Punjab 16 Street 130, Phnom Penh.

Tel: 092 992 901 Phnom Penh is blessed with a vast array of Indian kitchens, but many expats put this small place at the top of their list. Top Indian food, with an authentic Tandoori oven producing fine breads and grilled meats, also excellent for veggies. Open daily, 10am-10pm.

Indochine / Pan-Asian Indochine NagaWorld, Hun Sen Park With a focus on Southeast Asian cuisine, Indochine offers traditional dishes from Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand in a sophisticated space. Open 11am-11pm.

Lan Pin 281 Norodom Boulevard, Phnom Penh.

Tel: 077 221 195 Located in Tai Ming Hotel, this restaurant serves up sumptuous Asian fusion cuisine.

Lemongrass 14 Street 130 Tel: 023 222 705 A boutique Asian-themed restaurant with an intimate, casual ambiance featuring classical Thai and Khmer cuisine with affordable price. Known for authentic flavours and attractive presentation, only the best local produce and choice seafood and meats are prepared fresh daily. Open daily 10am-10pm.

Ngon 60 Sihanouk Blvd Tel: 023 987 151 www.ngonpnh.com Open air restaurant that features a vast range of Vietnamese food in a garden environment.

Pangea Fusion Restaurant NagaWorld Hotel and Casino, Hun Sen Park Tel: 023 228 822 Pan-Asian fusion restaurant with a western flair that specialises in allyou-can-eat dinner buffets. Open daily 6am-10.30pm.

International Aussie XL Café 205A Street 51 Tel: 023 301 301 Aussie style bistro food with quick lunch menu and a good selection of house wines and retail wines. Open 7am-11pm.

Black Bambu 29 Street 228, Phnom Penh.

Tel: 023 966 895 A not-for-profit training restaurant set up

by Cambodian’s Children’s Fun, focusing on fine dining in the form of tapas-style food. With Al Schaaf in the kitchen you can be assured of the quality of the food on offer. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 8.30am to 11pm.

Brooklyn Pizza + Bistro 20 Street 123 Tel: 089 925 926 A slice of Brooklyn right here in Phnom Penh. In addition to authentic pizza, Brooklyn serves pastas, burgers, ribs, chicken wings and more.

Cabaret 159 Street 154 (near Central Market) Tel: 092 650 980 Email: info@cabaret-restaurant.com Restaurant and lounge bar with live music. Enjoy trendy food, tapas, cocktails and wine in a modern setting encompassing two elegant areas, bar and patio. Fine and casual dining available. Live music four to five times a week, sumptuous variety of wine and cigars.

recipe

Café Monivong Raffles Hotel Le Royal Tel: 023 981 888 Wicker armchairs and marble tables covered with crisp white tablecloths create the perfect place to relax and linger over a delightful alfresco breakfast, lunch or dinner. Western and Asian cuisines are available buffet-style or a la carte. Private rooms are available on request. Buffet from 6am-10am, 12pm2.30pm, 6pm-10pm. A la carte from 11am-11pm.

The Chinese House 45 Sisowath Quay, Phnom Penh.

Tel: 092 553 330 Under new management and having undergone a radical revamp, Chinese House has a fine dining restaurant upstairs serving fusion food, and a bar space downstairs, serving tapas. Still has the uber-cool vibe created by the previous management.

ToTo Ramen Restaurant

ToTo Ramen, Norodom Bloulevard, in front of Maruhan Bank, and inside TK Avenu Mall, opposite Brown Coffee.

Tel: 088 780 8080

Tebasaki Fried Chicken Wings Ingredients

- 5 chicken wings - pinch of salt - pinch of ground white pepper - Shoyu 30g - Sake 30g - Mirin 30g - sugar 8g - grated ginger 1tsp - vinegar 1tsp - ground chili 1tsp - tapioca flour 30g - wheat flour 20g - cooking oil 500g - roasted white sesame 1tsp

Method

1. Patch dry chicken wings and season with pepper and salt 2. Coat with tapioca flour and wheat flour 3. Deep fry in hot cooking oil 4. Mix shoyu, sake, mirin, sugar, ginger, garlic, pepper and vinegar and bring to boil 5. When chicken wings are cooked, reduce the sauce and mix well 6. Place on the plate and sprinkle with ground chili and sesame.

Recipes provided by members of:

Doors Restaurant 18, Street 47 & 84.

Tel: 023 986 114 www.doorspp.com A hub for music, art, nightlife and food.

Experience world class Spanish cuisine and mouthwatering Tapas cooked by our resident chef. Open 11am until late.

Duplex 3 Street 278 www.duplex.com.kh A Belgian beer tavern in the heart of Phnom Penh. A destination that fuses the elements of a lounge with high energy ambiance.

Est Bar 19z, Street 214 Tel: 023 998 227 Email: indulge@estbar.com www.estbar.com (See bars) FCC Phnom Penh 363 Sisowath Quay Tel: 023 724 014 The first stop for newcomers and it’s easy to see why. Set in a beautiful colonial house with sumptuous views across the river on one side and the National Museum to the other, it’s best to come at sunset when the streets below are most crowded, and enjoy the happy hour. Open daily from 7am-midnight.

Fish Sisowath Quay (cnr of Street 108) Tel: 023 222 685 www.fishphnompenh.com Contemporary, modern restaurant specialising in all things oceanic. Menu includes everything from lobster through sushi to gourmet fish and chips for upmarket, but reasonable prices. Open 7am-late.

Fox Wine Bistro 104 Sothearos Blvd & St. 266.

Tel: 098 78 99 61 Casual wine-dining. For passionate food and wine lovers who want an unforgettable dining experience or even just a place to hang-out that’s unlike elsewhere in Phnom Penh. Serving simple yet thoughtful dishes and drinks in a comfortable, hip and trendy atmosphere.

Friends the Restaurant 215 Street 13 Tel: 012 802 072 Friends the Restaurant is a training restaurant run by Mith Samlanh, which has worked to build the futures of former street children and marginalised young people in Phnom Penh since 1994.

Located near the National Museum, it is famous for its legendary frozen shakes and daiquiris and its delicious blend of Asian and Western-style tapas. Free WiFi available and a dog-friendly restaurant.

Open daily from 11am–10.30pm (kitchen closes at 9.30pm).

Hummus House 95 Sisowath Quay Tel: 092 483 759 Authentic Lebanese halal cuisine, offering Middle East flavours including mezze tapas – hummus, shish kebab, baba ganouj, falafel, vegetarian and non-vegetarian kebab wraps. Delivery, takeaway, catering. Open daily from 10am until late.

Irina Russian Restaurant 22 Street 29 Tel: 012 833 524 / 092 833 524 www.irinacambodia.com Russian restaurant of iconic Phnom Penh status. If you can walk out of the restaurant after hitting the vodkas then you are doing well. Open daily from 11am until the vodka runs out.

Java Café & Gallery 56 Sihanouk Blvd Tel: 023 987 420 www.javaarts.org (See cafés) La Coupole Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra 26 Old August Site, Sothearos Blvd.

Tel: 023 999 200 www.sofitel.com Casual and authentic Indochinese and French cuisine with live cooking by chefs in an open kitchen concept. Offers breakfast, lunch, dinner and the Sunday brunch, all set in a stunning restaurant with high ceilings and natural light.

La Croisette 241 Sisowath Quay Tel: 023 220 554 Riverfront restaurant with an ample outside dining area screened off by trees that serves good, reasonably-priced food, also has a cool, air-con restaurant inside. Often arranges special events.

Open 7am-late.

La Plaza Spanish Tapas Bar 22b Street 278 Tel: 012 825 443 Recreates to perfection the best known and most delicious Spanish tapas, making of seafood Paella its signature dish. Tapas are the result of hundreds of years of Spanish culinary history and evolution. Simple, tasty and healthy dishes have become a standard to be enjoyed with friends while drinking large amounts of sangría. Open 11am-2pm, 5pm-10pm. All day at weekends.

LA Rose Restaurant 164b Norodom Blvd Tel: 023 211 130 / 080 900 900 Revive your strength and restore your health with La Rose Restaurant’s healthy option menu. Cozy ground floor restaurant with experienced chefs serving both Asian and Western cuisine.

Lime Restaurant + Bar 79F Street 128 Tel: 023 998 608/ 610 Email: info@lebizhotel.com, www.lebizhotel.com Located in Lebiz Hotel Lime serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, offering a stylish mix of Asian and Western favourites with a focus on fresh, healthy and local ingredients, with regular changes to the menu.

Lone Pine Café 14 Street 282 Tel: 078 949 398/095 949 398 Colossal burgers, Memphis hunk ribs, Cajun gumbo, spicy chili, root beer barbecue pulled pork, po boys, wings, big salads, best beer list, great bourbons and fantastic margaritas. Open daily from 11.30am-2pm, 6pm-10pm (evenings only on Sunday).

Lotus Blanc 152 Street 51 Tel: 017 602 251

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Run by local NGO Pour un Sourire d’Enfant, this centrally located training restaurant has a monthly changing lunch menu as well as a la carte Khmer dishes.

Serves both Asian and continental breakfast. Open Monday to Saturday, 7am-10pm.

imbibe

Meat & Drink Street 308 alleyway Bar and grill. A casual setting for drinks and a bite to eat. No reservations. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 5pm-11pm.

The Old Nouveau Conjecture Darren Gall Most people know Beaujolais for its “nouveau” wine, the first wine of the new vintage which was sent down from the hills and into villages as a celebration of the end of the harvest. None of the 10 “Great Growth Cru” of Beaujolais provide any fruit for these wines, which only comes from the inferior Beaujolais Cru and Beaujolais Village Cru vineyards.

Several producers saw this as a way of moving large volumes of ordinary wine and getting quick cash into their wineries – a very attractive proposition after the high costs of harvest in one of few regions that insists all grapes are hand-picked.

The wine might be average at best but, the short-term financial opportunity was too good to refuse for many.

After the Second World War, this practice evolved into a race to get the first bottles of Beaujolais Nouveau into the markets across Europe, all of a sudden the wine was being airfreighted around the world, at sky high prices.

It has long been the opinion of many wine critics, including myself, that this has done incalculable damage to the region’s status and as a result, its long-term financial returns.

Dominique Piron’s family history in Beaujolais dates back 14 generations to 1590, he is one of the driving forces behind the Beaujolais push towards

small parcel, high quality, terrior specific Beaujolais wines.

The red wines of Beaujolais are 100 percent Gamay, an ancient hybrid variety that is a cross between Pinot Noir and Gouais Blanc. Amongst the higher graded appellations more serious and enjoyable wines are being made in the fruit driven and refreshing, to the richly flavoured and rewarding spectrum.

At a recent tasting I was fortunate enough to sample two very fine examples of Dominique Piron’s wine.

Saint Amour, 2014: Aromas are perfumed, offering up cherry syrup, red currents and mild spice. On the palate is a light bodied, fruity red wine that shows purity, brilliance and vibrancy; the bright fruit dances along the palate leading to minerals and crisp acidity on a finish that is clean and fresh.

Morgon Cote du Puy, 2014: A bold and majestic Beaujolais of the highest quality; dark and brooding with depth and refinement. The palate shows impressive depth and intensity of flavour, with a tight structure and mineral acidity, a seriously impressive Beaujolais and a great Cru Morgon.

These are wines that can also be chilled and suit a range of dishes from cheeses and cured meats to small game and strongly flavoured fish, such as tuna and salmon.

Darren Gall has spent a quarter of a century involved in virtually every aspect of the wine industry and the passionate pursuit of the next great bottle continues. gall.darren@yahoo.com.

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Metro Café Cnr Sisowath Quay & Street 148 Tel: 023 222 275 Cool east-meets-west decor and a chic menu offering tapas, starters and mains, comprehensive cocktail menu, favourite among which is the Espresso Martini, Metro also offers a range of classic breakfasts and an elegant lunch spot with free wifi in an air-con and smoke-free (until 10pm) atmosphere. Open daily 9.30am-1am.

Mike’s Burger House Russian Blvd. Tel: 012 633 971 Hugely popular burger bar that serves food with plastic knives and forks and equally plastic French fries with cheese sauce. Ideal for those who believe that American culture starts with a Mc. New York Steakhouse 264 Street 63 (cnr Mao Tse Tung Blvd.)

Tel: 023 987 500 Indulge in a seductive dining experience in the famed Phnom Penh Steak restaurant. The innovative menu features New-York Steakhouse signature prime cuts of beef charred to perfection accompanied by decadent sides and desserts.

Open Daily from 11am-2pm and 3pmmidnight.

Ocean 11 Street 288. Tel: 017 766 690 European managed Mediterranean restaurant that dishes up some of the best fish and seafood in town. Try the red snapper or the squid with rocket. Often has exhibitions around the understated walls.

One More Pub 16E Street 294 Tel: 017 327 378. (see bars) Oscar Bistro 159 Sisowath Quay Tel: 023 215 179 The popular Bangkok Soi 11 bistro has made its way to the Cambodian capital with its familiar formula of great pizzas, classy cocktails and good wine. Expect the DJs to pump out the beats as you consider where to carry on the evening.

Ozone Poolside Restaurant & Bar Floor 5b, Rose Condo, Bassac Gardens Tel: 092 673 303 Ozone is the new restaurant and bar next to the pool and gym at Rose Condo.

New York style pizza, steaks, premium burgers and more. Enjoy Al Fresco dining or have food delivered to your door.

Paddy Rice 213-217 Sisowath Quay Tel: 023 990 321 www.paddyrice.net (See bars) Petra 8 Street 288 (between St 51 & St 57) Tel: 023 666 3222 / 089 990 150 Authentic Arabic cuisine, ambiance and chef with rooftop shisha lounge. Located in the heart of BKK1. Special dining experiences with great costumes. Open daily from 10am–11pm.

Public House Street 240 1/2 Tel: 017 770 754

Offering fresh, simple and delicious cuisine set in a modern take on a pub. Open daily, from 11.30am-late (Saturdays from 10.30am and Sunday brunch).

Regency Cafe InterContinental Phnom Penh 296 Mao Tse Tung Blvd.

Tel: 023 424 888 ext. 3603 Regency Cafe features sumptuous international and Asian buffets as well as a la carte dining for the most discerning palates. Open daily from 6am-10.30pm Restaurant Tell 13 Street 90 Tel: 023 430 650 Up-market eatery that re-creates the genuine feel of an Alpine chalet, has a spacious indoor restaurant and outdoor terrace with rotisserie and bar. European menu with imported steaks, fondue, raclette and an extensive wine list. Open 11.30am-2pm, 5pm11pm.

Rising Sun 20 Street 178.

Tel: 012 970 718 (see bars) Riverside Bistro Cnr. Sisowath Quay & Street 148 Tel: 012 277 882/ 023 213 898 Popular restaurant with expats and tourists alike mainly due to its large outdoor terrace area to view the river.

Serves a mixture of Asian and western food with an emphasis on German cuisine. Has rock music videos and a pool table in the music bar at the back.

Open from 7am-2am.

Riverhouse Asian Bistro 157 Sisowath Quay Tel: 023 212 302 www.riverhousecambodia.com Well known as one of the oldest French colonial buildings on the riverfront with breezy views along the Tonle Sap & Mekong River. The elegant restaurant and bar offers a special beverage menu, featuring delectable cocktails, quality wines, single malts and freshly squeezed juices. Open daily from 10am-2am Samba Brazilian Steakhouse 64 Sihanouk Blvd.

