082012 ISSUE68
SUPERSTITIOUS MINDS www.asialifeguide.com
082012 ISSUE68 editorial
ellie dyer
Editor-in-Chief / Publisher: Mark Bibby Jackson mark@asiallifeguide.com Managing Editor: Ellie Dyer – ellie@asialifeguide.com Editor-at-Large: Mai Lynn Miller Nguyen – mailynn@asialifeguide.com Associate Editor: Michael Sloan — michael@asialifeguide.com Siem Reap: Nicky McGavin – nicky@asialifeguide.com Art Director/Designer: Steve Tierney – www.teaguesart.com Photo Editor: Dylan Walker – dylan@asialifeguide.com Photographers: Dylan Walker, Conor Wall & Rithy Lomor Pich Sales Manager: Chantha Sorn – chantha@asialifeguide.com Sales: Sam Ath Uok – uoksamath@gmail.com Business Development: Derek Mayes - derek@asialifeguide.com Accounts & Distribution: Seang Seyha & Seang Satya Editorial Assistant: Seth Rinoza Special thanks to: Darren Gall, Gemma Jones, Trevor Keidan, David Murphy, David Preece, Daniel Riegler, Chhay C Sov, Dr Narith Tan, Gabrielle Yetter, Lim Meng Y & The Cambodian Restaurant Association - for their contribution to this issue. For advertising enquiries call Chantha on 012 576 878 or Sam Ath Ouk on 012 319 172. If you want a copy of AsiaLIFE Cambodia delivered to your doorstep email: mark@asialifeguide.com. AsiaLIFE Cambodia is printed in Cambodia by Sok Heng Printing House, No. 1297B, Street Luo 5, Stoeung Mean Chey, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
If you've walked under a ladder or broken a mirror on Friday the 13th, you’d be forgiven for thinking it was a bad day. Old wives’ tales have the ability to make even unbelievers feel uncomfortable or scared. Superstition, whether you accept it or not, is a common feature of most cultures and in Cambodia there is a whole world of diverse beliefs to discover. Did you know, for instance, that some new mothers don’t comb their hair for fear that the baby's teeth will become crooked or rotten? This month, AsiaLIFE has investigated the world of Khmer folklore with some interesting results. For our cover feature, writer Michael Sloan observed an exorcism in Phnom Penh and took a walk in the Siem Reap countryside to visit some scarecrows with a difference. The enterprising Gabrielle Yetter also immersed herself in the world of cupping and coining for our article on traditional medicine, which plays an important part in the lives of many. Personally, I think many aspects of superstition and
traditional belief are a natural part of human culture that should continue, as long as they do not cause harm. Sadly, that is not always the case. In the last year, local newspapers have reported on the plight of men and women accused of sorcery in Cambodia, especially in northeastern provinces. Many have suffered greatly, with some murdered by those who fear their ‘powers’. It would be all too easy to blame the world’s ills on black magic. But in reality some of the scourges of our time — disease and war — are more to do with poor sanitation and prejudice than the spiritual world. Superstition has its place, but so does education and common sense. If the world of ghosts, spirits and sorcery is not your style, we’ve also looked at the lighter side of life with interviews with city gardeners and architectural experts. Less spooky topics can also turn up surprises. Read our monthly question and answer piece to discover how a career as an exercise instructor at Olympic Stadium can lead to testing times.
On the Cover Models: Main: Kam Kaim Ghosts: Kem Pholly & So Sopheatra Photographer: Conor Wall Art Direction & digital image creation: Steve Tierney
AsiaLIFE is a registered trademark. No content may be reproduced in any form without prior authorisation of the owners. © 360º Media.
Travelling to Vietnam? Pick up your free copy of AsiaLIFE Ho Chi Minh City or download it online at: www.asialifehcmc.com.
082012 ISSUE68
12 Picks of the Month
front
14 Openings
getaway
40 Sailing Away
food
42 Night Bites
17 Dispatches 18 Phnom Penh Calendar 20 Photo Essay:
44 Food Talk: Cross Town Cafe
Flowers of North Vietnam
45 Food Review: Taqueria Corona
24 Q&A: Sok Meng
46 Connoisseur
on the cover
26 Ghostbusters 32 Healing Tradition
style & design
48 Across The River
storyboard
34 Attention to Detail
back
53 Listings
36 Flower Power
88 Phnom Penh Map
38 Gaming Generation
98 Pub Quiz
34 6 asialife Cambodia
36
38
42
August 2012
Students Launch Architecture Magazine
After creating publications concentrating on cinema and music, Dr Tilman Baumgärtel and journalism students at the Department of Media and Communication at the Royal University of Phnom Penh launched Sathapatyakam architecture magazine at Meta House on Jul. 10. “Despite the dirt and noise, Phnom Penh is such a marvellous city in which to settle down. It has stunning architecture, which not many Phnom Penhers notice,” says Baumgärtel. It is hoped the magazine will be an inspiration for people to see Cambodia as a precious gem. The architecture guide, which is now available at Monument Books for $2.50 a copy, is set to be a helpful aid for foreigners and visitors alike to enjoy the architecture of Cambodia.
Dance Academy Classes
Phnom Penh Dance Academy is launching its second year
with classes starting from Aug. 18 onwards. The school offers lessons in both modern jazz, which mixes classical and contemporary dance, and ballet. Classes are taught by internationally trained teachers and vary from pre-ballet for toddlers to grade two dance suitable for more experienced students. The first term runs from Aug. 18 to Oct. 9, with a second term launching on Oct. 23. The studio is at The Giving Tree School on Street 71, Phnom Penh. Please contact phnompenhdanceacademy@ gmail.com for more information.
Funding for Tribunal
As the Khmer Rouge Tribunal’s second case heats up, with historian David Chandler giving expert testimony last month, New Zealand pledged an additional NZ$100,000 in funding for the court. The announcement was made in Phnom Penh on Jul.12 by visiting Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully when he met with Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong. “We would like to express our sincere thanks to the Government of New Zealand for its continued support to the court,” said the tribunal’s Acting Director of Administration Tony Kranh and Deputy Director of Administration Knut Rosandhaug.
What Were They Thinking?
Art enthusiasts have one last chance to head to Romeet gallery on Street 178 to view large-scale paintings by 22-year-old Battambang artist Sin Rithy in the What Were They Thinking? exhibition. Taking Nhem En’s sometimes controversial photographs of victims from Tuol Sleng
(S-21) as a starting point, the paintings offer a semblance of the original photos but are washed with a sepia glaze. The artist relates this layer to the oppressive nature of the Khmer Rouge toward their victims. The solo exhibition runs until Aug. 2 and will be followed by a show on Aug. 8 by artists Hour Seyha and Chan Penh.