Tel: 023 222 599 Experience the unique Brazilian Churrasco way of cooking with a large variety of meats skewered and roasted to perfection and served piping hot direct from the skewers to your plate! Open daily 11am-3pm, 5pm-10.30pm.

Stella Restaurant 55 Street 75 Tel: 099 574 188 / 012 735 002 A cozy restaurant located near Wat Phnom, Stella serves pizzas, grilled food and Asian cuisine in a peaceful garden atmosphere.

Steve’s Steakhouse 8 Street 240 Tel: 023 987 320 Longstanding restaurant specialising in local grain-fed beef as well as a large variety of imported steaks, hamburgers, ribs and Greek cuisine. Has a terraced lounge with pool tables upstairs as well as a sports bar with large screen TV and happy hour from 12pm-7pm. Open daily from 11am-10.30pm.

Stockholm European Restaurant 45 Street 288 (between Streets 63 & Monivong Blvd) Tel: 081 845 957 A warm welcome to everyone who wants to try a home-made Swedish and other European meals. It is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Closed on Sunday.

Stonegrill 649 Sisovath Quay

Tel: 023 999 950 www.stonegrill.com.kh Stonegrill offers a unique interactive dining experience where diners meals are served cooking at the table on natural volcanic stones heated to 400C (752F).

Open daily 11am-midnight.

Sunset Blvd Cnr. Sisowath Quay & Street 148 Tel: 012 277 882 / 012 887 702 River crossing sets off from Riverside Bistro every 30 minutes to this 50s style retro bistro, near Sokha Hotel, Tickets $4.

The Exchange/The Vault 28 Street 47 Tel: 078 886 889 Large colonial mansion contains The Vault, Phnom Penh’s first private member’s club for those who have $1000 to burn. Underneath, the Exchange has elegant exposed brickwork and low lighting as well as an impressive fusion menu.

Open daily, 10am-midnight.

The Tiger’s Eye 49 Sothearos Boulevard After Common Tiger closed its doors in October, chef Timothy Bruyns’ latest venture comes in the form of The Tiger’s Eye, serving up his innovative dishes from the former home of Duck.

The Quay 277 Sisowath Quay Tel: 023 224 894 Food is a mix of tapas and more substantial offerings, and excellent malbec. Roof-top bar closed for refurbishment. Open daily from 7am11pm.

The Lost Room 43 Street 21 Tel: 078 700 001 A hidden gem, with eclectic food in an urbane environment. This small restaurant and bar offers small plates of food for sharing. Using imported and local foods, the menu encompasses global foods and unique cocktail and wine listings at reasonable prices.

Caring and experienced staff makes for a pleasant evening. Open from 5pm, Monday to Saturday. Kitchen closes at 10pm. Lunch by appointment only.

The Shop 102 1B Street 102 (Inside Central Mansion) Tel: 077 666 115 The Shop restaurant proposes a large range of fresh bread, pastries, chocolates, Western and Asian food.

At night time, the atmosphere becomes cozier and offers a selection of fine wines and cocktails to accompany the dinner menu. Customers have access to the nearby swimming pool, making it the perfect place for families.

World Dining 2/F Aeon Mall, 132 Samdach Sothearos Blvd, Tel: 023 90 17 77 (See restaurants Cambodia) Zino Wine Bar and Restaurant 12 Street 294 Tel: 023 998 519 Zino offers a comprehensive wine list by the glass and bottle, professionally made cocktails and a constantly evolving Mediterranean and Asian menu. Open daily for lunch and dinner. Kitchen closes at 11pm.

Italian Aria D’Italia 41EO Street 310.

Tel: 012 840 705 Cute little Italian pizzeria tucked away between Street 57 and Street 63. Wellpriced lunch set menu and homemade ravioli. Home delivery available. Open 10.30am-2pm, 5.30pm-10pm.

Bistro Romano NagaWorld Hotel and Casino, Hun Sen Park Tel: 023 228 822 Best known for its sumptuous Sunday Prosecco Brunch, this stylised Italian restaurant in the NagaWorld complex specialises in Italian cuisine. Open daily 11am-11pm.

Café Monivong Raffles Hotel Le Royal.

Tel: 023 981 888 Indulge in homemade antipasti, fresh prepared pasta and risotto as well as oven-baked, crispy pizzas and pair it all with the finest selection of Italian wines, every Saturday night 6pm-10pm.

Do Forni Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra 26 Sothearos Blvd.

Tel: 023 999 200 Sophisticated Italian diner set in the grounds of the Sofitel hotel, dishes up much more than your basic pizza and pasta. Excellent range of wines, dimmed lighting and plush surroundings make this an excellent romantic meal for two option.

Open daily 6.30pm-10pm.

Genova Italian Restaurant 20 Street 118. Tel: 012 390 039 This small restaurant has the feel of an Italian trattoria with food just like mamma made. The spaghetti al pesto Genovese is its signature dish. Good range of meat and fish dishes as well as some Khmer dishes. Open daily 10am-midnight.

Il Forno Restaurant Phnom Penh 11 Street 302 Tel: 081 660 515 Traditional imported ingredients from Italy to keep all of recipes 100 percent Italian.

Wine bar for nice aperitivo, lunch special menus and weekly specials for dinner.

Italian House 2 Street 312 (end of Street 9) Tel: 092 230 207 Italian chef. Wooden fire oven. Pizzeria, antipasti, pasta, salads, desserts, offering delivery and catering around BKK I area.

Open daily from 5.30pm-10.30pm.

La Volpaia 20–22 Street 13 Tel: 023 992 739 Part of a global pizzeria chain that includes Florence, Tokyo, Seoul and Phnom Penh, the cuisine is excellent with pizza and pasta cooked fresh in front of your eyes.

Luna 6C Street 29 Tel: 023 220 895 Stunning garden courtyard with day beds and couches as well as outdoor tables and chairs or air-conditioned interior.

Excellent homemade pasta, wood fired pizza and contemporary Italian cuisine.

Great selection of wines from climate controlled cellar. Now also offering brunch on weekends.

Pop Café da Giorgio 371 Sisowath Quay Tel: 012 562 892 Sophisticated, small Italian restaurant located next to the FCC that serves light, contemporary Italian cuisine including fresh pasta and pizzas. Delivery service available – last orders 9.30pm. Open daily 11.30am-2.30pm, 6pm-10pm.

Terrazza 1c Street 282.

Tel: 023 214 660 www.terrazza.asia Experience Italy in Phnom Penh. Fine Italian restaurant and Deli shop. Open daily from noon-10pm, deli shop, 9am9pm.

Japanese & Korean Fusion Sushi

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& Bar that has slightly different dining hours; open 11am-11pm.

Mexican food and burgers. Open 7ammidnight.

Noodle Bar Osan 27b, Street 294, BKK1 Tel: 097 932 7067 The best Japanese ramen noodle restaurant in Phnom Penh offering you food prepared by a master ramen Chef from Japan who was featured in various TV shows in Japan as one of the leading Ramen chefs. Lunch 11.30am-2pm and dinner 5.30pm-11pm.

Taqueria Corona 14E Street 51 Tel: 089 281 626 / 012 629 986 Enjoy our Mexican specialties, barbacoa, al pastor, Texas chile, carnitas, pollo and carne asoda in our festive dining room.

Open daily from 11.30am-2pm, 6pm10pm (Sunday evenings only).

Origami 88 Sothearos Bvd. Tel: 012 968 095 Up-market, contemporary Japanese restaurant with a spacious air-con area downstairs and four private rooms upstairs. Specialises in sushi and tempura, and has Asahi, Kirin and Sapporo beers. Open daily 11.30am2pm, 5.30pm-9.30pm.

Pepper Lunch AEON Mall, Phnom Penh.

Tel: 015 888 178 www.pepperlunch.com.kh Tasty sound on the hot plate. Well-known beef pepper rice, curry with meat, combo menu of meat and fish. Open daily from 9am-10pm Udon Café Green Bowl 29B Street 288 Tel: 086 426 530 Freshly made Sanuki-style udon noodles offer a real taste of Japan. Noodles and accompanying soups and sauces are prepared from scratch using traditional methods and fresh ingredients. Open from 11am-2.30pm and 5.30pm-9pm.

Closed every second Wednesday.

Cnr. Streets 47 & 84 Tel: 023 986 114 Located inside Cara Hotel this beautifully decorated restaurant dishes up excellent Japanese and Korean food.

Hachi Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra 26 Sothearos Blvd Tel: 023 999 200 ext: 6612 A taste of Japan in a Zen atmosphere with tatami rooms and sushi bar. Open daily, 11.30am-2.30pm, 6.30pm10.30pm.

Kan Ji Japanese Restaurant 128f Sothearos Blvd.

Tel: 016 318 383 / 016 312 828.

Kan Ji is three floors of Japanese culinary delight in a bright and modern setting.

Open for lunch and dinner, it features a stylish mix of ancient and modern

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creative cuisine. Open daily, 11.30am– 2.30pm, 5.30pm–10.30pm.

Le Seoul 62 Monivong Blvd. Tel: 012 971 516 Popular up-market South Korean restaurant specialising in BBQ, each table is equipped with its own charcoal burner, with all beef imported from the U.S. Open daily, 11am-2.30pm, 5pm10pm.

Ninja Dining & Bar Ninja 1 BBK1, 14b, Street 278 Tel: 097 772 1556 Japanese dining establishment that is open from 11.30am to midnight Ninja 2 Toul Tom Pong 54, Street 454 Tel: 096 390 6091 Sister establishment to the Ninja Dining

Salsa Cabana Buena 46 Street 288 (between St. 57 & St. 63) Tel: 097 697 8810 Home-made Mexican and Latin food nachos, quesadillas, tacos chili, enchiladas, tapas and vegetarian food. $3 Corona, margaritas and mojitos.

Open 11am-2pm, 5pm-11pm. Closed Tuesdays.

Sunrise Taco 171 Street 63 (corner St 282) Tel: 077 85 45 45 Daily from 5pm-7pm buy 1 get 1 free margaritas. Open daily from 11am-10pm.

Vegetarian The Vegetarian 158 Street 19 Tel: 077 900 210 / 012 905 766 With a lush garden space in the heart of Phnom Penh, The Vegetarian provides a relaxing dining experience. Whether it be amok, curry or tom yam, the restaurtant creates vegetarian versions of popular Cambodian, Indian and Thai dishes. Open 10.30am-8.30pm, closed Sundays.

Yuzu 1 Street 360 Tel: 095 600 400.

Specialising in ramen, tempura and makisushi in chic surroundings. Open daily from 11am-10pm

Vego’s 3E0 Street 51 Tel: 012 984 596 Salad bar offering bagels, salads and wraps with a wide array of super fresh toppings. Choose from ready-made or DIY options. Also on offer are a vegetarian soup of the day as well as fresh-squeezed juices, yogurt and granola.

Mexican & Tex-Mex

Bars

Alley Cat Café Off Street 19 (side street behind Royal Art School) Tel: 012 306 845 Small, friendly patio café serving good Mexican food and claiming to have the biggest burgers in town. Weekly specials and live music on Sundays. Alley Cat is down an alley behind the National Museum.

The Alley Bar Street 240 ½, Phnom Penh.

Tel: 095 222 405 A big bar in a small alley. Spacious inside and with seating on the quaint alley in the open, this lounge bar and eatery is also home to live entertainment in the evenings.

Freebird 69 Street 240 Tel: 023 224 712 Aircon American bar with neon lighting, a variety of memorabilia, comfortable seats and rock music. International menu with good lunch offers, an excellent range of bottled sauces, excellent International,

Aristocrat Cigar Bar NagaWorld Hotel and Casino, Hun Sen Park.

Tel: 023 228 822 Club aimed at attracting wealthy expats and Khmers who like a good cigar and glass of wine. Not as stuffy as you might imagine with cigars from $10. Open daily from noon-midnight.

Bar.sito Street 240 1/2 Tel: 077 960 413 Cocktail bar, serving especially designed cocktails, ice-cold beers, red and white wines, champagnes and spirits. Open daily, 5pm-late.

Tel: 023 724 014 (See Restaurants international)

Cadillac Bar and Grill 219 E0 Sisowath Quay.

Tel: 011 713 567 Riverfront air-con bar and restaurant.

Has good American cuisine as well as a riverfront vantage.

Grand River Restaurant Corner of Street 178 Tel: 023 220 244 / 012 962 616 / 012 248 694 Khmer and Western Food. Variety of wines and cocktails. Happy hour 4.30pm-7.30pm. Open daily from 7ammidnight.

Chez Rina Cocktail Lounge 6 Street 98 Round the corner of Brown’s Riverside Tel: 017 259 955 Phnom Penh’s coolest lounge in a beautifully restored 1890s space in the historic old French Quarter around the Post Office. The focus is on cocktails and conversation. Open 5pm-12pm. Closed Sunday.

The Chinese House 45 Sisowath Quay, Phnom Penh.

Tel: 092 553 330 (See Restaurants international) Elephant Bar Raffles Hotel Le Royal Street 92 Tel: 023 981 888 The wicker chairs and carpet may have gone, but the newly re-styled Elephant Bar still exudes the character of a time gone by – you can imagine Jackie Kennedy drinking here. Its many signature cocktails, including the former First Lady-inspired femme fatale, make this a popular place with expats especially during the two-for-one happy hours (4pm-8pm). Open 2pm-midnight from Monday to Friday. Saturday and Sunday from noon to midnight.

Eluvium Lounge 205a Street 19 Tel: 023 986 221 Nestled on the rooftop of Aura Hostel, this elegant lounge bar pairs great views with specialty cocktails and wine, daily from 5pm to midnight.

Live music once a week.

Est Bar 19z, Street 214 Tel: 023 998 227 Email: indulge@estbar.com www.estbar.com Cocktail bar/ supper club offering sophisticated indoor and outdoor drinking and dining (tapas and charcuterie) from 6pm-2am Mon-Sat, ideally located for those who want to take in a premium vodka or excellent light snack before hitting one of the nearby clubs.

FCC 363 Sisowath Quay

Freebird 69 Street 240 Tel: 023 224 712 (See Restaurants, Mexican & Tex-Mex)

Hangar 44 Bassac Lane, off Street 308 Tel: 077 555 447 Not just a bar but also home to Moto Cambodge’s showroom, this venue is full of vintage and classic motorbikes and accessories. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 5pm-11pm.

Harry’s Bassac Lane, off Street 308 Tel: 077 555 447 As well as being a rooftop martini bar, the downstairs of this vintage outlet doubles up as an antique shop flogging everything from pocket watches and boots to aviator sunglasses and cufflinks.

Just ask the owners if you have anything valuable you wish them to pawn for you.

Open Tuesday to Sunday, 5pm-11pm.

Howie’s Bar 32 Street 51 Long-standing mainstay of the expat scene and popular late night hang-out, especially around the ‘mini’ pool table, where Howie’s rules apply. Great rock tunes and a timeless atmosphere, that is until it’s time to go to bed. Open 7pm-6am.

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K West 1 Street 154 (Cnr. Sisowath Quay), Tel: 023 214 747 (see Restaurants, French) The Library Bassac Lane, off Street 308 Tel: 095 366 243 Stocked with books, this intimate corner bar serves daiquiris, cocktails, beers and wines. The ideal place to bring out the bookworm in you. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 5pm-11pm.