New Face at Sofitel
Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra hotel has a new addition. Pascal Tadin became the new executive assistant manager last month. Tadin began working for the hotel group in 1998 in Cannes, France, and has worked in both Australia and Vietnam. He has top restaurant experience, having working in the Prieure Charles Plumex, a one Michelin star establishment in France.
Biking Enthusiasts Descend
Fang-tastic Find
July saw international motorbike enthusiasts flock to Phnom Penh to take part in the inaugural NagaWorld Bike Fest 2012. Featuring a motorcycle exhibition, live music and even a beauty pageant, HarleyDavidson, Ducati, Yamaha, Suzuki, BMW and Kawasaki were among the bikes on show. The three-day event was jointly organised by NagaWorld and the Ministry of Tourism and attracted 471 local and international bikers, with 1,000 targeted for next year's event.
Businesswomen Bonding
Phnom Penh’s female businesswomen held another successful night of networking at The Exchange on Jul. 12. Canapés and drinks were enjoyed by around 70 women in an event held by the British Business Association of Cambodia, following an inaugural event earlier this year. For those who missed out, another event is planned for later this year, but details are yet to be finalised.
A new snake has been discovered in the wilds of southwestern Cambodia. Ministry of Environment officer Neang Thy, American scientist Dr Lee Grismer and Fauna and Flora International’s Senior Conservation Biologist Dr Jenny Daltry found the reptile — called the Cambodian Kukri snake or Oligodon Kampucheaensis — in the Cardamom mountains. “It gave me a great sense of pride to both discover and describe this species, and to name it in honour of my country,” says Neang. “Most kukri snakes are dull-coloured, but this one is dark red with black and white rings, making it a beautiful snake.” Kukri snakes are so named because their curved rear fangs are similar in shape to a Nepalese kukri knife. The fangs are designed to puncture eggs, which are then swallowed whole.
HCMC Events
Download the latest issue of AsiaLIFE HCMC online at: www.asialifehcmc.com Australian Football Celebration
The Australian community’s longest-running social event is fast approaching and interest in the event is high. The Saigon Saints are holding their annual AFL. Grand Final Brunch on Sep. 29. This year’s event will be held at the Sheraton Hotel, commencing at 10am. Along with the live broadcast of the game, you can enjoy the fabulous Sheraton brunch, free flow Foster's draught and fine Australian wine. The special guest will be Peter “Spida” Everitt. Spida played 291 games at the highest level with St Kilda, Hawthorn and Sydney. Known as one of the most colourful characters the game has seen, the towering ruckman was an unmistakable figure both on and off the field. Tables of 10 cost $750 and individual tickets can be bought by contacting Darren Cotter at dcotter@hcm.fpt.vn.
Au Parc Renovated
TAILOR made clothes and accessories for men & women #8E1, Street 278, Phnom Penh Tel: 023 220 176 / 012 212 365 lunaboutiquephnompenh@gmail.com
Nine-year-old Au Parc reopened in July to show off the renovated and refurbished restaurant. DJ GlobalB left his residence at Blanchy's to serve up lounge tunes. Finger food was on offer throughout the evening, thanks to sponsors Tan Khoa, Sapporo Beer and Peroni. Red wine, white wine, bubbles and beer was sold for VND50,000/ glass, while Alba Hue water was free of charge while stocks lasted.
VietJetAir Foots Paralympic Bills
VietJetAir sponsored tickets for members of the Vietnamese
Paralympics team to facilitate their travel in the run-up to the Paralympics Games London 2012. All team members gathered in Ho Chi Minh City in July and departed to Ireland for training before heading to England for the tournament. The team consists of 11 athletes, four coaches, one doctor and one interpreter. Competitors are set to take part in athletics, swimming and power-lifting. VietJetAir sponsored clothing and equipment for all delegation members prior to their departure. VietJetAir said it is committed to community development, including helping the disabled and underprivileged, as well as carrying out cultural exchanges to help drive them forward physically and spiritually.
Caravelle Boosts EcoFriendly Status
The Caravelle Hotel proved less is more by growing guest occupancy while simultaneously cutting back on its consumption of diesel oil, water and electricity, as confirmed by an international team of auditors. The landmark hotel passed its second round of EarthCheck benchmarking with flying colours, out-performing on nine of 11 key indicators at or above best practice levels set by the globally recognised program. Compared to 2010, in 2011 the Caravelle managed a 8.3 percent reduction in diesel oil, 7.5 percent reduction in water consumption and a 2 percent reduction in electricity, even as its room occupancy grew by 8.25 percent from the previous year.
Our Special Services
Ultra Thin Lamineers Cosmetic Veneers Non Invasive Veneers Implant Orthodontics Esthetic Dentistry Children Dentistry and Sedation Total Dental Care and Dental Surgery A Beautiful Smile has Never been More Affordable
Address
Phnom Penh: # 193,St.208, (Minivong St., Corner )Phnom Penh Tel: 023 212 909, e-mail: info@imiclinic.com
www.imiclinic.com
Siem Reap: # 545,St. National Road 6A, Siem Reap Tel: 063 76 76 18, 099 395 682, 011 698 791, e-mail: idc@imiclinic.com
SIEM REAP NEWS
Prom Night Siem Reap
One of the great teenage rites of passage is the school dance held to celebrate the survival of secondary-level education. The graduation dance, debs ball or — as it’s called in the United States — prom night, is hotly anticipated by students and marks the beginning of the transition into the big bad world. Why should teenagers have all the fun? A group of Siem Reapers is putting together a prom on Sep. 22 at the 1961 Hotel. It promises to be an evening of cheesy music, free punch, glamour and good old fashioned fun. Intriguingly, they will be staging Siem Reap’s answer to Blind Date. The team is currently gauging attendee numbers through a dedicated Facebook page and asks people to indicate whether they’d like to help out. For more information, search Facebook for Prom Nite Siem Reap.
Miss Wong Expansion
Miss Wong fans take note; the bar will be celebrating its fourth birthday on Sep. 1 in typical style, but will close for one week at the end of that month. The closure is to allow the premises to expand into the building next door. The new and improved space will re-open in the first week of October, complete with the
Miss Wong Dining Room next door. The current décor and ambiance will remain, but owner Dean Williams is set to introduce a new cocktail list and a special menu of Hong Kong-style street food, plus more dim sum options.
Café de la Paix
Hotel de la Paix was the one place where Siem Reap residents were guaranteed to bump into familiar friends. It was a refuge in times of crisis, a social hub perfect for business meetings, as well as a cool place in which to pass the heat of the day. It became integral to the experience of many that live and visit Siem Reap. Now that it’s gone, fans are not being left bereft. Café de la Paix opened its doors on Jul. 15 with the same menu, coffee and classy décor as its predecessor. The new venue can be found on Street 14 behind Central Market. Spa de la Paix is continuing close by on the corner of Sam Dech Vong Street where it meets the main branch of ANZ. A complementary footbath and scrub awaits every guest, who can choose from the same selection of treatments and packages as featured at the hotel. Products are custom made each day using fresh ingredients or customers can choose from the Pevonia Botanica range.
picks of the month Surf: Last.fm
Explore: Orangerobes.com
Are you at a loss as to what to download next? If you have exhausted your iTunes playlists and are lacking musical inspiration then you could sign up for Last.fm. The site operates through its downloadable Scrobbler, which searches through music libraries on your computer and gives recommendations based on the artists and genres you already listen to. The Scrobbler then sends scrobbles to Last.fm to inform the site what music you are listening to most frequently. They are compared to scrobbles from the site’s millions of users, and your profile and listening recommendations are updated. The site provides great artist biographies and is an excellent way to update your iPod.
Enterprising monks from Chrey village in Prey Veng province have hit the Internet to raise donations. A new site called orangerobes.com was launched last month and enables people to go online and receive virtual blessings. Donations will go straight to the Cambodian pagoda or two NGOs, one a retirement village for the elderly and the other a rural development team. Longdistance blessings — ranging from $10 to $20 — are offered for the birth of a child, help in finding love or gaining good luck in exams. The seven monks based at the wat are under the guidance of the Venerable Ten Yonn, while the site was launched by former expats Simone and Adrian Low.
See: Filling the Negative Space Watch: The Olympic Games Despite rain pouring down on London last month, anticipation reached boiling point for the Olympic Games. Thankfully, back in sunny Cambodia you can catch up on all the coverage without leaving your rattan sofa. According to the International Olympic Committee, ESPN, ESPNEWS and Star Sports will be covering the Games. Sports fans can also catch up on the day’s events online. YouTube is hosting an official Olympic channel to live-stream events into 64 countries around the world, enabling local viewers to support the talented athletes taking part. Visit youtube.com/ Olympic for more information.
Fly: New Order For those who are willing to hop on a flight for a taste of musical legend, a host of top names are playing in Singapore this month. Fort Canning Park will be hosting Britain’s electronic pioneers New Order on Aug. 22, following shows from 90s grunge quartet Garbage on Aug. 21 and alternative rock band Snow Patrol on Aug. 6. For more information visit lamcproductions.com.
Head to Equinox, on Street 278, this month to see Chantha Kong and Tim Robertson’s artistic exploration into the concept of heroism, as part of an exhibition called Filling the Negative Space. The show features mixed media portrayals of leading Cambodians — from politician Mu Sochua to slain environmental activist Chut Wutty and union leader Chea Vichea — who are shown in the empty space of everyday scenes. It’s a thought-provoking exhibition that features some of the leading figures of our time.
Chea Vichea Commemoration Approved plans to erect a statue of the union leader seems a symbolic step forward for labour rights Reasons for Gun Control Mass shooting at Batman film premiere in Colorado adds fuel to debates on accessibility to arms Nuclear Power Cambodian government considers using atomic energy, an option destined to go bust in the wake of Fukushima? S&M Scandalous bestseller 50 Shades of Grey brings so-called mummy porn to the mainstream EV71 Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease virus claimed to be behind more than 50 child fatalities in Cambodia
GOING UP GOING DOWN Tom and Katie Irreconcilable differences or a contract’s end? Everyone’s favourite Scientologist couple announces divorce Opposition Division Merger of SRP and Human Rights Party into Cambodia Democratic Movement of National Rescue aims to redefine the country’s political field Big Banks Interest rate-rigging charges in Libor scandal reignite backlash against banking abuses, raising calls for green banking Preah Vihear Standoff A point for diplomacy? Redeployment of Thai and Cambodian troops from a demilitarised zone along the border a hopeful sign The Euro As Spain’s economic forecasts look dim, the EU currency reaches lowest value against British pound in four years
openings Antique Retreat
The Governor’s House
The Governor’s House is an exquisitely renovated French colonial mansion that sits in one of the busiest areas of Phnom Penh. Laden with antique furniture, the three-floor hotel features 10 beautifully presented rooms and exudes a unique atmosphere. Equipped with a restaurant, bar and swimming pool, the hotel provides a peaceful retreat from the hustle and bustle of Phnom Penh. The kitchen serves a good mix of Western and Khmer fusion food and staff members are ready to tend to your every need.
The Governor’s House, Villa 3 Mao Tse Tung Boulevard, corner of Norodom Boulevard. Tel: 015 305 501 or governorshouse.net.
Japanese Invasion
Uraetei BBQ Japan Having already achieved culinary success thanks to its four branches in Vietnam and Japan, Uraetei BBQ Japan has arrived in Phnom Penh. Specialising in Japanese yakitori — chicken grilled on skewers — and teppan beef, the two-story building holds 28 tables and is capable of serving up to 120 customers. Described as a fusion of Japanese and Korean cuisine, Uraetei offers a variety of noodle dishes. Private pods are neatly lined up in rows, while meetings can take place on the first floor where larger rooms are available for groups. All-in-all, Uraetei is a must-try for Japanese cuisine enthusiasts.
Uraetei BBQ Japan, 5 Street 360, Tel: 023 218 037. Open daily from 11am to 2pm and 5pm to 10pm.
Discreet Rainbows Set on a quiet alley near Sihanouk Boulevard, 'K2' is Phnom Penh’s newest gay-friendly destination. Owned and managed by the owners of K’NYAY restaurant, the bar aims to serve both the LGBT community and a wider audience. The large black ‘K’ sign at the alleyway’s entrance gives the location away. Bamboo trees lean over the bar, contributing to the peaceful ambience. For a quiet drink and a chance to mingle, 'K2' is the place to go, plus it’s two drinks for the price of one between 6pm to 8pm.