Le Bar Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra, 26 Sothearos Blvd. Tel: 023 999 200 A modern colonial style lobby bar with C a fine selection of comfort food, tapas, champagnes, wines, premium spirits and large selection of coffees and teas. M Le Moon Cnr of Sisowath Quay & Street 154

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AsiaLIFE Cambodia 63

Tel: 023 214 747 Rooftop terrace bar at Amanjaya Hotel has arguably the best view of the river of any of the city’s rooftop bars. Full bar and small food menu, while the service is slow enough to afford you sufficient time to soak up the view.

inspiring arts

Liquid 3B Street 278 Tel: 023 720 157 Welcoming open air bar and has one of the best pool tables in town with happy hour from 5pm-8pm.

Lobby Lounge 296 Mao Tse Tung Blvd, (InterContinental Hotel) Tel: 023 424 888 An elegant lounge situated in the lobby of the Intercontinental Hotel. Reasonable prices and excellent service. Open daily from 10am-11.30pm.

The Artist’s Story: Dondrey Mongkol Robam Sovann Macha Cambodian Living Arts (CLA) works with artists and troupes across Cambodia.

Each month, we will tell one of their stories.

Dondrey Mogkol is an 18-strong troupe of young musicians who play traditional ceremonial music. This includes pinpeat – the ensemble music played at Buddhist ceremonies, modern wedding music, klong khek funeral music, and mohaori – ensemble music for celebrations and other events.

They grew out of a class led by one of Cambodia’s few master artists, Master Mao Phoeung, which began in 2003. Sadly, the master passed away in 2011, but advanced student Suor Vanna was able to take over the class, and continue passing on Cambodia’s musical heritage to future generations. The members of the class formed a troupe named Dondrey Mongkol – or, literally in English, “music that creates happiness”. In 2014, CLA saw potential for them to become more professional, and started working closely with them to help them become independent – after a lot of effort, they have now achieved this.

The troupe members range in age from 16 to 33, and are able to make most of their income from their art. They have already faced

challenges, such as finding a permanent rehearsal space, securing the funds to invest in costumes, instruments, and promotional materials, and competing in a market where quality is sometimes sacrificed to keep costs low – challenges not uncommon to performance troupes.

We spoke to Vanna about this journey: He told us that he has been able to “realise his dream of following in his father’s footsteps and becoming a traditional musician”. He is strongly motivated by working with Dondrey Mongkol, who he described as the “hardworking and committed next generation of artists”. He spoke about how proud he was that, even as a relatively small troupe with 18 members, they have been working to their fullest potential to develop skills in multiple art forms, and all keep a positive outlook on the troupe’s future – in terms of their own artistic development, and their skills as a team of professionals.

Yon Sokhorn, from CLA, who has worked closely with Dondrey Mongkol over the last two years, says, “Music in Cambodia is part of ceremonies when children are born, in marriage, and at the end of like – it is part of life. I am really happy to see a troupe of committed young musicians keeping these traditions alive.”

To learn more about Cambodian Living Arts, find CLA on Facebook, @CamboLivingArts on Twitter, CambodianLivingArts on Instagram, or visit cambodianlivingarts.org.

64 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

Meta House 37 Sothearos Blvd. (opposite Phnom Penh Centre) Tel: 023 218 987 / 010 312 333 www.meta-house.com Multi-media arts centre established by German film-maker Nico Mesterham has a very cool bar. Open from 2pmmidnight. Closed Mondays.

Metro Café Sisowath Quay & Street 148Tel: 023 222 275 (see Restaurants, international) One More Pub 16E Street 294 Tel: 017 327 378 English-style bar with comfortable wooden bar stools. No hip hop or techno, only great classic 60s and 70s music. Has terracotta-tiled terrace and 3 guest rooms upstairs. Open from 5pm to late, happy hour from 5pm-7pm. Closed Sundays.

Oscar Bistro 159 Sisowath Quay Tel: 023 215 179 (see Restaurants, international) Red Bar 15 Street 308 Unassuming in appearance, Red Bar becomes rammed at weekends with the expat crowd clamouring for the cheap drinks. Popular with the journalist crowd. Open daily.

Rising Sun 20 Street 178 Tel: 012 970 718 English-style pub with reliable breakfast, meat pies and hamburgers. Has a regular following around the bar at night especially on Fridays. Great posters of British films and TV classics adorn the walls. Ideal for that touch of nostalgia and good fish and chips – though not wrapped in a newspaper. Open daily from 7am until late.

Riverside Bistro Cnr. Sisowath Quay & Street 148, Tel: 012 277 882 / 023 213 898 (See Restaurants International) Samai Distillery 9b Street 830.Tel: 023 224 143 A rum distillery by day and bar every Thursday night, this spot is popular with the cool crowd, serving up potently strong cocktails to upbeat sounds every Thursday evening. Has taken over the Elsewhere mantle of the place to be seen.

Seibur Street 308 Tel: 092 839 440 Aperitif room. Open seven days, from 5pm-11pm.

Sharky Bar 126 Street 130.Tel: 012 228 045 www.sharkybar.blogspot.com A place where anything can happen, and a popular live music venue. Serves good

Mexican food, with daily specials. Plenty of pool tables and competitions. Open 4pm-2am.

The Tap Room Kingdom Breweries 1748, National Road 5.

Tel: 023 430 180 www.kingdombreweries.com State of the art European brewery specialising in premium pilsner. Tours of the facility are organised on a regular basis, culminating in frothy cold ones at the brewery’s bar overlooking the Tonle Sap. Touk Restaurant and Bar 357 Sisowath Quay, corner of Street 178 Tel: 023 219 059/ 012 248 694/ 017 486 786 Live bands, buffet salad and BBQ every Saturday and Friday night at this lofty riverside venue. Happy hour from 4.30pm-7.30pm Zeppelin Bar 109C Street 51 Tel: 012 881 181 More than 1,000 vinyl albums played by well-known DJ owner in small bar.

Remarkably good food (dumping’s are great) especially late at night. Open daily 5pm-4am.

Clubs Club Love 3 Street 278, Tel: 0973 131 947 As one of the newest kids on the block, Club Love is aimed at the backbacker and spillover expat crowd looking for somewhere to dance with cheap drinks well into the early hours. Open Monday to Saturday, 11pm-4pm.

Darlin Darlin NagaWorld Hotel and Casino Tel: 023 228 822 Top-end nightclub with live music popular among the high-flyers of the city. Semiprivate booths in a chic environment make for an unrivalled experience. Open daily from 7pm-late.

Epic Sothearos Blvd. (near Russian Embassy) Tel: 010 600 608 As the latest luxury nightspot to hit the capital, Epic is taking elite clubbing to the next level. The spacious venue serves up a range of top-shelf liquors, cocktails and Champagne to the sounds of international DJs. Open daily from 9pm to 5am.

Heart of Darkness 38 Street 51 Tel: 023 222 415 One of the most famous of the city’s nightspots with a good-sized dance floor make this the in-place in town. Has well priced spirits and mixers.

Nova 19 Street 214 Tel: 097 716 5000 Popular with the upmarket Khmer crowd, Nova features DJs from across the region. VIP areas cater to those who want to escape the crowded dance floor.

Open daily from 9pm to 4am.

Pontoon 80 Street 172 Tel: 010 300 400 As a stalwart on the capital’s clubbing scene, a mix of international and local DJs can be found pumping out the tunes seven nights a week until the early hours. Different themed nights run throughout the week.

Open Sunday to Thursday, 9pm-4am, Friday and Saturday, 9pm-5am.

Pontoon Pulse 80 Street 172 Tel: 010 300 400 As a sister club to Pontoon, and located beside the main club, Pontoon Pulse brings some of the capital’s finest electronic music to dedicated clubbers.

A cool place to chill if the main venue is getting to pumping for your tastes.

Pontoon Pulse 80 Street 172 Tel: 010 300 400 As a sister club to Pontoon, and located beside The latest addition to Pontoon and the capital’s first official after hour’s club, closing its doors at 7am, this chic space is also located adjacent to Pontoon’s main room.

Vito 8 Street 214, Tel: 010 421 421 Pumping out all the memorable classics from the 70s to the 90s, Vito’s dancefloor gets packed at weekends with the nostalgia crowd - both young and old. Open daily from 9pm-3am.

Gay-Friendly Arthur & Paul Males Bar and Spa 27 Street 71 Tel: 023 212 814 / 077 892 256 www.arthurand paul.com The first gay (men-only) venue in Phnom Penh. Features steam baths and sensual showers, spa and hotel. Ease muscle tension, chat, have a Jacuzzi or relax in one of the private rooms. After using our facilities or swimming, enjoy a drink in the bar or relax in the restaurant and lounge or around the pool.

Blue Chilli 36 Street 178 Tel: 012 566 353 www.bluechillibar.com This welcoming bar run by Thai national Oak is currently the number one gay bar in town. The drag shows on Friday and Saturday are an additional draw. Open 5pm-late.

100-seat cinema shows International art house and mainstream movies with occasional films in English. Children’s cinema on Saturday mornings at 10am.

Wine Bars

Major Cineplex Aeon Mall Tel: 023 90 1111 Major Cineplex is located on the second floor of the Aeon Mall Phnom Penh and is the biggest cinema complex in Cambodia with multiple screens, 3D and 4D theatres, showing the latest blockbusters from Asia and Hollywood.

Open daily 9am-midnight

Bouchon Wine Bar 3-4 Street 246 Tel: 077 881 103 Classy wine bar with a wide selection of wines from across the globe, plus a selection of hand-crafted cocktails and eats. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 4pmmidnight.

Meta House 37 Sothearos Blvd. (opp. Phnom Penh centre).

Tel: 012 607 465 Movie shorts and documentaries from Cambodia and the rest of Asia. Movies normally start at 7pm, closed Mondays.

Open Wine 219 Street 19 Tel: 023 233 527 Large wine shop and deli with wellpriced wines from around the world.

Has outside dining area. Open daily 7am-11pm.

Platinum Cineplex 5th Floor Sorya Shopping Centre Tel: 081 666 210/ www.platinumcineplex.com.kh/ International-standard three-screen cineplex featuring the latest Digital 3D technology and the most recent Hollywood and international releases, located in the heart of downtown with ample parking, shopping and eating options. Open 9am-11pm.

The Rainbow Bar 73 Street 172 Tel: 097 741 4187 Intimate bar designed to get to know people better has a range of welldesigned cocktails to make the night go with a swing.

Zino Wine Bar and Restaurant 12 Street 294 Tel: 023 998 519 Zino offers a comprehensive wine list by the glass and bottle, professionally made cocktails and a constantly evolving Mediterranean and Asian menu. Open for lunch and dinner 7 days a week. Kitchen closes at 11pm.

LISTINGS

The Empire Movie House 34 Street 130 Tel: 077 468 243 As an independent art-house, Empire screens documentaries, indie films, cult classics and regional films. Also features a bar and eating area. Open daily from 4pm to 11pm.

culture

The Flicks 1. 39b Street 95 (BKK3) 2. 85 Street 136 (Daun Penh) 3. 8 Street 252 (Chaktomuk) Local expat oriented movie houses with revolving schedule of international films and art house films, screened in comfy air conditioned movie rooms. Option to hire the movie room for a private session (max 30 people). Minimum two screenings per day. Cover charge $3.50.

Cinemas Le Cinema 218 Street 184 (French Institute) Tel: 023 213 124

audiovisual material, has regular exhibitions. Open 8am-6pm Mon-Fri, 2pm-6pm Sat. Dori Thy Gallery 12R Street 256 Tel: 012 661 552 Features the black and white photographs of German photographer, Doris Boettcher. Open Saturday and Sunday 10am-6pm.

FCC Phnom Penh 363 Sisowath Quay Tel 023 724 014 This riverfront restaurant has a permanent, rotating exhibition devoted to to some of the finest reportage and photography.

French Institute 218 Street 184 Tel: 023 213 124 Offers cultural activities including exhibitions, festivals, and film screenings to promote French and Khmer culture.

Onsite shop Carnets d’Asie offers a selection of French books.

Java Café & Gallery 56 Sihanouk Blvd Tel:: 023 987 420 www.javaarts.org Contemporary art gallery with regular exhibitions of Cambodian and international artists, as well as performing artists. Has second gallery on the ground floor. Website has details about Cambodia’s contemporary art scene.

Meta House 37 Sothearos Blvd.

Tel: 010 312 333 Short films, documentaries and art films from Asia and the rest of the world screened daily. International food also served, regular DJs perform throughout the week. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 4pm-11pm – open late at weekends with DJs and parties.

Galleries

Reyum Institute of Arts & Culture 47 Street 178 Tel: 023 217 149 Gallery with regular exhibitions of Cambodian artists. Part of an NGO established to preserve traditional and contemporary Cambodian art.

Bophana Audiovisual Resource Centre 64 Street 200 Tel: 023 992 174 Preserving much of Cambodia’s

Sa Sa Bassac 18 Sothearos Boulevard, Upstairs.

An expansion of the Sa Sa Art Gallery and a merger with Bassac Art Projects,

Sa Sa Bassac is an artist-run gallery for contemporary art. Includes a library, reading and workshop room, and a 60-metre gallery space. Ongoing visual literacy programmes.

Performing Arts Amrita Performing Arts 128-G9 Sothearos Blvd.

Tel: 023 220 424 www.amritaperformingarts.org Performance art company that puts on contemporary and classical music and theatre.

Apsara Arts Association 71 Street 598 Tel: 011 550 302 Organisation that promotes Cambodian arts and culture. Open from 7.30am-10.30am Cambodian Living Arts 128-G9 Sothearos Blvd.

Tel: 023 986 032 www.cambodianlivingarts.org A non-profit arts organisation devoted to the revival and transmission of traditional Khmer performing arts that puts on performances and provides tours.

Chaktomuk Conference Hall Sisowath Quay Tel: 023 725 119 Designed by master Cambodian architect Vann Molyvann, this underutilised building is worth a visit. Open Monday to Friday, 7am-11.30am and 2pm-5pm.

Chenla Theatre Cnr. Mao Tse Tung & Monireth Blvds.

Tel: 023 883 050 www.culturalcenter-cambodia.com One of the capital’s major theatres, it has regular performances of theatre, dance and music.

Epic Arts 1DE0 Sothearos Blvd.

Tel: 023 998 474 www.epicarts.org.uk Organisation that uses art to empower people with disabilities.

Sovanna Phum Khmer Art Association 166 Street 99, corner of 484 Tel: 023 987 564 Theatre with performances of shadow puppetry, classical and masked dances every Friday and Saturday at 7.30pm.

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 65

LISTINGS

wellness

leisure & wellness Amusement

A Beginner’s Guide to Reiki Munira Lam Reiki is a form of touch therapy that has roots in Japan, but is now practiced by millions of people across the world. It has evolved along with the times and is now used to relieve our most common modern ailments, such as anxiety, depression and fatigue.

In addition, research is now finding it aids in recovery time for more severe health issues following major and minor surgeries, and chemotherapy.

The International Association of Reiki Professionals claims that in, “offering a non-invasive complement to Western therapies, Reiki may help ease conditions like headaches, arthritis, and high blood pressure”.

Since the body is composed of energy, and this touch rebalances the energy, stress levels have shown to decrease after just one session. Since stress is already known as one of the biggest preventers of optimal health, finding a way to beat it without a pill is a huge bonus.

But what exactly does a reiki session entail?

When receiving reiki, you first find a comfortable position either lying down or seated, fully clothed, and a practitioner gently rests her hands on or above you.

No special music, chanting or incense is required – it’s always an option, but everything is designed

to your comfort level. A standard session lasts about 45 minutes and while the practitioner is doing her work, all you need to do is rest. Your practitioner might even provide a lavender scented eye pillow to facilitate deep relaxation.