'K2', 25K Suramarit Boulevard, Tel: 017 698 907. Open daily from 6pm until late.
14 asialife Cambodia
'K2'
Like A Queen
La Reine Salon Feeling a bit worn-out after a day shopping around the city is no longer a problem. As the name suggests, La Reine is set to treat you like a queen. La Reine Salon offers multiple services to make your day. While primarily a beauty salon, fashion and accessories are also for sale. Services include haircuts for men and women, highlights, manicures and pedicures, hairstyling and nail extensions.
La Reine Salon, 57 Sihanouk Boulevard, Tel: 092 610 111. Open daily from 8am to 8pm.
INNOVATIVE BREAKFAST
in our secluded garden
OPEN FROM 8AM e
v
e
r
y
d
a
y
fresh fruit smoothies illy coffee concoctions
CREATIVE YET STRAIGHTFORWARD MENU tapas, salads, sandwiches & burgers
FREE WIFI
all day long
HAPPY HOUR 3PM-6:30PM
free tapas w/ round of cocktails, wine, beer
influenced by the mediterranean & south america, w/ asian accents.
located in its own habitat #9b, street 29
facebook.com/gastrobarbotanico
Land of the Rising Sun
KANJI Three-floor Kanji Japanese Restaurant on Sothearos Boulevard is a sight to behold, with waitresses lining up at the doorway to personally lead you to your chosen seats. As a subsidiary of Luu Meng's successful Almond Hotel, Kanji uses the finest ingredients available to prepare an array of traditional Japanese cuisine including sushi, teppanyaki, sashimi and more. In order to ensure that diners are kept interested, the menu will change depending on the season and customers can watch their meals being prepared through an exposed counter. Equipped with an elevator, Kanji also contains larger rooms with tatami mats seen in traditional Japanese design. With a wide variety of wines and traditional sake and soju at customer's disposal, Japanese food will never be the same again.
Kanji Japanese Restaurant, 128 Sothearos Boulevard, Tel: 016 312 828. Open daily from 11.30am to 2.30pm and 5.30pm to 10.30pm.
Interesting Bites
Central Food Station With its fast-food style ambience, Central Food Station may prove a bit of a surprise. Located a couple of steps from Sorya Mall, Phnom Penh’s newest culinary addition and sister company of T-Bone Steakhouse displays a dazzling array of Western, Thai, Chinese and Khmer cuisine. Though barely two weeks old, Central Food Station boasts a BBQ section, a kid’s corner with a mini playground, a smoking area and an indoor seating area. Using a prepay system, where customers load cards with credit, it makes for a diverse culinary experience.
Central Food Station, Street 81 corner Street 154, Tel: 012 955 038. Open daily from 6am to 9.30pm.
A Little Surprise It might be a little hard to choose which venue to go to when walking along Street 278. The popular tourist hub is lined with a large number of bars, restaurants and hotels. Bar Italia, the newest addition to an evergrowing collection of establishments, specialises in Italian cuisine. If you’re looking for a good blend of Italian food and cocktails, Bar Italia will not disappoint. Though relatively small when compared to its neighbours, the eatery has comfortable seating and is sure to do well.
Bar Italia, 8A Street 278, Tel: 089 815 170. Open daily from 10am to midnight.
16 asialife Cambodia
Bar Italia
dispatches
Travel news from around the region and beyond
Gem by the River
Barely opened and already generating a lot of buzz among the city’s glitterati, family-run boutique hotel The Siam is scenically situated along the Chao Praya River in Bangkok’s royal Dusit district. The area is an ideal vantage point from which to explore the city’s historical palaces, temples and museums. The 39-room hotel was conceived by owner and Thai celebrity Krissada Sukosol Clapp, a member of the Sukosol ‘musical hoteliers’ family, in collaboration with architect and designer Bill Bensley. Each suite has a unique theme, drawing inspiration from Thai culture through the ages, as well as original turn-of-the-century oriental artwork and antiquities from Krissada’s private art collections. Besides the usual array of amenities expected from a luxury property, The Siam complex also houses a cooking school, Muay Thai boxing ring and traditional Thai teakwood houses. For more information, visit thesiamhotel.com or call +66 2206 6999.
Pool by the Ocean
After a four-month refurbishment, Legian Bali reopened in June with a 30-metre infinity lap pool, a beachfront sundeck, freshly-landscaped gardens, improved lighting in half the guest rooms and upgraded views of the spectacular Indian Ocean from a private, three-bedroom Beach House. Legian added a 20-square-metre terrace, as well as more windows to allow Bali's tropical rays into the guest rooms and bathrooms. Those rooms also feature better temperature control now that air circulation and plumbing have been upgraded. The new pool was built from the ground up, closer to the shoreline than the resort’s other two pools, to bring guests closer to the legendary Seminyak Beach. The deck faces southwest to deliver peerless sunset views. Find more at ghmhotels.com.
Snow Time
If the summer heat of Phnom Penh has got you dreaming of snowy pastures, consider the Grand Mercure Oakridge Resort in New Zealand. The four-star hotel on Lake Wanaka is offering a promotion for its six international ski and snowboarding areas, and what it says is the largest heli-skiing area outside North America. The package includes seven nights of accommodation in a standard room based on double occupancy, a fiveday lift and ski bus pass, and transfers to and from the airport for $998. For non-skiers, the resort also comes with heated rock pools, seven hot tubs, a gym, a sauna, a spa, and views of the Southern Alps and South Island. The deal is valid Sep. 1 to Oct. 10. More at ski. com.au or oakridge.co.nz.
“Calling the world is cheap & easy starting from 6 cents”
calendar phnom penh THURSDAY 9
New Artefacts by Roger Nelson at Sa Sa Bassac gallery, 6pm. China Girl screens at Meta House, 7pm. Admission is set at $2, free for Khmer students.
FRIDAY 10
Redlight screens at Meta House, 7pm. Admission is set at $2, free for Khmer students. Barry Speirs and Matthias Wagner jazz concert at Meta House, 8.30pm. Free admission. Jazz, Blues and Mangos as Up 2 U Mango plays Bodhi Villa, Kampot. The Name of Love screens at the French Institute, 6.30pm.
WEDNESDAY 1
Viva Riva screens at Meta House roof top, 7pm. Admission is $2, free for Khmer students. Western Classical Concer t at the galler y at 8pm. Admission $5 and $2 for students.