Things to expect during a reiki session might be tingling sensations in different areas of your body as energy is released – for example, this could feel like heat in your abdomen or pulsing in your feet.

Some might feel waves of emotion, like sudden euphoria or giddiness. All of these experiences are normal and allowing them to pass by will lead to a greater relaxation and healing process. Many find that following a session they feel more calm and refreshed.

When you finish your session, it’s recommended to take it easy and drink plenty of water, just as you would after a massage. Scheduling appointments is similar, as they are based on the needs of the individual. Depending on your healing demands, you could need reiki once a month of once per week.

Discussing this with a trained reiki practitioner will help you determine your needs and also answer any further questions.

At Samata Health & Wellness Studio, I am on hand to give any advice on potential tailor-made treatment, as well as what reiki involves.

Munira Lam is a reiki practitioner at Sâmata Health & Wellness Studio: 54 Street 306, Phnom Penh. Tel. 016 619 749.

Cambodian Country Club Street 2004, Group 6 Toeuk Thla Tel: 012 231 755 A peaceful heaven providing tennis, swimming, badminton, fitness centre and horse riding, 15 minutes away from the city. Open from 6.30am-late.

Living Arts Experiences 128-G9 Sothearos Blvd.

Tel: 018 998 570 Email: events@cambodianlivingarts.org Visit local dance, theatre and musical rehearsals of the traditional Khmer arts through Cambodian Living Arts’ Observation Tours. Available in Siem Ream, Phnom Penh & Kampong Speu call for times and to book in advance.

Phnom Tamao Wildlife Park Phnom Tamao, 44 kilometres out of the capital along Highway 2.

Cambodia’s top wildlife centre. All animals are either rescued from traders or bred at the centre. Many of the animals are critically endangered. Open daily 8am - 4pm.

Boat Cruises The Butterfly Cambodia Tel: 012 602 955 thebutterflycambodia@gmail.com Cambodian river adventures, sunset cruises, birthdays and events to floating villages, Silk Island. Plan your trip, per hour, half-day and full-day rates available.

Classes Equestrian Centre CCC, Street 2004, Group 6 Toeuk Thla Tel: 015 231 755 / 012 704 759 With 31 ponies and horses, an international-sized arena and spacious stables, the only horse-riding centre in Phnom Penh Tuesdays to Sundays, 9am-11am and 2pm-5.30pm.

Global Art 1 Street 181 & Street 475 (nr Chinese Embassy) Tel: 023 222 084 / 087 222 084 World renowned art and creativity programme for young children.

Franchisee of Global Art Group. Available in 17 countries with more than 400 centres. worldwide.

Himawari FitnessOne 313 Sisowath Quay (Himawari Hotel Apartments) Tel: 023 214 555 ext 881 www.himawarihotel.com Fully equipped modern gym, international pool, tennis court, steam room, outdoor jacuzzi, full locker room facilities and fitness trainer available for personalised sessions. No matter your age or goals, our fitness centre has something for everyone. Membership or one-day passes available, free for children 10 years old and below. Open from 6am10pm.

La Table Khmère Cooking Class 11E Street 278

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Tel: 012 238 068 www.phnompenh-cooking-class.com For all those wanting to learn how to prepare traditional Khmer specialties from scratch in a clean and airconditioned setting. Morning classes include a visit to the local market. Open daily, classes at 9am-3pm.

Music Arts School 14 Street 360 Tel: 023 997 290 www.music-arts-school.org A NGO school providing music training for Cambodians and expats - of all ages and levels - at affordable tuition fees.

Learn guitar, piano, violin, vocals, and traditional Khmer instruments. Also has a scholarship fund to provide music education to the less fortunate.

NataRaj Yoga Studio 52 Street 302 Tel: 012 250 817 / 090 311 341 Welcome everyone to the peaceful yoga studio. Wide variety of daily drop-in yoga classes and monthly workshops in many styles with internationally qualified teachers. Also runs an NGO yoga programmes for local kids.

Nathan Horton Photography 126 Street 136 Tel: 092 526 706 www.nathanhortonphotography.com Photography tuition and guided tours to Kampong Chnang and Udong, covering technical and creative considerations in the context of travel photography.

Scuba Nation PADI 5* IDC Diving Centre 18 Sothearos Blvd (near FCC) Tel: 012 715 785 www.divecambodia.com Learn to scuba dive in Phnom Penh. The academic and pool part of the course can be done in Phnom Penh and you finish with two days in Sihanoukville on the boat. Offers refresher courses, try dives and kids’ pool parties as well as the full range of courses. Open 9am6pm, Sat and Sun 9am-5pm.

Simphony Music School 243, Street 51 Tel: 023 727 345 / 097 888 8787 www.simphony.com.kh Simphony Music School is the first official music school in Cambodia recognised by the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, Royal Government of Cambodia. The faculty is composed of experienced and qualified music teachers from overseas, speaking fluent English, Chinese, and French. Based on USA curriculum following Orff and Kodály music teaching methods.

The Tennis Club CCC, Street 2004, Group 6 Toeuk Thla Tel: 017 847 802 The two courts are equipped with specially adapted flooring unique in Cambodia, and with quality lightning allowing play past sunset. Skilled English and Cambodian speaking teachers available for private or group lessons.

Open daily.

Yoga Phnom Penh 39 Street 21 www.yogaphnompenh.com Daily drop-in classes for all levels with experienced, qualified international teachers. Classes include Ashtanga yoga, Vinyasa Flow Yoga, Fly Yoga, Fly Fit and Classical yoga. Regular workshops and Bliss weekend also offered.

Chemists U-Care Pharmacy 26-28 Sothearos Blvd. Tel: 023 222 499 39 Sihanouk Blvd. Tel: 023 224 099 41-43 Norodom Blvd. Tel: 023 224 299

844 Kampuchea krom Blvd. Tel: 023 884 004 / 023 207 209 Sisowath Quay Tel: 023 223 499 194 Tro Sork P’em Tel: 023 224 399 www.ucarepharma.com Provide international cosmetic brands, leading imported health & beauty products, only certified medication.

Professional advice and convenient and strategic locations. Open daily from 8am-10pm.

Counselling Services Alcoholics Anonymous 11 Street 420 Tel: 012 813 731 www.aacambodia.com Meets on Friday, Wednesday and Sunday.

Indigo Psychological Services 28 Street 460 Tel: 023 222 614 indigocambodia@gmail.com Professional counselling services in English, French or Khmer for adults, adolescents, children, couples, and families. Assessment and intervention services for children and adolescents with learning and developmental difficulties.

Narcotics Anonymous 11 Street 420 Tel: 012 813 731 NA meets on Monday, Thursday at 8pm and Saturday at 7pm.

Dental European Dental Clinic 160A, Norodom Blvd. Tel: 023 211 363 www.europeandentalclinic-asia.com Total dental care, Implant, Orthodontist Treatment by expat dentists. Open Mon Fri 8am-12pm, 2pm-7pm. Sat, 8am-1pm Malis Dental Clinic 445 Monivong Blvd.

Tel: 012 513 222 / 023 964 142 info@malis-dental.com A Japanese dentist provides professional and high-quality service.

Roomchang 4 Street 184 www.roomchang.com Tel: 023 211 338 Emergency: 011 811 338 World leader in clinical implant dentistry.

Complete state of the art dental hospital.

In depth consultations on all procedures.

True precision with digital and robotic technology for an optimum clinical result.

Excellent customer service.

Shigeta Dental Clinic 25 Street 294 cnr Street 21 Tel: 023 223 225 / 010705083 Email: info@shigetadental.com www.shigedental.com High-end Japanese Dental Clinic that caters for your dental needs. Open from Monday to Sunday 8am-8pm.

Gyms The InterContinental Fitness Centre 3/F Mao Tse Tung Blvd.

Tel: 023 424 888 ext. 5000 A sophisticated retreat from the crowds, The InterContinental Fitness Centre is the place to attain peak performance and wellbeing. Pump up with a full body workout on state-of-the-art equipment, benefit from the experience and guidance of qualified trainers, and relax all year round in the open-air swimming pool.

Fitness Centre CCC, Street 2004, Group 6 Toeuk Thla Tel: 015 704 759 Achieve individual targets whether sports specific or to tone, lose weight, build strength or improve cardiovascular fitness for a healthier and fitter lifestyle.

Open daily 6.30am-late.

Raffles Amrita Spa Raffles Le Royal Hotel Tel: 023 981 888 Modern gym and pool in Phnom Penh’s most elegant hotel. Use of gym, pool, sauna and Jacuzzi is available to nonguests. Open 6am-10pm.

Phokeethra Sports Club Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeetra Tel: 023 999 200 Enjoy socialising and friendly interaction.

The complex features a fitness centre including an outdoor pool with a children’s area, an activities studio (yoga, steps, Pilates, kick boxing), two squash courts and four floodlit tennis courts.

Open 6am-10pm.

The Gym at The Place 90 Sihanouk Blvd.

Tel: 023 999 699 Modern establishment featuring a fully equipped gym and weekly classes in dance, yoga and aerobics. Open 6am10pm Mon-Fri, 8am-10pm Sat-Sun.

Hairdressers

De Gran Japan 52 Street 306 near Monivong Blvd. www.degranjapan.com Tel: 011 354 700 (Reservation only) Set in a nice villa with highly skilled and experienced experts from Japan, focusing on haircuts, nails, eyelash extensions, reflexology and acupuncture.

Open Wednesday to Monday from 10am-7pm.

The Dollhouse 46AE0 Street 322 Tel: 010 329 999 / 016 620 907 www.dollhousecambodia.com Salon offers cutting, colouring and various treatments, including the Brazilian Keratin Treatment with Collagen to replenish the condition of your hair.

Western hairdresser with international experience. Open Tues-Sat 9am-7pm, Sun 11am-7pm, closed Monday.

The French Element Himawari Hotel Unit D, 313 Sisowath Quay Tel: 077 283 332 www.thefrenchelement.com Over-looking the Tonle Sap, wonderful spot to relax and pamper yourself.

Offering all hair services such as highlights, colour, cut, Brazilian Keratin Treatment and more. International hairdresser. OpenMonday to Saturday, 10am-8pm, Grow Tokyo 1st Floor St. 63 corner Street 322 Tel: 023 987 330 Look good and feel good with a team of top professionals. Grow is an expanding hair salon that started life in Japan and spread to Australia and now Cambodia.

The creative team is waiting to make clients feel great.

Kate Korpi Salon 6 Floor inside Sun City corner of Street 51 & Street 370 Tel: 023 988 166 www.katekorpisalon.com Kate Korpi Salon is Phnom Penh’s newest premier salon. Stylists from around the globe provide a full range of services including hairstyles, skin care and Dermalogica Microzone treatments.

Open Tuesday 11am-8pm. Wed-Sat 10am-6pm.

Toni & Guy 1/F Aeon Mall Tel: 023 901 190 Toni & Guy Cambodia will bring 50 years of hair fashion heritage to Phnom Penh.

Originally from UK, there are now over 400 salons worldwide. Specialist stylists for cuts and colourists to give the colour you want from the UK and Japan. Uses

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 67

Label M products. Open every day from 10am-8pm.

Medical American Medical Centre Ground Floor Cambodiana Hotel 313 Sisowath Quay Tel: 023 991 863 Led by American surgeon, team of international and Khmer doctors provide general practice services to clients. Can arrange emergency evacuation. 24/7 service.

International Chiropractic Clinic 67 Bis Street 240, (100m from Monivong Blvd.)

Tel: 023 223 101 www.cambodiachiropractic.com First and only Chiropractic clinic licensed

in Cambodia. Our chiropractors are US trained and we provide modern Chiropractic care, physiotherapy and custom made medical grade orthotics.

Open Mon-Fri 8.30am-6pm, Sat 8.30am-1pm.

pets’ corner

International SOS Medical Clinic 161 Street 51 Tel: 023 216 911 Global provider of medical assistance and international healthcare. Expat and Khmer doctors offer general practice, specialist and emergency medical services. Appointments 8am-5.30pm Mon–Fri, 8am-12pm, Sat open 24-7 for emergencies.

Physiotherapy Phnom Penh I & II 45C Street 456, Toul Thom Poung II Office 311, 3/F 60 Monivong Blvd

Why is your Cat or Dog Sneezing?

Part 1

By Donabelle Zuzart Cats sneeze for many reasons, and if it’s the only symptom your cat displays – no discharge from the eyes or nose, a good, healthy appetite, change in behaviour or activity level – then it is probably of no concern.

However, when there is ocular and nasal discharge your cat may be suffering from upper respiratory infection, similarly in young dogs.

When young cats sneeze, several upper respiratory tract pathogens are involved. When middle-aged cats sneeze, this is usually also due to the herpes one virus in cats.

Sneezing in older pets is more varied.

Bringing you Back Pain Solutions Dr Christophe Savouré D.C. 1993 graduate from LCCW (USA)

A state of the art Chiropractic clinic Advanced Chiropractic care DTS Disc decompression therapy Physiotherapy modalities Custom made corrective foot orthotics Ergonomic and exercise management Wellness care 0,

023 223 101

E: info@cambodiachiropractic.com W: www.cambodiachiropractic.com #67 Bis St.240 (near Monivong Blvd),Phnom Penh 68 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

An upper respiratory infection is more like an influenza in people than a cold because it is very difficult to get rid of without medical help, especially the young, the old and those with chronic health problems. Sometimes pets can sneeze due to an allergy to an irritant if they have been exposed to any.

What to watch out for: • Sneezing, especially occurring as “spasms” over the course of a few hours or several days • Dehydration • Loss of appetite • Coughing or excessive swallowing

• A discharge from the eyes and nose either watery or thick which can be bloody, greenish, yellowish or thick clear colored • Raised third eye Most vets who have examined pets find it is an upper respiratory infection.

Pets are commonly exposed to organisms at parks, kennels or salons if not sanitised. In people we see colds move from person to person. Pets often have the tendency to keep sniffing objects so the chances of them getting infected are far greater. Pet colds are caused by airborne virus and bacteria, this virus do not jump from dogs to cats or vice-versa, but the bacteria involved do.

The two common colds in dogs are parainfluenza virus and type-2 adenovirus – both case “kennel cough signs” and are highly contagious from one dog to another through sneezing. You can have your dog vaccinated against kennel cough – these vaccines only reduce the severity of your pet’s symptoms but they usually do not prevent infection. Very young and old pets are more at risk. These chronic changes are more common in smush-faced dogs and cats whose nasal passages are narrower.

Tel: 023 996345 Tel: 092 485 593 Tel: 012 722 104 Tel: 012 979 354 International Physiotherapy and Acupuncture (T.C.M.) Centre Specialising in Manual Therapy, Rehabilitation and (sports) Physiotherapy, Neurological (Paediatric) Physical Therapy, Acupuncture, Personal Training and Clinical Pilates.

Samata Health & Wellness Studio 54 Street 306 Tel: 023 726 267 Phnom Penh’s first holistic studio providing Acupuncture, Massage, Physiotherapy, Pilates, Podiatry, Yoga and Wellness Coaching in one convenient location.

Optics Grand Optics 11 Norodom Bvd. 337 Monivong Blvd.

150 Sihanouk Blvd.

Tel: 023 213 585 Modern opticians with the latest equipment including free computerised eye test. Makes prescription glasses and lenses.

Pet Services Agrovet Veterinary Clinic 40 Street 111 Tel: 023 216 323 Tel emergency 24/7: 012 779 673 (FrenchEng) Tel emergency 24/7: 012 779 674 (Khmer) www.agrovet-cambodia.com Managed by a French team and following European standard. Experienced French surgeon performing orthopaedic and abdominal surgeries. Used to organise documents for pets travelling overseas.

Mon-Fri: 9am-12noon & 3pm-7pm. Sat:

9am-12pm.

Only Dogs Shop 5A2 Street Veng Sreng (Chom Choa) Phnom Penh Tel: 092 206 547 Tel: 012 870 280 www.onlydogsshopcambodia.com Open daily from 9am-6pm.

Pet Grooming Cambodia 4 Street 604, Bengkak 2 Toul Kork Tel: 089 491 039 Email: petgroomingcambodia@gmail.com Open Mon-Sat from 9am–6pm Pet Resort Tel: 012 679 164 Tel: 012 916 512 www.petresort-cambodia.com All the staff are very friendly with animals and your cats and dogs will feel at home in our Pet Resort. Cats and dogs are fed

by Royal Canin dry feed or can be fed by fresh food according to owner’s desires or recommendations; staff can cook specific feed for your companions.

Spas Amara Spa Cnr Sisowath Quay & St.110 Tel: 023 998 730 www.amaraspa.hotelcara.com Day spa providing a wide selection of facials, body massages and treatments, arranged in a four-storey modern facility at riverfront. Open 11am-11pm.

Aura Spa 21 Mao Tse Toung Blvd. (near corner of St. 63) 23 Street 294 (between St. 21 and St. 9) Tel: 023 555 3209 Mobile: 015 991 688 www.auracambodia.com Aura Spa creates its own signature massage therapy with well-trained

therapists to enhance a traditional blend of ancient health and beauty practices which have been passed down from generation to generation. Open every day from 9am–11pm.

Aziadee Spa 16 a/b Street 282 Tel: 023 996 921 aziadee1@yahoo.fr French-run spa offering a good choice of treatments, a range of massages, scrubs, facials, floral baths, manicures, pedicures and waxing in relaxing and tranquil surroundings. Open 9am-9pm.

Bi Nail Salon 213a E0 Stret 310 Tel: 023 6324 524 / 097 798 1122 Bi Nail is a full service nail salon, for women and men. Japanese-trained nail artists have years of experience and provide expert personal care in a quiet and relaxing atmosphere. Full set care (manicure and pedicure), more than 250 nail lacquers, more than 350 nail design samples. Acrylic and gel nails are available. Open daily 8am–7pm.

Bliss 29 Street 240 Tel: 023 215 754 Health spa at back and upstairs in this beautiful French colonial building.

Open 9am -9pm, closed Monday.

Bodia Spa 26-28 Sothearos Blvd.

Tel: 023 226 199 www.bodia-spa.com Using natural, own-brand products Bodia spa offers body wraps, floral baths, scrubs, facials, aromatherapy, massages and mani-pedies, alongdside Jacuzzi and steam. The peaceful atmosphere is enhanced by scented oils and soft music. Open daily 9am–9pm.

Derma-Care Skin Clinic

161B Norodom Tel: 023 720 042 / 012 415 552 Two qualified dermatologists, this professional skin clinic offers a range of beauty treatments using American Derma-Rx products, minor dermatologic surgery, antioxidant boosters, chemical peeling, and lipolysis. Open 9am-9pm.

Derma-MK Skin Center 183 Street 63 Tel: 023 219 105 Focused on Dermalogica products, this care facility offers facial treatments, including anti-aging and brightening, as well as body treatments such as body scrubs and massage. Open daily from 10am–7pm.

La Rose Spa 164b Norodom Blvd.

Tel: 023 211 130 / 080 900 900 www.larose.com.kh Professional, experienced, qualified therapists offer a tailor-made range of remedial, relaxation and nutritional advice. High-end natural products and a wide range of homeopathic remedies, creams, flower essences and signature organic massage oils.

Ms Chhuon 182, St 63, junction St 294 Tel: 016 992 199 Ms Chhuon is a full service beauty salon with massage therapy. From nail art, to hairstyles, we will take care of your health and beauty in a very relaxing environment with great service. O.P.I products are available on demand.

Open daily from 8am-12am Nail Holic Street 592, Tuol Kork (Next to Indrak Tevy High School) Tel: 012 357 887 / 097 4123 337 Nail polish and pedicure services using products from Korea. Comfortable chairs in relaxing surroundings with professional, hospitable and friendly staff

456 Monivong Blvd. (cnr. Street 466) Tel: 023 721 765 / 012 357 561 www.asiagarden.com.kh Aromatherapy massage in private boutique VIP rooms (villa and bungalow style) from professional Chinese and Khmer therapists from Master Kang; female customers only.

Waterlily Spa 42 Spean Anthernou (near Koh Pich) Tel: 012 632 329 spawaterlilty.com Indulge yourself with our spa services that pamper guests from head to toe.

Waterlily Spa offers skincare/facials, body treatments, massages, waxing and nail care. Open daily 10am-11pm.

Sun Heang

Tattoos and Piercing Black Star 5A Street 90 Tel: 070 200 900 / 078 753 697 www.blackstarcambodia.com Welcome to Black Star Tattoo’s Cambodia’s finest whether you’re just passing through the Penh, or you’re a resident, this is the place to come for the highest quality tattooing. Open daily from 10am–10pm.

Sports General Ball Hockey Played every Thursday night at City Villa, corner of Streets 360 and 71 at 7pm.

To play, contact Mike: michaelwarford@ispp.edu.kh

speaking Khmer, Korean and English.

Open daily from 8am-6pm.

Nata Spa 29 Street 57 Nata Spa has been designed in traditional Khmer style to calm and pamper. The spa operates as a centre for healing and relaxation, offering stress reducing and facial treatment, which blow everyone into an unforgettable experience. Open 9am-10pm.

Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra.

Tel: 023 999 200 Be pampered with the best and most effective health and beauty treatments for outstanding deep rejuvenation.

Explore a new kind of spa experience with a wide range of poetic and surprising treatments. Open daily from 10am-10pm.

Raffles Amrita Spa Tel: 023 981 888 Raffles Amrita Spa offers relaxation and rejuvenation through a wide selection of services and facilities including treatment rooms, outdoor lap and fun pool, Jacuzzi, fitness centre, sauna and steam room. Open daily 6am-10pm.

The Spa at NagaWorld Hun Sen Park Tel: 023 228 822 This luxurious spa promises to bring the ancient Cambodian spa therapy to the world, and claims to be the only all-suite unisex spa in Cambodia. Therapy rooms with sauna, steam and flower bath are inviting, and the spa uses Tomichik flowers as part of its treatment. Open 10am-3am.

So SPA

Villa Spa

70 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

Phnom Penh Social Rugby Club BKK Field, street 380.

Email: phnompenhrugby@gmail.com Touch rugby on Tuesday nights 7:309pm, Saturdays 3-5pm. Contact Rugby Wednesday nights 7:30-9pm, Saturday 2-3pm.

Phnom Penh Water Park 50 Street 110 Tel: 023 881 008 Traditional mix of slides and wave pools is open daily from 9.30am to 5.30pm.

Yoga For Life 126 Street 19 Tel: 077589458 Learn to release stress and tension, find peace and live a healthy life with yoga classes taught by yoga and massage virtuoso, Azmi Samdjaga from Singapore.

Classes every Wednesday from 7:30pm witht more classes starting late June 2012. Healthy food and Wifi are also available.

LISTINGS

family Cafés & Restaurants Farm to Table 16 Street 360 Tel: 078 899 722 Bring the coutryside to Phnom Penh at this healthy café that sources produce from Discovery Farms. Organic grub is served in a farm setting with free-range hens running around the courtyard and a static tractor for kids to play on.

Java Café 56 Sihanouk Blvd.

Tel: 023 987 420 Kid’s menu includes chicken nuggets and pizza bagels. Colouring pages and crayons to keep the kids amused.

High-chair is available on request and baby-changing facilities are in the toilet.

Open daily 7am-10pm The Shop Too 38 Street 337 Tel: 012 952 839 Little haven of calm with a wide range of fresh bread, patisseries, chocolates, juices and excellent salads, sandwiches.

All products such as croissants, cakes etc. are baked on the spot. With a big garden in front and nice courtyard at the back, it makes it a perfect place for family as well. Open daily 7am–9pm.

Entertainment Arey Ksat Equestrian Trail Arey Ksat, Phnom Penh.

Tel: 077 35 77 74 Join experienced instructor Guillaume Larivain on a series of pony trails through the Cambodian countryside.

BluO Bowling AEON Mall, Sothearos Blvd.

Tel: 023 901 000 The country’s latest bowling alley with private lanes available for parties. Open daily from 9am to midnight.

Cambodian Country Club Street 2004, Group 6 Toeuk Thla Tel: 012 231 755 Sports centre and a peaceful heaven providing tennis, swimming, badminton, fitness centre and horse riding in an amazing landscape 15 minutes away

kids’ corner

Developing Healthy Self-Esteem Anna Glazkova Self-esteem indicates how much a person values themselves. This fluctuates with time, but overall selfesteem tends to develop from infancy and keep going until we are adults.

Patterns of self-esteem start to define themselves very early in life. Once people reach adulthood, it’s harder to make changes to how they see and define themselves.

Self-esteem also can be defined as a combination of two feelings: feeling capable while also feeling loved. A child who is happy with an achievement but does not feel loved may eventually experience low self-esteem.

Likewise, a child who feels loved but is hesitant about his or her own abilities and capacities can also develop low self-esteem.

Kids with low self-esteem may not want to try new things, to socialise and may speak negatively about themselves. They may show a low tolerance for frustration, give up and panic easily, or step aside and wait for somebody else to take over.

They tend to be overly critical of and easily disappointed in themselves.

Kids with low self-esteem see temporary setbacks as permanent, intolerable conditions, and a sense of pessimism prevails. They tend to generalise quickly and take personally any negative happenings. Such extreme irrational thinking can bring your child to believe that the

soccer game is cancelled not because of rain, but because he planned to attend it. This can place kids at risk of stress and mental health.

Kids with healthy self-esteem tend to enjoy interacting with others. They’re comfortable in social settings and enjoy group activities as well as independent pursuits. When challenges arise, they can work toward finding solutions and voice discontent without belittling themselves or others.

For example, rather than saying, “I’m an idiot”, a child with healthy self-esteem says, “I don’t understand this.”

They know their strengths and weaknesses, and accept them. A sense of optimism prevails.

As a parent you can help to recognise and modify negative thoughts your child might have about himself or herself. When your child puts himself down, ask him questions that will bring him to realise how irrational and unjustified his negative thinking about himself is.

Encourage your child to make a positive contribution, such as volunteering for example, or to exercise regularly, and help them adjust to unrealistic expectations that he has set for himself.

Parents also can provide honest praise whenever it’s called for. Remember to be attentive to your own style of criticism – try to keep it constructive.

Anna Glazkova is a mother to two children aged three and seven. She is interested in child psychology, especially early years development. Founder of The Giving Tree Preschool and Primary, Anna also teaches prenatal, regular and radiant child yoga programmes.

services

from the city. Dedicated to leisure, rest and entertainment, CCC is suitable for children. Open daily 6.30am until late.

The only Franchise School from Canada.

A proud provider of education for children in Canada, Cambodia, USA and Philippines.

Kids City 162A Sihanouk Blvd. www.kidscityasia.com Indoor entertainment centre with climbing walls, ice skating, laser tag. toddler town and other attractions.

International School of Phnom Penh Hun Neang Blvd. Tel: 023 425 088 www.ispp.edu.kh Founded in 1989, this non-profit, nonsectarian international school currently has students from Pre-K to Grade 12.

The largest international school and a fully-authorized IB programme the new campus has large grass playing fields, canteen, library, theatre, swimming pool and basketball courts.

Monkey Business 2/F, Paragon Department Store Tel: 023 319 319 Kids can rejoice now that this indoor children’s play centre offers clean, safe facilities. Available for private parties.

Open daily 9am-8pm.

Phnom Tamao Wildlife Park Phnom Tamao Cambodia’s best wildlife centre. All the animals are either rescued from traders or bred at the centre. Many of the animals are critically endangered.

Open 8am-4pm.

International Schools

Canadian International School of Phnom Penh Bassac Garden, Norodom Blvd.

Tel: 023 727 788 / 077 503 778 www.cisp.edu.kh Offers a Canadian curriculum in English, certified through the Canadian province of Alberta.

Eton House International School 16 Mao Tse Tung Blvd. Tel: 023 22 8818 www.ehis.co Eton House is committed to the pursuit of excellence in education. Eton House is represented in 10 countries with over 56 pre-schools and schools around the world. The early years programme offers play-based, ‘Inquire, Think, Learn” pedagogy inspired by the I.B programme and the Reggio Emilia schools of Northern Italy.

Footprints School 220 Street 430, Tumnub Teuk Tel: 077 222 084 Established in 2007 Footprints School offers nursery (age 2) through Secondary and has four campuses. The curriculum is designed for the dynamic needs and interests of students and staff are hired for their experience and love of children.

Giving Tree Pre-school Main Branch: 17, Street 71 Tel: 017 997 112 Secondary Branch: 50 Street 322 Tel: 017 997 112 Tuol Kork Branch: 5 Street 325 Tel: 077 993 073 Baby Playgroup 6 – 12 months; Main Programme 12 months to 6 years old.Languages: English, French, Japanese, Khmer.

The Giving Tree Primary Secondary Branch: 50 Street 322 Tel: 017 997 112 Email: registrar@ thegivingtreeschool.com Grades 1, 2 and 3; 6 to 9 years old. We follow the International Primary Curriculum (IPC) - a worldwide recognised curriculum. iCAN British International School 85 Sothearos Blvd. Tel: 023 222 416 www.ican.edu.kh iCAN offers affordable, high quality education, using the IPC, IMYC and English National Curriculum. Learners are encouraged to be thoughtful, creative, think critically, collaborate and achieve their best. iCAN is the learning environment of choice for parents who value the development of their children.

International Learning Jungle School 104 Street 315, Boeung Kak II, Toul Kork Tel: 095 222 557 / 095 222 558 / 095 222 559 www.learningjungle.com, www.facebook.com/ LearningJungleCambodia

72 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

Lycée Français René Descartes Street 96 Tel: 023 722 044 French school offering primary and secondary level education, extracurricular activities include basketball, football, rugby.

Nira International School 17B Street 105 Tel: 023 454 5006 / 023 454 5007 Pre-school delivers affordable, highquality, early childhood education.

With new technology, using the IPC curriculum, classes are taught in an international environment. Its spacious central garden favours creativity, development and enables students to express themselves.

Northbridge International School 1km off National Road 4 Tel: 023 886 000 www.nisc.edu.kh Founded in 1997, NISC is a fullyauthorised IB World School with a growing enrollment of students aged 3 to Grade 12. Purpose built campus unlike any in Cambodia.

Raffles Montessori International School of Phnom Penh 18 Street 294, corner of Street 57 Tel: 023 993 999 International standard school from Singapore lets children experience independent education with a team of Montessori-trained teachers. Offering Kindergarten from ages 1.5 to 6 years old in a loving and encouraging environment.

Zaman International School 2843 Street 3 Tel: 023 214 040 www.zamanisc.org International school that teaches a full curriculum to children from four to 18.

Facilities include basketball and volleyball courts, a football field and a science lab.

Pre-Schools Gecko & Garden Pre-school 3 Street 21 Tel: 092 575 431 www.geckogarden-preschool.org Not-for-profit pre-school emphasises learning through creative play in a supportive environment for children aged 18 months to 5 years. Open daily 7.30am-12pm. After school programme offering a range of fun activities is available 2.30pm-5pm daily.