THURSDAY 2
Cambodian Inspiration by RUFA students at The Insider Galler y, InterContinental Phnom Penh, 6pm. Dream of Life screens at Meta House roof top, 7pm. Western Classical Concer t at the galler y at 8pm. Admission $5 and $2 for students.
FRIDAY 3
Frederick the Great and the Enigma of Prussia at Meta House roof top, 7pm. Ar t Ja z z Concer t at the galler y at 8pm. Admission $5 and $2 for students.
Western Classical Concer t at the galler y at 8pm. Admission is set at $5 and $2 for students. At 10pm, par t y with the Kimchi Collective featuring DJs.
SUNDAY 5
Page One: A Year Inside the New York Times screens at Meta House, 7pm. My Name is Bach follows shor tly at 9pm.
MONDAY 6
Musician’s sessions at Equinox bar, 8pm.
TUESDAY 7
Lost Children screens at Meta House, 7pm. Admission $2, free for Khmer students. The Name of Love screens at the French Institute, 6.30pm.
SATURDAY 11
Yoga workshop with Isabelle Skaburskis at Nataraj Yoga. Little Painters exhibition by KOICA at Meta House, 6pm. Bambi Versus Godzilla, Thank You Mask Man and Asparagus screen at Meta House, 8pm. Jazz, Blues and Mangos as Up 2 U Mango plays Greenhouse, Kampot.
SUNDAY 12
A Prophet at Meta House, 7pm. Admission $2, free for Khmer students.
TUESDAY 14
Rivers and Mantras: The Mekong System, Mekong the Mother and Where Have All the Fish Gone at Meta House, 6pm.
WEDNESDAY 8
Couchsur fing Night at The Empire.
The French Kissers screens at the French Institute, 6.30pm.
SATURDAY 4
Forgiving Dr. Mengele at Meta House, 7pm. Admission $2, free for Khmer students.
Master of Quiz Night at Score, from 7.30pm. Teams of up to six, $2 a person.
Pump Up the Volume screens at Meta House roof top, 7pm. Admission $2, free for Khmer students.
Children of the Countr yside & During the Dark, an exhibition by Chan Penh and Hour Seyha, begins at Romeet galler y on Street 178.
Dirty Pictures at Meta House, 7pm. Admission $2, free for Khmer students.
Une Jeunesse Amoureuse screens at the French Institute, 6.30pm. Yoga workshop with Isabelle Skaburskis at Nataraj Yoga.
WEDNESDAY 15
THURSDAY 16
Luck y People Centre
International at Meta House, 7pm. Admission is $2, free for Khmer students. X-PAT Soundsystem at Ar t Café af ter screening.
FRIDAY 17
Meta Shor ts Cambodian and International Film Festival at Meta House, 7pm. Shor ts include Bye Child, Daughter & the Palmae Blossoms, Two Flowers Against the Rain, Scale Boy, A Beautiful Hear t and Chaos. Admission $2, free for Khmer students. The French Kissers screens at the French Institute, 6.30pm. International Web Conference at the Cambodia-Japan Cooperation Center (CJCC). Visit t3con12-asia.t ypo3. org or email t3con@ t ypo3cambodia.org for details.
SATURDAY 18
Confrontations at Meta House, 7pm. Admission is $2, free for Khmer students. International Web Conference at the Cambodia-Japan Cooperation Center (CJCC). Visit t3con12-asia.t ypo3. org or email t3con@ t ypo3cambodia.org for details.
SUNDAY 19
Sometimes in April at Meta House, 7pm. Admission is $2, free for Khmer students.
TUESDAY 21
Female Politics at Meta House, 7pm. Admission $2, free for Khmer students. Cer tified Copy screens at the French Institute, 6.30pm.
WEDNESDAY 22
Couchsur fing Night at The Empire. Facing Genocide at Meta House, 7pm. Admission $2, free for Khmer students.
THURSDAY 23
The Elephant in the Living Room screens at Meta House, 7pm. Admission $2,
free for Khmer students. Screening is followed by X-PAT Soundsystem at the Ar t Café.
FRIDAY 24
Dr Feel Good Launch and Khmer pop and film night at Meta House, 7pm. Admission $2, free for Cambodians. Cer tified Copy screens at the French Institute, 6.30pm.
SATURDAY 25
Open House at the Cambodian Countr y Club. Free entrance, horseback riding and classes. Cer tified Copy screens at the French Institute, 6.30pm. Enav and Bospa screens at Meta House, 7pm. Admission $2, free for Cambodians.
SUNDAY 26
full schedule of classes, workshops and retreats.
EVERY MONDAY
Margarita Mayhem at the Riverhouse Lounge, 4pm until late. Shake your blues away with Margaritas in ever y flavour. Yoga Classes at Nataraj Yoga. Proceeds from all classes suppor t Krama Yoga NGO. Mad Monday at The Empire, 6pm.
EVERY TUESDAY
Two-4 Tuesday at the Riverhouse Lounge, 4pm until late. Buy 2 Get 1 Free for cocktails & mixed drinks all night. Yoga Classes at Nataraj Yoga. Proceeds from all classes support Krama Yoga NGO. Movie Classic Night at The Flicks 2 (The Empire), 8pm.
House of Saddam screens at Meta House, 7pm. Admission $2, free for Khmer students.
EVERY WEDNESDAY
TUESDAY 28
Latin Fever at The Latin Quarter, 7pm.
The Interrupters at Meta House, 7pm. Admission $2, free for Khmer students. Master of Quiz Night at Score, from 7.30pm. Teams of up to six, $2 a person.
WEDNESDAY 29
Wine and Cheese Night at InterContinental hotel Phnom Penh, 6pm. Enemies of the People at Meta House, 7pm. Admission $2, free for Khmer students.
THURSDAY 30
Spun screens at Meta House, 7pm. Admission is set at $2, free for Khmer students.
FRIDAY 31
Free Your Minds Festival at Meta House, 7pm. Shor ts include The Quiet Movement, Cambodia Online, Freedom in Battambang and The Lost Dog. Admission $2, free for Khmer students.
EVERY DAY
Daily Yoga Classes at Nataraj Yoga. See w w w. yogacambodia.com for
Wazzup Wednesday at the Riverhouse Lounge, 4pm until late.
EVERY THURSDAY
Divalicious! Ladies Night at the Riverhouse Lounge, 4pm until late. Bring five friends and get a free frozen margarita. Soul Sessions with Euan Gray and Louise Norup at the Quay, 7.30pm. Steak Night at The Empire. Weekly special at a big discount.