Sambo’s Tots www.sambostots.com Playhouse and playschool provides fun edutainment experience for babies and toddlers from 3 months to 5 years where imagination comes to life.

Tchou Tchou 13 Street 21 Tel: 023 362 899 www.tchou-tchou.com Kindergarten and pre-school for 18 months to 5-year-olds, open from 7.30am -12pm (Mon to Fri). French is the main language, although English and Khmer is also practised.

LISTINGS

business & services

Shops

Advertising

Little Phnom Penh 194eoz Street 306 Tel: 017 877 471 French and Italian designers for kids fashion brand produce children’s wear from new born to 16 years, using local fabrics and mixing it with their taste of European fashion. The collection includes printed T-shirts with graphic designs that recall beautiful Cambodian icons. Open daily from 9.30am-6.30pm.

APlus Asia Network 104 Street 273 Tel: 023 864 438 Fully-fledged advertising agency with a diverse portfolio of clients, offering a wide array of creative solutions to drive your brand message across all media.

Monument Toys 111 Norodom Bvd. Tel: 023 217 617 To the rear of Monument Books is a well-stocked toy section. It features an excellent range of well-known board games and toys including Barbie dolls, Transformers, Magic 8 balls and more.

It has to be the best place in the city for brand named toys and games. Open daily 7.30am-8pm.

Pitchoun 25DE0 Street 294 Tel: 017 555 325 Selling stylish baby clothes and shoes, cute dresses and skirts, and trendy shirts at reasonable prices, to please both children and parents. Open daily, 9am-7.30pm.

Shade 7 Outdoor Living Co Ltd Showroon; Borey Chamkarmon Tel: 077 962 467 Email: david@shade7. com www.shade7.com www.springfreetrampoline.com Supplier of Shade7 premium aluminium umbrellas and exclusive distributor of original Springfree range. World class products now available in Cambodia!

Stock in country for immediate supply.

Toys & Me 159A Mao Tse Toung Blvd.

Tel: 023 212 081 / 016 808 676 www.toysnme.net Established in 2007, Toys & Me is a leading toys shop in Cambodia. A one-stop shop you can trust when it comes to educational needs for your children.

Willi Shop 769 Monivong Blvd Tel: 023 211 652 All products are imported from France, including bébé brand baby products, the range includes prams, baby care, cots and toys. Open 8am-8pm.

River Orchid 25 Street 566, Phnom Penh. pick@riverorchid.com Offers a range of advertising, media, digital, PR and research services across the region.

Architecture, Interior Design & Construction Beyond Interiors 14e Street 306 Tel: 023 987 840 / 012 930 332 ww.beyondinteriors.biz Managed by Australian designer Bronwyn Blue, this interior design showroom can provide the ultimate design solution. All products from Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Cambodia have been treated to withstand any climate. Open 9am-6pm Bill Grant Landscape Design Tel: 012 932 225 / 012 738 134 The city’s most talented landscape designer.

Green Goal Ltd 10 Street 296. Tel: 023 223 861 Consultancy offers sustainable and creative architectural and construction services to clients taking into account environmental considerations.

Hemisphere Design & Interiors Tel: 012 602 955 william@norbert-munns.com Western managed renovation company specialising in swimming pools and Jacuzzi construction in fibreglass and concrete.

I Ching Decor 31 Mao Tse Toung, Phnom Penh Tel: 023 220 873 / 012 558 000 / 092 660 746 Boutique interior design shop offering advice on architectural work and interior design, as well as providing custommade furniture, home accessories, and kitchenware, lighting and bedroom suites. Open 9am-6pm, closed Sun. Lorenzo Martini Interiors Tel: 012 773 514 www.lorenzo-martini.com The studio provides services ranging from interior design to property development concept. Looking at interiors as living experiences, Lorenzo Martini ensure their designs are tailor made to clients.

The Room Design Studio 9AB Street 288 Tel: 023 992 620 Interior design and architectural company that has 12 years’ experience of designing flats, villas, offices, shops, homes and offices in Asia.

Bikes & Mechanics

Emerald Garage 11 Street 456 Mechanics specialising in maintenance and repair of vehicles, including oil changing and body painting.

Expat Motorbike Cambodia 38Eo, Street 322 Tel: 089 491 436 / 089 518 867 emcjapeng@gmail.com Offers motorbike rental services for expats living in Phnom Penh including well-maintained motors, reliable & responsive service.

The Bike Shop 31 Street 302 Tel: 012 851 776 Repairs trusty steeds as well as renting them out in the first place. Also provides dirt bike tours.

Western Service Centre 24 Street 420 Tel: 012 477 831 www.wmg-cambodia.com A garage with Western and Khmer staff that emphasises communication and trained, attentive skills. Motto is “We don’t know all, we find out all, then we fix.”

Business Groups AmCham 1st Floor LBL International Building, 34 Sothearos Boulevard, Phnom Penh. Tel: 015 333 715.

BritCham British Embassy, 27-29 Street 75, Phnom Penh.

Tel: 012 323 121.

Russian Confederation Blvd.

Tel: 023 218 808 www.royallimousine.com.kh Fleet of late model Mercedes that provides transport for hotels, embassies and luxury tour operators as well as foreign delegates.

Commercial Banks ABA Bank 148 Sihanouk Bouelvard.

Tel: 023 225 333 www.ababank.com Multi-branch network universal commercial bank offering a full range of products and services through nationwide network. Voted Best Bank in Cambodia 2014 and 2015 by Euromoney.

Acleda Bank 61 Monivong Blvd.

Tel: 023 998 777 www.acledabank.com.kh Specialises in micro, small and medium loans to people throughout the country.

ANZ Royal Bank Main Branch, 20 Street 114 www.anzroyal.com Cambodia’s major commercial bank has brought international standards of banking to Cambodia, with a large number of ATM machines around Phnom Penh. Can arrange money transfers.

CIMB Bank PLC 20AB Norodom Blvd. Tel: 023 988 388 www.cimbbank.com.kh Full range of commercial and consumer banking products and services for both Cambodian and foreign businesses and individuals. The first Japanese bank in Cambodia.

International Business Chamber H7 Russian Boulevard, Phnom Penh. Tel: 023 964 455.

Maybank (Cambodia) PLC 4B, Street 114 (Kramoun Sar) Tel: 023 210 123 maybank2u.com.kh The only bank operating in Cambodia ranked by Bloomberg Markets as among the World’s Top 20 Strongest Banks.

Maybank humanises financial services by helping customers and employees grow, bridging them to new opportunities.

EuroCham Preah Ang Makhak Vann, Phnom Penh. Tel: 023 964 141.

Maruhan Japan Bank 83 Norodom Blvd. Tel: 023 999 010 First Japanese bank in Phnom Penh.

Malaysian Business Council of Cambodia Unit G21, Ground Floor, Parkway Square 113, Mao Tse Tung Blvd. mbcc.secretariat@gmail.com

IT & Software

Chambre de Commerce FrancoCambodgienne Office 2nd floor, 33 Street 178 Tel: 023 221 453 www.ccfcambodge.org

Car Rental ACC Car Rental Services 43 Street 160z Toul Kork Tel: 012 456 003 / 015 456 003.

Professional, prompt and organized rental service that provides vehicles for rent with or without a driver. ACC also rents a range of buses that seat from 12 to 45 people.

Asia Vehicle Rental 27 Street 134 Tel: 078 666 557 www.avrcambodia.com With the motto “leave your driving to us”, this rental service offers sedans, pick-ups, SUVs and minibuses in 2WD or 4WD for self-drive or with driver.

Insurance offered.

Larryta Trading & Travel Co. Ltd. 9 Street 310 Tel: 023 994 748 www.larrytacarrental.com.kh Vehicle rental for all types of cars, vans and mini-buses with flexible packages in Cambodia and neighbouring countries by the day, week or month.

Royal Limousine Services Attwood Business Center,

Cresittel Co., Ltd. Office 705, KT Tower 23 Street 112 Tel: 098 518 888 Provides software solutions and systems, point of sales systems for bars and restaurants, website designing and telecoms consulting. Has showroom at 385 Street 215.

KTOP 4/F Sorya Shopping Centre.

Tel: 023 6666 763 www.ktop.com.kh Broad range of quality and up-to-date smartphones, tablets, computers and accessories. Special services for OS upgrade, maintenance, applications, games, music and movies for mobile devices and computers. Open daily from 9am- 8.30pm

Technology company that offers GPS navigation systems, an online map directory and vehicle tracking system.

legal and tax solutions with local and cross-border experience with offices in neighbouring countries.

Insurance

Gordon and Associates Asia 21 Street 214 Tel: 023 218 257 US lawyer works with local Cambodian lawyers to provide international quality advice. Specialises in foreign investment, joint ventures and advising entrepreneurs.

AG Cambodia Hotel Cambodiana, 313 Sovanna Sisowath Quay Tel: 017 360 333.

Email: nfo@agcambodia.com Professional insurance agent offering health, home, car, factory, employee and hotel insurance packages.

Forte Insurance 325, Mao Tse Toung Blvd. Tel: 023 885 077 www.forteinsurance.com Forte Insurance is dedicated to providing exceptionally comprehensive and efficient insurance services (Corporate Insurance & Personal Insurance) to all our clients.

Infinity Insurance 126 Norodom Blvd. Tel: 023 999 888 Professional insurance company offers motor, property, home, marine cargo, personal accident, healthcare, construction and engineering insurance.

Group policies can be customised.

Legal BNG Legal 64 Street 111 Tel: 023 212 671 / 023 212 740 www.bnglegal.com BNG Legal is a leading Cambodian law firm providing comprehensive legal services to foreign and local clients.

DFDL Legal and Tax Advisors 33 Street 294 Tel: 023 210 400 www.dfdlmekong.com Law firm providing international standard

Sciaroni & Associates 24 Street 462 Tel: 023 210225 www.sa-asia.com Leading professional and investment advisory firm based in Cambodia with legal offices in Laos and Myanmar, provides skilled counsel, knowledgeable business insight and experienced guidance to leading companies, governments, think tanks and global investment funds.

Media & Design Anon Creative Energy Tel: 089 812 123 Email: anoncambodia@gmail.com Internationally trained advertising talent at your service. Strong, strategic ideas.

Available for freelance art and copy writing projects.

Asia Media Lab Tel: 012 818 917 asiamedialab.com Full service video production company specialises in the creation of dynamic visual content to help bring NGO stories to life for fundraising and advocacy.

Miscellaneous Sunbird Angkor Co. Ltd. 78 Monireth Blvd.

Active Investment Management

Are you concerned about market volatility?

Active investment management can reduce downside risk and help protect your capital.

Netpro Cambodia 11 Street 422 Tel: 023 215 141 www.netpro-cambodia.com IT supports company that delivers high quality and reliable services to home and small to medium size organisations in Cambodia.

Ocean Technology T-20 St Topaz, Sovanna Shopping Centre Tel: 023 211 700 / 010 624 001 www.ocean-tech.biz

services

Dara Motorbike 43 Street 136 Tel: 012 335 499 Off-road specialist offers repairs, parts and accessories. Tours arranged by appointment.

Get in touch today

Call 023 997 121 email enquiries@infinitysolutions.com

infinitysolutions.com

Labuan FSA Licence N0. BS200548 Company No. LL04446

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 73 Ad Asia Life Cambodia March 2016.indd 1

2/9/16 15:23

services

money matters

Tel: 023 98 3333 / 023 99 1010 Email: sunbirdangkor@yahoo.co.kr Worldwide hotel reservations, car rentals,medical services, conventions and marketing. Open Mon-Fri 8am5.30pm and Sat 8am-1pm.

Post Office Main Post Office Cnr. Streets 102 & 13 Open 6.30am-9pm.

Photography

China – Is the Party Over?

Paul Dodd This week (I’m writing this in January), China released figures for 2015 showing its slowest annual growth in a quarter of a century. While that still equates to the size of Switzerland’s entire economy, for a country that had become accustomed to double digit growth, 2015’s 6.9 percent growth rate – compared to 7.3 percent in 2014 – is ringing alarm bells with analysts.

The Chinese have had a rough ride over the last couple of years. Between 2005 and 2013, house prices rocketed due to the easy availability of credit and the relaxing of regulations regarding property ownership.

The country average tripled while prices in larger cities increased by up to 10 times.

Then the bubble burst leaving many investors high and dry.

This was followed by the first devaluation of the yuan in over two decades on Aug. 11, 2015, when almost 2 percent was shaved off its value. They say bad luck comes in threes and so it proved for China when the stock market crashed on Aug. 24, dubbed Black Monday. The Shanghai Composite Index fell 8 percent in a day, a second hammer blow for many Chinese investors who had shifted their focus from property to shares.

Most experts believe that China’s woes are far from over with the slowdown in growth expected to continue.

But why should we care?

As the world’s second biggest economy China is an industrial powerhouse that contributes 12 percent to world GDP. Consequently the country is a driver of global economic growth as well as the second biggest importer of goods and commercial services. Whatever happens there impacts anyone with investments anywhere. The Black Monday crash sent shares tumbling around the world and a similar scenario has played out in markets around the world this week. Stocks in Japan, France, the UK and Germany are officially in a bear market with share prices having fallen at least 20 percent from their peak.

So what does that mean for your investments? No doubt you have cast an eye over them and may be feeling anything from mild unease to blind panic.

The most important advice I is to stay calm. A knee-jerk reaction to volatility in the markets is highly inadvisable.

In some cases a readjustment of your asset allocation may be advisable and if your retirement is approaching, more drastic action may be necessary but there is still no need to panic.

Above all, remember that it is impossible to invest without risk and volatility is par for the course. This party may be over in China but there will no doubt be future celebrations to come. If you don’t want to miss out, stay invested!

Infinity Financial Solutions provides impartial, tailor-made, personal financial advice to clients in Cambodia and Southeast Asia. Should you wish to contact Paul, please send an email to info@infinitysolutions.com or visit infinitysolutions.com.

74 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

AsiaMotion Tel: 092 806 117 www.asiamotion.net Photographic agency established in November 2008 as a cooperation between local and international photographers. i3 Studio Tel: 017 728 895 / 095 666 817 / 092 709 596 Photography services: event, prewedding, wedding coverage and videography service.

Nathan Horton Photography Tel: 092 526 706 www.nathanhortonphotography.com Full service professional photographer.

Hotels, bars, restaurants, spas and location work. Call for Travel Photography workshops and tours.

Printing Sok Heng Printing House 1297B Street Luo 5, Stoeung Mean Chey Tel: 011 939 255 / 012 939 255 Modern print house providing a full range of printing services. Graphic design available.

Real Estate and Property Services CB Richard Ellis (Cambodia) Co., Ltd. 9/F , Hyundai Phnom Penh Tower 445 Monivong Blvd. Tel: 023 964 099 www.cbre.com.kh The world’s largest commercial real estate services company offering premier quality real estate, valuations, consultancy, investment and property services.

Independent Property Services (IPS) 182 Street 63 Tel: 077 959 861 www.ips-cambodia.com Property and real estate agent offering apartments, houses and villas for sale and rent in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.

Property Care Services (PCS) 2A Road 7 Tel: 017 555 203 Solution for property support services, including waste management, security, pest control and cleaning. Only company to clean high-rise windows with absailers.

Relocation, Shipping Asian Tigers Beton Street, Mol Village, Sangkat Dongkor

Tel: 023 212 014 www.asiantigers-mobility.com/cambodia Leading provider of international relocation solutions with over 30 offices in 14 countries.

Crown 115-116 Street 335 Tel: 023 881 004 www.crownrelo.com Global transportation and relocation company with over 150 offices in 50 countries, specialising in expat support and household shipment. Open 8.30am5.30pm (Mon-Fri), 8.30am-12pm (Sat). expat2cambodia Tel 066 200 767 www.expat2cambodia.com Personal consultant offering services from expat to expat in the client’s own language: including house hunting, healthcare and transport.

Taxi Services Choice Taxi Tel: 023 888 023 / 090 882 882 Metered taxi service with rates from US$1 for first 2km.

Giant Ibis Transport Phnom Penh Phnom Penh: 3 Street 106 Siem Reap: 64 Sivatha Street Tel: 023 999 333 www.giantibis.com Travel in “Affordable Luxury” to Siem Reap and other destinations in brand new 2012 buses with reclining seats, spacious leg room, AC, WiFi, complementary snacks and pick-up service.

Telecoms Cellcard 33 Sihanouk Blvd. Tel: 012 800 800 A leading mobile phone operator providing a comprehensive range of voice, data and SMS services to individual and corporate users, both pre-paid and post-paid.

Emaxx Corner St 214 / Norodom Blvd. Tel: 023 999 818 Provides a national, high-quality, 4G network service for Internet and multimedia services.

Ezecom 7D Russian Blvd. Tel: 023 888 181 www.ezecom.com.kh Internet service provider that promises boundless packages suited to everyone’s needs. Good for those looking for unlimited downloads.

Mobitel 33 Sihanouk Blvd. Tel: 012 801 801 Largest ISP in the country. Major mobile phone company which issues the 012 SIM card.

Smart 464a Monivong Blvd. Tel: 010 201 000 One of Cambodia’s leading mobile operator, offering super-fast 4G LTE. Provides a range of phones, tablets and selection of call plans.

chef. Open 7am-9pm.

shopping Art Eileen’s Ceramic Painting 40B Street 310 (between St.57 & St.63) Tel: 012 267 784 Book a party for a Housewarming, Birthday, Anniversary or Reunion. We offer workshops during school and after school.

Estampe 72c street 174 Tel: 012 826 186, A wide collection of vintage items can be found at Estampe. There are originals and reproductions of old photos, books, maps from late 19th and early 20th century. Documents on specific themes or periods for unique tailor-made collections for hotels, restaurants or house decoration can be made. Open Mon- Sat from 11am-7pm.

Hanuman Fine Arts 13B Street 334, Phnom Penh Tel: 023 211 916 Email: tradition@hanumanfinearts.com High quality, beautiful antiques and art from all over the Kingdom. Furniture, ornaments, silverware, jewelry and more are well displayed in a treasure trove of a store. Very helpful and friendly staff.

Open 8am–5pm.

Happy Painting Gallery 363 Sisowath Quay (nr. FCC) Tel: 023 221 732 www.happypainting.net Established in 1995 this art gallery is dedicated to Stef, a local icon artist with a very personal and positive insight into everyday life in Cambodia. Open 8am-10pm

Beauty Products Raffles Amrita Spa Raffles Hotel Le Royal.

Tel: 023 981 888 www.raffles.com/phnompenh Email: spa.phnompenh@raffles.com Distinctive collection of Raffles Amrita spa private label and international spa products are available for purchase.

Open 6am-10pm.

Books & CDS Carnets d’Asie French Cultural Centre, 218 Street 184.

Tel: 012 799 959 French-language bookshop has sections on Cambodia and Asia as well as general fiction, with a good range of French magazines and newspapers. Open 8am-8pm D’s Books 79 Street 240 / 12E Street 178 Tel: 012 726 355 New and used bookshops with over 20,000 original books and some copies, with a great range of best sellers. Coffee, smoothies and more available all day at Street 240. Open 9am-9pm.

Le Phnom Shop Raffles Hotel Le Royal. Tel: 023 981 888 Small shop offering books and souvenirs including recipes from the hotel’s pastry

Monument Books 111 Norodom Blvd. Tel: 023 217 617 Extensive range of new English-language books in town including recent releases and sections on Asia, Cambodia, travel, cuisine, design and management. Good children’s section as well as a wide choice of magazines and newspapers.

Also has outlets at the airport and in Aeon Mall.

Open 7am-8.30pm.

Crafts & Furniture Artisans D’Angkor 12AEo Street 13 (in front of Post Office) Tel: 023 992 409 www.artisansdangkor.com Boutique with a wide range of traditional and contemporary handmade pieces produced at Artisans Angkor’s workshops in Siem Reap province: silk scarves, clothing and accessories, home furnishings, lacquer paintings and tableware, stone and wooden sculptures, silver-plated ornaments and silk paintings. Special commissions and custom orders welcome. Open daily from 9am-6pm Artwood 33 Street 302 Tel: 016 934 999 www.artwood.asia Drop in to our showroom to experience modern wooden furniture designed and manufactured in Cambodia. Offers free consultations for both commercial and residential custom-made needs.

Ashley Gallery 705Eo Monivong Blvd Tel: 023 211 116 Browse our selection of quality furnishings at amazing value. Bring your home’s interior design to the next level with well-made products with the help of our friendly and knowledgeable designers. Open daily from 8am-6pm.

DeCosy 219 Street 19 Tel: 023 219 276 Stocking charming knick-knacks and furniture, DeCosy is the place to find the things to make your house a home.

Open daily from 9am-7pm.

Indulgence Interiors 23A Street 302 Tel: 023 637 3666 / 012 586 688 Email: Indulgenceinteriors@gmail.com Sells sofas, dining sets, bed linen, curtain & lights.

Oppein 705Eo Monivong Blvd. Tel: 012 228 868 www.oppein-camodia.com Oppein is the leading cabinetry brand in Asia-Pacific, we offer high quality and affordable kitchen cabinet, wardrobe, home furniture, wooden doors, bathroom cabinets. Open daily from 8am-6pm.

Pavillon d’Asie 24, 26 Sihanouk Blvd. Tel: 012 497 217 Antique lovers dream, a large array of well-restored furniture and decorative objects. Wooden cabinets jostle for space with Buddha statues and old wooden boxes. Upstairs are pieces from the French colonial era. Open 10am7pm, closed Sunday.

PhalyCraft 37 Street 113 Tel: 016 485 857 www.phalycraft.com Located near Tuol Sleng Museum, PhalyCraft makes scarves, bags, gifts and accessories. Custom orders available.

Sinh Hak Hout Home Mart Branch I: 353ABC Mao Tse Tong Blvd.

Tel: 023 723 588 Branch II: 88, St. 598, Near TV Station 3.

Tel: 096 833 9999 Branch III: 65-67, Mao Tse Tong Blvd.

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 75

loose gemstones. New Zealand/Khmer ownership. All manufacturing done in Cambodia. Open 9am-7pm.

Jasmine Boutique 73 Street 240 Tel: 023 223 103 www.jasmineboutique.net Established in 2001 by Kellianne Karatau and Cassandra McMillan, this boutique creates its own collection of designs twice a year using hand-woven Cambodian silk. Open 8am-6pm.

Khmer Attitude Raffles Hotel Le Royal. Tel: 023 981 888 Fashion boutique that offers the finest Khmer silk clothing for men, women and children, including designs by Romyda Keth, and exclusive jewellery that complement the limited edition outfits.

Kool As U 141 Street 19 (north of Street 172) Tel: 012 735 991 www.koolasu.com Specialises in men’s fashion with all clothes designed and made by Khmers.

The clothing is casual, but designed for partying or work. Business Hours: Tuesday-Sunday from 9am-7pm.

La Clef de Sol 10 Street 208 Tel: 012 394 915 A design boutique offering home decor, women’s fashion, kids clothes, bags, accessories and continually updated design surprises. Near KFC on Norodom Blvd. Open 9am-6pm Mon–Sat. Tel: 095 699 994 A one-stop solution for home interior furnishing offering a variety of tiles, stylistic bathroom furniture & sanitary ware, modern home and office furniture.

Fashion Ambre 37 Street 178 Tel: 023 217 935 The high-end fashion designs created by Cambodian designer Romyda Keth are popular all over the world, this beautiful colonial building makes the perfect setting for the city’s most glamorous design shop. Also has men’s fashion.

Open 10am-6pm, closed Sunday.

Back to the Future 193A Street 63 near the corner Street 294 Tel: 078 991 232 Old fashion is always becoming new fashion. What was fashionable before, will be fashionable again. At Back to the Future, we have an amazing selection of hand-picked, vintage items ranging from cloths, bags, shoes, and accessories. Open daily from 8am-8pm.

Bambou Indochine 7 Street 178 Tel: 023 214 720 High-quality T-shirts, Polo shirts and comfortable clothes in original designs.

A full-range of sizes for men, women and children. Open daily 8am-10pm.

Beautiful Shoes 138 Street 143 Tel: 012 848 438 Family-run business measures your feet and designs the shoe exactly as you wish. The shop also caters for men.

Open from 7am-6.30pm.

Bliss 29 Street 240 Tel: 023 215 754 A beautiful colonial building houses this exquisite shop with funky patterned cushions, quilts and an excellent clothing line. The health spa at the back of the shop also sells Spana beauty products.

Open from 9am-9pm (closed Mondays).

Central Mall Phnom Penh 10 Street 67 Tel: 023 966 300 centralmallphnompenh.com A modern and stylish multi-brand

department store concept in the heart of Phnom Penh, bringing authentic and premium international names right to your doorstep.

Couleurs D’Asie 33 Street 240 Tel: 023 221 075/ 099 499 478 Email: info@couleursdasie.net www.couleursdasie.net Established in Cambodia for more than 15 years, Couleurs d´Asie has developed a full range of textile products for home decoration, clothing and fashion accessories. Jewellery, essential oils, soaps and more are on offer. A custom service for existing products is also available.

Dara Shoes 10 Street 166 (near corner Street 107) Tel: 012 855 173 / 097 809 743 Good quality shoes, boots, bags, belts and leather products made to order.

D.Hindley Jewellery 9 Street 184 Tel: 012 327 107 Discover a range of beautiful Cambodian gemstones. From affordable to extravagant, we sell top quality 18k gold and sterling silver jewelry, plus

Lim Keo 9 Street 222 Tel: 012 941 643 Pret a porter by Lim Keo, son of Sylvain Lim, the master of Cambodian fashion.

Lola’s Intimates 1st Shop: 175 Street 155 (corner Street 460) 2nd Shop: 6E0, Street 5 (btw Street 110 and Street 118) Tel: 092 876 223 Offer all kinds of stylish underwear and night dresses with beautiful patterns.

Price range from $1 to $12 per item.

Opens daily from 9am-6.30pm Luna Boutique 8E1 Street 278 Tel: 023 220 176 Original and stylish fashion designs for men and women. The tailor-made creations, designed by modern Cambodian stylist Mengchou Kit, are fit for any occasion. Luna Boutique is located in the heart of Phnom Penh, while its sister shop - Luna Shoes - is next door. Open daily 8am-9pm.

Promesses and Kaprices 20 Street 282.

Tel: 023 993 527 Lingerie shop stocked with exclusive

PHNOM PENH 023 211701 Downtown: #08E0, Str. 57 Phnom Penh International Airport SIEM REAP 063 964343 Downtown: The Alley West (near Pub Street) Siem Reap International Airport www.smateria.com

French and Thai undergarments. Chic, new prêt-à-porter shop Kaprices is located upstairs. Open 9am-7pm.

Sentosa Silk Uniform 33 Sothearos Blvd, cnr Street 178 Tel: 012 962 911/ 023 222 974 Email: info@couleursdasie.net sentosa@ online.com.kh Well known for its professional management ability, SentosaSilk gives clients efficient and reliable service through quality systems and procedures that consistently enhance product quality and reliability.

Sobbhana Boutique 23-24 Street 144/49 Tel: 023 219 455/ 023 219 452 www.sobbhana.org A not for profit organisation founded

by Princess Norodom Marie, offering a range of colourful, handwoven silk products. Profits fund training, medical care and education of weavers.

Smateria 8Eo Street 5. Tel: 023 211 701 7 Street 178. Tel: 023 214 720 www.smateria.com Boutique specializing in accessories made from recycled materials including a range of bags and wallets made from old fruit juice cartons, plastic bags and mosquito nets.

Subtyl 43 Street 240.

Tel: 023 992 710

www.subtyl.com Up-market boutique selling Cambodian handmade women’s clothes, scarves, shoes, bags and other accessories in contemporary and interesting designs, the Subtyl collection combines class with colour. ChilliKids children’s clothing is also stocked at the shop. Open 9am-7pm.

Food & Wine AusKhmer Import Export 521 Street Angtamin Pagoda, Sang Kat Kar Karp Tel: 012 698 100 / 023 880 110 www.auskhmer.com Importer of quality wines and fine food from Australia and further afield.

Camory – Premium Cookie Boutique 167 Sisowath Quay Tel: 023 224 937 Makes cookies using produce from the provinces such as cashews from Kampong Cham and Mondulkiri honey. A portion of the profits fund education for a local orphanage. Open 9am-8.30pm.

Celliers d’Asie 62B & 98 Street 432.

Tel: 023 986 350 Wine supplier with the largest quantity of retail stock in town, has been providing wine to most of the top hotels and restaurants for over ten years. Open 8am-12pm, 2pm-6pm, closed Sunday.

Comme a la Maison 13 Street 57

Tel: 012 951 869 Decidedly sophisticated French restaurant has a small delicatessen and bakery at the back of the restaurant ideal for that morning baguette or croissant with your coffee. Open from 6am10.30pm.

Dan Meats 51A Street 214 Tel: 012 906 072 Phnom Penh’s man of meat, Lanzi, supplies his strictly non-vegetarian products to many restaurants around town. Open 7.30am-6.30pm, closed Sun. Kurata Pepper 5 Street 322 Tel: 023 726 480 Selling organic Koh Kong pepper and associated products, Kurata is a specialist shop in town. Open daily 8am-7pm.

Le Marché 10 Street 456 Tel: 011 51 07 31 Le Marché is the first one-stop shop in Toul Tom Poung. From basic grocery products, international food and beverage items to various and trendy homeware articles, find everything you need for your daily life at very affordable prices. Open daily from 7am-9am Red Apron 15-17 Eo Street 240 Tel: 023 990 951 Home of wine enthusiasts in Phnom Penh is both a wine boutique and tasting gallery. With around 300 wines, the boutique has more range than the supermarkets. Open 9am-9pm.

The Chocolate Shop 240 35 Street 240 Tel: 077 666 402 Premium Chocolate shop with a large range of Cambodian-made Belgian chocolates including some classics such as pralines, truffles and bars. Open 9am - 7pm Monday-Saturday and 9am-4pm on Sunday. Second outlet in BKKI Street 63. Third outlet in Aeon Mall, Ground floor - Sweet Island.

The Deli 13 Street 178 Tel: 012 851 234 Café and bakery with take away breads, sandwiches and pastries. Now has a second outlet on Street 51. Open 6.30am-6.30pm, delivery service (within 30 minutes) 7am-11pm.

Household Goods Japan Home Centre 48A Street 294 Tel: 089 266 851 101A Street 432 (cnr Street 167) Tel: 078 850 320. www.japanhomecentre.com A place where you can find all of your household needs. Open daily from 10am-8pm Mi-a Japan Street 271 (100m after Stung Meanchey bridge) Tel: 023 6444 531 The store provides a variety of products from gardening tools to dining materials.