EVERY FRIDAY
Yoga Classes at Nataraj Yoga. Proceeds from all classes suppor t Krama Yoga NGO. Late Night Horror at The Flicks 2 (The Empire), 10pm.
EVERY SATURDAY
Freshie Pop at the Riverhouse Lounge, 4pm until late.
EVERY SUNDAY
Sunday Escape Wine Buf fet at Regency Café at InterContinental Phnom Penh. Kids Movie Session at The Flicks 2 at 2pm. Cover charge $2 for kids.
P H O T O E S S AY
FLOWERS OF NORTH VIETNAM
The north is a different place. Wild and chaotic, its people and its flora take on the attitude of their surroundings. The beauty of the place lies in both the grand landscapes and the smallest bud on a tree. Subtle colours and shapes compete and contrast with towering mountains, and yet, the little northern flowers hold their own.
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S o k M e ng “One, two, three, four,” chants 26-year-old Sok Meng, as he moves to the rhythm of the music in Phnom Penh’s Olympic Stadium. Two years into his career as an exercise instructor, Sok has earned a loyal following thanks to his youthful enthusiasm and passion for the sport. Chhay C Sov finds out more about his chosen career. Photography by Conor Wall. How did you become an exercise instructor? Becoming an exercise instructor wasn’t my dream until I moved to Phnom Penh to carry out my high-school education. I exercised to escape my stressful studies and it was at that moment I found smiles, inspiration and motivation. I soon realised that my passion and soul was in this sport. Thanks to my consistent presence, I was given the role of instructor’s assistant. This allowed my love for the sport to grow and encouraged me to launch my own small business. Even now, I am still deeply in love with this sport. Were there any difficulties starting the business? How did you cope? It was very hard to start. I had to roll up my sleeves to compete with my rival, who was previously my instructor, so there was an unfriendly atmosphere at that time. Next, I had to endure students’ criticism about having a feminine voice, passé music, my young age and so on.
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The pressure was mounting, but I chose to carry on. I gained more professional confidence and my former instructor quit his job shortly afterwards. Also my dancing, music selection and mixing improved. Now, my business is growing slowly, but surely. What factors are important in making your classes successful? Two elements are big contributors to the success of my business — the quantity and quality of the exercise, and the personality of the instructor. Currently I lead 100 to 200 local and foreign students. To satisfy them all, I divide the day into two-hour sessions of aerobics and entertainment. Aerobics is mainly joined by middle-aged and old people who want to maintain their fitness and health. This session lasts for one hour and is accompanied by both traditional and slow, bass-heavy music. The entertainment section resumes after a five minute rest. This session is likely to be joined
by young and middle-aged people who are entertained by popular fast music. The best play time for a song is around three minutes, and each song should not be repeated more than three times in a week. More importantly, the dancing styles must be able to be repeated by the students. In terms of personality, we have to be active and affable. I frequently have a short chat with students. How do you choreograph the moves? For Khmer songs, it is much easier as I know all of the dance styles, such as Ramvong and Ram Kbek. For foreign songs, I have to look at video clips. If the dancing styles are too difficult to put into aerobic movement, I will simplify them by combining exercise movements and using my rhythmic instinct. It takes me one hour to break down a song’s dancing style and three times that period to practise the dance perfectly. Which students do you remember the most?
Some of my students are regulars who I know well. One student is an elderly man, aged 80, who comes to do exercise every day. He still looks very strong and flexible. Students who come consistently are rewarded with a healthy mind and a strong body. This makes me very pleased and satisfied with my job. Do you have any plans for the future? I am very happy with my job and want to do this for the next couple of years before I switch to another career. It will be sad to quit this role, because I love it so much, but I need to have better earning potential. I hope after the next couple of years I will have enough money to open a lamp store, where I can design my own products. However, I will still find time to exercise every day. The sessions cost 1,000 riel each and are held from 5am-7am and 5pm-7pm daily. Sok Meng’s classes are located on the top level of the Olympic stadium, near the western entrance.
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GHOST BUSTERS Michael Sloan investigates the underbelly of Cambodian folklore and discovers antighost scarecrows, spirit mediums and an exorcism along the way. Translation by Lim Meng Y, photography by Conor Wall.
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Five minutes into the exorcism, flecks of blood are visible on 34-year-old Ton Vuta’s skin as he struggles to rise from the pagoda floor beneath the weight of the men holding him down. Crouched above, with beads of perspiration on his cheeks, Chhoung Seaksat pauses to adjust his grip on a rod of consecrated incense sticks that he methodically beats his patient with. The strokes are little more than a hard tap, but at each blow Ton squirms and cries out in pain. A small crowd gathers at the door of Chhoung’s quarters in Phnom Penh’s Wat Botum pagoda to watch as the Buddhist monk approaches the most difficult stage of tonight’s exorcism — convincing the spirit that Ton’s family believes is possessing his body to leave, preferably peacefully or, if necessary, by force. “To you or me being tapped like this might hurt a little, but if the patient feels pain and suffers greatly it means they are cursed,” explains Chhoung, who began practising in 2007 and has since become one of Phnom Penh’s leading faith healers. “For the spirit inside them, it hurts like being burned with hot water or stabbed with a knife.” On the sidelines of the exorcism, Ton’s mother explains that her son has suffered undiagnosed mental health problems for some time. He’s often moody and sometimes violent. The pair came to the healer as a last resort after exhausting conventional medical treatments. With every strike Chhoung delivers ultimatums, demanding that the spirit leaves Ton’s body immediately. Ton curses in a voice several octaves lower than his usual tone and the spirit eventually agrees to leave by 12pm that night. It’s too early to tell whether the treatment was successful and further sessions might be required over the coming days as Ton carries out two weeks of prayer in isolation. An exhausted Chhoung takes a seat and pulls out his iPhone to display video footage of successful exorcisms, while one of his assistants flips through a large binder containing thumb-printed statements from hundreds of satisfied patients. “Everything in the world has two natures: The sky and the land, short and long, boy and girl. So with disease as well there is the real disease and spiritual disease,” says the monk. “If you have a disease you have to use medicine, but if it’s a spiritual disease you have to use spiritual measures. Doctors can look at a spiritual disease as long as they want and it won’t show up on any of the tests. They can’t see it, but I can.”
Healing Spirit
Chhoung — who boasts of completing more than 1,500 successful exorcisms on patients that he claims were misdiagnosed by doctors with conditions ranging from stomach aches to cancer and AIDS — is one of many faith healers and spirit mediums working around the country. Those who conduct exorcisms are commonly referred to as krou dors ompeour, while krou thmoub deal in black magic and curses. Krou are mostly laypeople and are thought to have many different skills. Kandal–based spirit medium Yeeay Yum is renowned for her ability to talk to the dead, while a man called Dey Uth is said to be able to talk to the spirits of animals. Some temples offer such practices. Wat Kom Saan just outside Phnom Penh boasts a resident exorcist. Chhoung’s mentor, Buddhist monk Kau Sopheak, performs daily exorcisms by the river in Kratie. Many faith healers and mystics do a brisk trade in the sale of yoaan, pieces of cloth or parchment etched with Sanskrit words and symbols that are believed to have protective powers. Offensive versions of these are also sold and can be tossed inside the property of enemies in order to curse them. Each krou has a different methodology — in Chhoung’s case he simply prays to Buddha and consecrates the sticks he uses to tap patients, allowing him to cajole the spirit out. “Originally I never believed in this kind of thing, so I understand if other people don’t believe,” says the monk. His interest in exorcisms stemmed from an experience with possession several years ago. When a former friend cursed him, the monk sought help from an experienced exorcist who then taught him all he knew. Such practices can be controversial within the Buddhist faith. asialife Cambodia 29
Spiritual Controversy
Nearby Wat Botum, in his office in Wat Langka, elderly monk Yos Hut shakes his head when the ritual is described to him. For 30 years he has headed up the Khmer Buddhist Foundation, which was formed in the 1970s to train Cambodian monks and keep Buddhist traditions alive in the postKhmer Rouge exile communities of France and the United States. The foundation has grown into one of the largest non-governmental groups that support organised religion in the Kingdom. It assists in the training of hundreds of monks and provides meditation classes for thousands of laypeople each year. Yos Hut says faith healers are distorting religion for their own uses, incorporating practices that are not found anywhere in Buddha’s teachings. “It’s not part of Cambodian Buddhism. When monks believe in superstition, it’s because they learn and practise too little Buddhism. This is a big problem. Everyone wants to help others, but first you should help yourself and learn about what you’re doing seriously and correctly,” he says. Chhoung, however, says that the sangha — the Buddhist community — has not forbidden his work and he claims to have won the grudging support of some sections of the medical industry. “A lot of doctors have come to see me and I’ve even had some as patients. Around 99 percent don’t believe me, but when they come here and see the real thing they believe in it.”
Seeking Protection
Belief in superstition and witchcraft are evident in other parts of the Kingdom. Each year, Cambodians are accused of being sorcerers capable of cursing members of the community. During exorcisms, krou are thought to be able to speak directly to the sorcerer that laid the curse on the victim, leaving a little part of themselves behind in their body, says Chhoung. A skilled exorcist can bully the sorcerer into revealing personal details, such as their name and location. Such allegations can prove fatal. Sieng Soeun was nearly decapitated by villagers in Kampong Speu last year after being accused of sorcery. The case was not an anomaly. A report by human rights group Licadho recorded 17 instances of suspected sorcerers being murdered nationwide between 2006 and 2011. This was significant drop from the previous decade which saw eight people killed in 2001 alone.
"The forest is a quiet place so strange things always happen at night." Some families seek protection from spiritual maladies in the form of ting mong — wooden scarecrows planted outside the home rather than in a field. Ting mong are placed to scare away ghosts and often come armed, sometimes with machetes and toy rifles. The occasional wooden RPG launcher has been sighted. The heavily trafficked Angkor Park in Siem Reap is home to dozens of specimens. Large clusters of ting mong can be found in the province’s Banteay Srey district, including at the home of Kosh Chhrom villager Soum Rith. She installed the figure after consulting a fortune teller about a wave of illnesses sweeping her village. “People were getting sick and at night the dogs were whimpering a lot. The fortune teller told us it was happening because ghosts were going into the village and causing illness,” she explains. “It’s an old tradition that if you put a ting mong in front of your house, wearing clothes like a human, the ghost will see it and be afraid. It thinks the house is being guarded by a person.” Further up the road, Som San and Ngan Thea have a five-foot-tall ting mong draped on their gate, bedecked in shorts. Som says installing the figure was a precaution, due to a fear that the area is haunted. “The people that live in the city don’t believe in ghosts but in the forests it’s common to believe. The forest is a quiet place so strange things always happen at night.”
Official Perspective
During his eight-year career as an archivist and field worker at the government’s Ministry of Cults and Religions, Phum Lie has seen faith healers come and go and heard tales of sorcerers so powerful people only whisper their names. There is no official registration system for faith healers and mediums, he explains, and no figures are available on how many are active throughout the country. While villagers accused of murdering alleged sorcerers are prosecuted to the full extent of the law, faith healers are seen as doing no harm and largely left alone by the authorities. In the case of a monk like Chhoung, ultimate responsibility for his behaviour rests with senior monks at Wat Botum, says Phum. “I’ve seen a lot of fake things and some things that I can’t understand,” he says. “If you are an educated person maybe you do not believe the same things as a villager. But who can say if you are more correct than them. If people believe these treatments work and it helps cure them then that is not illegal.” For his part, Chhoung says he takes great pains not to provide false hope to patients, and compares his methodology to that of a hospital — including extensive pre-exorcism questionnaires, consent forms and legal waivers. Back inside Wat Botum, Sokleak Salak and her 12-year-old son are getting ready for their journey home to Kampot. The concerned mother originally came to the pagoda to seek treatment for her son’s joint pain. After a prolonged exorcism and a good night’s sleep the problem seems to have disappeared. “I heard from my family about [Chhoung] and came all this way to see him, so I am glad the treatment works,” she says.
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HEALING The secrets of traditional medicines and treatments have been passed down through generations. Gabrielle Yetter and Lim Meng Y find out more. Photography by Conor Wall.
Every evening at around 5pm, rain or shine, 62-year-old Keo Phalla rolls out a straw mat on a small wooden platform in the parking lot of Phnom Penh’s railway station. She unpacks a basket filled with dozens of small glass cups and waits for her first customer to arrive. Across town near Russian Market, 23-year-old Say Heang prepares the same tools of her trade — cups, coins and oil — before the sun rises each day. Both women offer koas kjol and choop kjol, otherwise known as coining and cupping. Such traditional healing practices are common among Cambodians who turn to them as readily as Westerners reach for a painkiller.