The 100-yen shop is famous in Japan and has now arrives in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. Open daily at AEON Mall 1F 9am-10pm, Dream Land on Sisowath Quay 9am-11pm, Street 271 8am-9pm & Siem Reap 9am-10pm.

Malls

AEON Mall 132 Sothearos Blvd.

As Cambodia’s first Western-style shopping mall, AEON is home to a host of local and international brands, a sprawling food hall, department store and entertainment floor featuring a cinema, bowling alley and arcade section. Close your eyes and you could be in Bangkok

Silks & Accessories Friends ‘n’ Stuff 215 Street 13 Friends ‘n’ Stuff shop sells products made by the parents of children in need, from various Friends projects, as well as other consignment items. After some serious shopping, you can relax here with a manicure and massage by Mith Samlanh’s beauty training students at The Nailbar.

Friends ‘n’ Stuff has a small shop at the Russian Market and Romdeng restaurant as well. Open daily from 11am-9pm.

Hummingbird 137 Street 19 Tel: 092 504 604 www.facebook.com/hummingbird.cambodia Modern women’s clothing boutique with all the latest styles. Opened in 2014 offering a unique, high-quality range of dresses, playsuits, shirts and blouses, skirts, tops and t-shirts, shorts, bags, flats and sandals, jewellery, beauty and wellbeing products and more. Open daily from 9am to 9pm.

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AsiaLIFE Cambodia 79

Bassac Lane

La Familia

Spotlight 80 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

Photography by Lim Sokchanlina

ARTillery

soundfix album review

by Steve Noble

KROM

CONRAD KEELY

THE KING BLUES

ZAYN MALIK

Ahead of the launch of their third album Mekong Delta Blues, local favorites Krom have released an animated music video from previous hit, ‘Mango Madness, off their debut outing. The video is animated by Australian Charlotte Bunt and adds colour to one of the best bands to come out of Southeast Asia. Famed for their classic blues with a modern noir twist, the song focuses on the seedier side of Phnom Penh and its girly bars, with the creepy vocals of Christopher Minko overlaying soothing instrumentals. In it, he describes a “landscape where anything goes as long as you have the money to pay”. It’s a brutal, honest and uncomfortable viewing, and lyrically raises social questions from a band unafraid to tackle hard truths.

Krom is a Phnom Penh-based band made of composer, songwriter, guitarist and vocalist, Christopher Minko, Khmer vocalist Sophea Chamroeun and sound engineer Sarin Chhuon, with guest musicians.

With a back catalogue stretching nine albums with band And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead, frontman Conrad Keely has ventured into solo territory with his debut album Original Machines. Keely wrote most of the record while touring with the group and used the tour bus as a makeshift studio.

The remainder of the record was written during his time in Cambodia. Artistic Keely, who also likes to paint and write, plays piano, guitar, cello and drums, among others.

Accompanying the solo record, Keely includes a 56-page book of original artwork, photography, lyrics and writing.

With the assistance of producer Ben Lemelin, they have carved a multi-faceted album resulting in varying sounds and styles.

A total of 29 tracks see Keely explore a path and expose his troubadour ways. Cambodian references are scattered, with ‘Engines of The Dark’ inspired by the drinking scene in Phnom Penh. Kampot also features prominently in ‘Drive to Kampot’.

Nearly a decade ago, The King Blues were taking the UK music scene by storm, with their mix of accessible groovy reggae/ska, folk and punk.

The politically-conscious band released acclaimed albums Under the Fog and Save the World, Get the Girl. Enigmatic frontman, Jonny “Itch” Fox, had the ability to connect with the audience and his, “What if punk never happened” was an anthem for his peers. The band, however, failed to capitalise and broke up in 2012. Late last year, the band announced its return, and The King Blues has unveiled a new EP, entitled Off With Their Heads. The seventrack EP is full of angst and is politically charged. “I’ve seen this government dropping bombs for peace, slashing benefits, turning venues and clubs into coffee chains, they detest us, they detest our way of life, they detest our right to live and exist in a way that may not benefit their pockets for a second.” The record is the first to be released on the band’s Meatball Records, and the video for ‘Off With Their Heads’ is available now.

The hype surrounding Zayn Malik’s departure from One Direction would only be surpassed by the hype surrounding his first release as a solo artist. And it seems his single Pillowtalk is riding high on worldwide charts, including English radio stations in Cambodia. The song has been well received, despite the explicit nature of the content and the subject of his relationship with supermodel Gigi Hadid. Inspired by the R’n’B he grew up on, Malik has been honing his craft, working with Wu-Tang Clan rapper Method Man and Malay, with a full album, Mind of Mine, due out this month. The groovy track with high pitched vocal breaks, still resonates of an ex fabricated boy-band member but it’s a good pop single, readymade for sensual dance floor moves, and has a great bass beat. If anything the song is tad over-produced but his legion of fans won’t mind. Lyrically, it’s not too innovative but is sex-soaked and slightly awkward.

MANGO MADNESS (MUSIC VIDEO)

82 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

ORIGINAL MACHINES

OFF WITH THEIR HEADS

PILLOWTALK (SINGLE)

topten

endorsed

Top 10 US Grossing Films 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

Dead Pool Kung Fu Panda 3 How to be Single Zoolander 2 The Revenant Hail, Caesar!

Star Wars: The Force Awakens The Choice Ride Along 2 The Boy

Kindle Top 10 Reads 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

Ghost Gifts by Laura Spinella The Last Girl by Joe Hart Winter Men by Jesper Bugge Kold All the Lasting Things by David Hopson North of Here by Laurel Saville Little Sister by Giles O’Bryen Guarding His Obsession by Alexa Riley Room Hate by Penelope Ward A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forrest The Wedding Dress by Rachel Hauck

Top 10 iTunes Downloads 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

My House by Flo Rida Love Yourself by Justin Bieber Stressed Out by Twenty One Pilots 7 Years by Lukas Graham Let it Go by James Bay Hello by Adele All I Ask by Adele One Call Away by Charlie Purth Hands to Myself by Selena Gomez Sorry by Justin Bieber

Run Lola Run (Lola Rennt), 1998.

Kate Burbridge A clock-watching movie with a difference, several differences, in fact, which is rather the point. It plays out in a series of alternative narratives, minute differences in the chain of events leading to major changes in consequences; a series of what-ifs played out as separate real-time loops within the story arc. What Terry Pratchett referred to as the “quantum butterfly effect”, a small change here leads to major change there. A split second earlier or later, a word out of place, a movement fractionally to the left, the right; all these things and more change the course of events.

The basic premise, set up in the opening scenes, is simple belying the deeper concepts evoked by film. The furious pace is set from the outset, a desperate situation; Lola has just 20 minutes to save her petty criminal boyfriend from the consequences of a series of small misfortunes and his own desperation.

Not knowing what to do, she runs, not away but to him.

The soundtrack, epitomising late 1990s German techno, with perhaps a hint of Yello, heightens the sense of urgency and desperation which engulfs the couple.

The slew of existential questions that open the film set the mood for the philosophical and conceptual aspect of the action. The narrative explores the concept that there is never just one set outcome for any given chain of

events. The philosophising is not done by the protagonists but by the audience, left to ponder on questions of choice, chance, destiny and fate thrown up by the changing, looping narrative as it unfolds. Minor characters flit in and out of the action, changing course as events, or otherwise, dictate.

A visual feast, the film is stunningly shot. The use of colour is particularly striking.

Lola is red, red hair, red phone, red for danger, for action; Manni is yellow, nasty blond highlights, yellow phone box, yellow on the buildings around him. Anyone with an eye for colour will be delighted by this and the myriad of colour pops, matches and contrasts are scattered throughout the film.

Mostly real action, cut with some animation to enhance the urgency, the unreal speed at which Lola must move to save Manni. A host of further cinematic tricks breaks in; monochrome flash backs, stop motion photographic stills rapidly fill in the various possible futures of some of the minor characters that Lola passes by on her way.

This is not a movie to be watched before bed, its frenetic pace is much better as a prequel to a night out, it will set you up with one hell of a buzz. One more caveat; it is better to watch the original German with subtitles, the quality of the acting on the English dub does not do the film justice.

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 83

appchat Streaks

STREAKS ($3.99) IOS This handy and flexible system sets reminders for up to six tasks each day. When one is completed, your ‘streak’ is extended. You can choose to walk the dog, floss your teeth or eat an apple, but if you forgo one of the habits, your streak will reset to zero. It’s a simple concept, but is great way to encourage good habits with only a few gentle nudges.

Music Memos

MUSIC MEMOS (FREE) IOS Songwriters of all levels can start recording material whenever inspiration strikes, thanks to this new Apple app. It helps record songs or short ideas (external microphone optional) and the user can add a virtual drummer and bassist, tag clips to find them later and then export or share them.

Guides by Lonely Planet

GUIDES BY LONELY PLANET (FREE) ANDROID & IOS Good quality travelling content usually comes at a price, but this app transfers some of the city guides from its books to the small screen for free. Dozens of cities are available, with maps that can be stored offline. It’s also packed with tips and advice from on-theground experts. Ideal for those with the travel bug.

84 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

Forest

FOREST ($1) IOS Following on the theme of productivity, the idea is to plant a seed and watch it grow into a tree, with the ultimate aim of getting users to avoid distractions. The catch? If you can’t be without social media and log on, your tree will wither and die. Keep focused on tasks and a forest of productivity will bloom, as well as nicely formatted statistics to pore over and share.

Crashlands

CRASHLANDS ($4.99) ANDROID & IOS After crash-landing on an alien planet, users must forage for tools, battle wildlife and build a base while uncovering a gripping story.

It’s a crafting RPG that has turned out to be a real treat. For those who enjoyed games such as Minecraft Pocket Edition then it’s definitely worth splashing the cash.

Hulu

HULU (FREE) ANDROID & IOS Hulu is great for watching films and TV shows. It’s a free service that relies on ads, but there are some top shows available. Users pay a subscription fee for content, but there is a range of excellent shows available without subscription, including classic US comedies such as Family Guy, Seinfeld and South Park.

boxoffice

STEVE JOBS

HOW TO BE SINGLE

BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE

KUNG FU PANDA 3

If you don’t know who Steve Jobs is, then where have you been hiding? After his death in 2011, Hollywood has got its hands on the life story of the mastermind behind Apple for several outings. This is one, Danny Boyle sits in the director’s seat for Steve Jobs, which follows 14 years of Jobs’ life from 1984 to 1998. His passion and ingenuity have been the driving force behind the digital age. However, his drive to revolutionise technology was sacrificial. Ultimately it affected his family life and possibly his health. This film explores the trials and triumphs of a modern day genius, the late CEO of Apple Inc, Steven Paul Jobs.

Split into three acts, each takes place prior to the launch of the Apple Macintosh, the NeXT Computer and the iMac G3.

Rom-com lovers are going to enjoy this hilarious revamp of the 2008 novel of the same name by Liz Tuccillo. Produced by seasoned actress Drew Barrymore, the film follows a young Alice (Dakota Johnson), who, after four years of college decides she needs a break from her long-term boyfriend Josh.

Excited and ready for new challenges, the eager graduate moves to New York to take a job as a paralegal. Helping her navigate her way through an unfamiliar city is Robin (Rebel Wilson), a fun-loving, wild co-worker who enjoys partying and one-night stands.

With Robin as her freewheeling guide, Alice can now learn how to get free drinks, meet men and thoroughly enjoy the single lifestyle.

Superhero fans have been waiting for the release of what has had the potential to be a Box Office hit since its announcement in 2013.

Featuring the DC Comic characters in the film’s title, it is the follow-up to Man of Steel and the second instalment in the DC Extended Universe series. So what’s all the fuss about? Well, this is the first time in live-action film history that Batman and Superman have starred together, as well as the first theatrical film to feature live-action portrayals of Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Flash and Cyborg. The plot has been kept quiet but sees Gotham City-based vigilante Batman travel to Metropolis to pre-emptively combat Superman, while another threat endangers humankind.

Family favourite animation, Kung Fu Panda, makes its third cinema screen outing as Po (Jack Black) continues his “legendary adventures of awesomeness”.

Living large and loving life, Po realises he has a lot to learn if he’s going to fulfil the next challenge from his beloved instructor (Dustin Hoffman).

After reuniting with his longlost father (Bryan Cranston), Po must transition from student to teacher and train a group of fun-loving, clumsy pandas to become martial-arts fighters.

Together, the kung-fu brethren unite to take on the evil Kai (J.K. Simmons), a supernatural warrior who becomes stronger with each battle. Whether you’re a kid or a grown up, there are guaranteed laughs all round with this little gem.

COMING SOON MOVIE RELEASES Platinum See platinumcineplex.com/kh for screening schedule Steve Jobs Mar. 03 London Has Fallen Mar. 04 How to Be Single Mar. 08 All Gone South Mar. 10 Kung Fu Panda 3 Mar. 17

Legend Cinemas See legend-cinemas.com for screening schedule Steve Jobs Mar. 03 Contracted Phase II Mar. 10 Babysitting II Mar. 10 Batman V Superman Mar. 25 Eddie the Eagle Mar. 31

AsiaLIFE Cambodia 85

pp palette arts review

36 views of Phnom Penh

French lecturer and artist Laurent Villate presents his colourful collection of work embodying his exploration of the Cambodian capital during his time living here.

As a specialist of the 19th century, historian Laurent landed in Phnom Penh in 2011 for his first expatriation in Asia. The lecturer of Parisian history rapidly developed a spontaneous attraction for the development of the city he was now living in; its rapid transformation reminded him of the transition of European cities during the Industrial Revolution.

Initially more into photography and writing, Laurent was looking for another way to express what he was seeing and feeling in the capital’s streets.

36 views of Phnom Penh is the crystallisation of these emotions, memories, thoughts, and even teaching at the university. Above all, the present collection is an essay, a personal research project – 86 AsiaLIFE Cambodia

his own exploration of the city – that Laurent only started to take seriously after his first exhibition at Christine’s gallery in Siem Reap, where he presented a third of the 36 artworks that compose 36 views of Phnom Penh.

Started shortly after his arrival, it took Laurent two years to finalise the exhibit. The first artworks of the collection mostly represented sidewalks, which he particularly observed for their colourfulness and diversity, remaining at the disposal of the nearby owners and not the city hall, as it is usually worldwide.

Soon, Laurent extended his work to the entire city and its architecture: shapes, colours and changes. Amateur of “barang architecture” and admirer of revered Khmer architect Vann Molyvann, as well as Khmer modernism, Laurent draws heritage buildings that are being demolished or slated to be bulldozed.

“When I draw a house, it will very often disappear within the next two weeks, to my great surprise and sadness,” he says.

While being attentive to details on the one hand, Laurent still draws Phnom Penh in his own way: a city he can quietly walk through day and night, a place where the streets could be calmer and safer. As such, one can easily recognise the capital in each artwork of the collection – thanks to iconic buildings – but also wonder what makes them look so different to how we are used to seeing them.

Behind 36 views of Phnom Penh, three strong sources of inspiration influenced Laurent: the art of illustration – especially Belgian comic strips, illustrated papers from last century, and Japanese woodblock prints, to which the title of the exhibition refers [36 views of Mount Fuji].

Having now completed 36

views of Phnom Penh, Laurent has already started to work on his next project, with 7 views of Hong Kong and more underway.

36 views of Phnom Penh open on Wednesday, Mar. 09, with a free cocktail reception from 6.30pm.