Ancient Roots Designed to take away headaches, dizziness, colds, nausea and other physical ailments, the treatments date back to the time of the Roman Empire and revolve around the removal of “bad wind” from the body which, some Cambodians believe, is the root of many evils. Traditional healing methods are also derived from the Chinese concept of yin and yang where every aspect in the universe has an opposing element that must be in balance. When an imbalance is perceived, illness develops. Coining involves rubbing heated oil or Tiger Balm on the skin — most commonly the chest, back and shoulders — then vigorously scratching a coin over the area. Cupping uses glass or plastic cups which are placed on the back to create a vacuum, either by heating or by suctioning out air, to release harmful toxins. According to the National Centre of Traditional Medicine in 32 asialife Cambodia
Phnom Penh, approximately 60 to 70 percent of Cambodians practise traditional healing methods and 80 percent use coining for relief. “Traditional medicine can be very helpful and it’s the first thing Cambodians try when they are unwell,” says Dr Pen Sunna, the centre’s assistant director of international cooperation. While generally used by Cambodians, they’re also explored by the occasional expat, curious to try alternative treatments. Finn Aberdein, a producer with the BBC World Service, was introduced to cupping and coining by an enthusiastic tuk tuk driver after grumbling about a nasty cold. “Before I knew it I’d been whisked to a cupping joint near Meta House,” he says. “Amazingly, after having the treatment, I felt instantly and noticeably lifted. The heaviness in my body had gone, although I did have a fair bit of discomfort from the angry coining welts reddening between my ribs.” However, though they’re used by everyone from tuk tuk drivers to executive directors, such remedies remain a source of concern for doctors. Coining can pose a number of threats to a patient’s health as it breaks the capillaries that supply oxygen to the body, explains Dr Peter Li, country director of Side By Side International, an NGO that provides emergency medical response services in Cambodia. “If it’s done on a patient who has hypertension, diabetes, asthma or other heart or airway-related problems, it increases the risk of having a stroke. In a public setting, the risk of infection is high from sharing coining devices as well as using unhygienic practices,” he says.
There are many theories and traditions in Cambodia. Here are some of them: • Taking paracetamol or aspirin then drinking coconut juice can kill you. • After childbirth, a new mother should not comb her hair or her baby's teeth will become crooked or rotten. • If a person is unconscious, he can be revived if someone bites him on the heel. • Newborn babies should sleep with a sharp object lying above their head (such as scissors or a knife) to keep away the bad spirits. • Coining is a good preventative procedure for a hangover.
Herbal Remedies Cupping and coining are not the only remedies that Cambodians turn to when they are under the weather. Herbal treatments are popular and dozens of shops stock everything from roots and bark to frogs and snakes for natural relief. “We don’t condone the use of animals, but there are more than 100 herbs in the forest that can be used for healing,” says Dr Pen. “Traditional medicine has been around for more than 2,000 years and there are many remedies which will heal different ailments when applied correctly.” Dr Seong Seop Cha, director of Sol Clinic in Phnom Penh, uses acupuncture, herbal medicine and cupping. He explains that most Asian healing techniques work with meridians and qi (chi) in the body. “Chinese herbs are an important part of any treatment,” he says. “I give them to all my patients as they have an effect through your entire system. Western medicine treats the outside of the body but Asian medicine treats the whole body.”
Danger Areas Doctors warn that herbs, when improperly used, can also be dangerous. “We treated a man in a vegetative coma. He was being poisoned by his father as he was feeding him crushed deer antler in his medicine,” recounts Dr Li. “The antler contained bacteria so it was making him even worse.” There are also some traditional treatments linked to childbirth that experts say may be harmful or even fatal. Rachael Findlay, an Australian midwife employed by AUS-Aid to help train midwifery teachers in Phnom Penh, says the practice of ang pleung or “roasting” — involving mothers lying above a bed of coals after giving birth — can cause respiratory diseases or dehydration in both mother and baby. “Many old practices are still used today and nobody wants to break the traditions,” she says. “Cambodians believe that the spirits aren’t happy if they do things differently and, if they stop doing something, they have to replace it with something else — but they’re not sure what to replace it with.” While health professionals may be skeptical and medical training is focusing more on Western practices, long-standing beliefs among Cambodians aren’t about to change fast. “My co-worker died because she drank too much alcohol and didn’t get coining,” says Say Heang. “She had too much hot temperature in her body and should have released it. She died because the bad air caught up with her.”
Evidence of the twists and turns of history are all around us, if only you know where to look. Author Jean-Michel Filippi lifts the lid on times past and tells Ellie Dyer about Phnom Penh’s historical sights. Photography by Dylan Walker.
As Phnom Penh’s town planner from 1889 to 1897, Daniel Fabré made his mark on the Cambodian capital. The colonial buildings that surround Post Office Square are a testament to his skill. Scratch beneath the surface, however, and something is amiss. Though constructed in the late 19th century, some of the buildings near the square are built in an 18th century French style. “Fabré had no time. He had a gun on his head or knife under his throat from superior residents, who were saying ‘I want my post office, I want my land registry, I want my bank’,” explains author Jean-Michel Filippi. “The only thing he could do was copy buildings that previously existed in France.” For long-term expat Filippi, architecture provides a window into Phnom Penh’s history. It is a concept he explores in his new book, Strolling Around Phnom Penh, which reveals the history of buildings that line seven short walking routes around the capital. With Filippi as a guide,
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readers can discover new ways of seeing the capital. Look carefully and symbols of the past can be found all around us, hidden in bricks and mortar. For instance, the bridge-like crossing between Streets 108 and 106 — lined by two stone nagas — is a hint that the area was once a waterway. Completed in 1894, the De Verneville Canal surrounded the city’s European district until it was filled between 1928 and 1935. Grand buildings such as the treasury still line its former banks, but the canal has been replaced with a grassy park. A stone’s throw away, another area of the city centre proves a signpost of history. The shop houses that dominate the area stretching from Street 108 to the Royal Palace are evidence of an old Chinese district, where in days past Cambodians could only live on the condition that they spoke Teochew Chinese dialect. Following the murderous Khmer Rouge regime of 1975 to 1979, the district became popular with the Vietnamese — evident in the pho restaurants
and coffee bars that can be seen today — as well as becoming a store for war booty kept in the houses of Street 172. A city is nothing without its people, and oral histories proved vital for Filippi’s research. As a professor of linguistics, who has lost count of the number of languages he speaks, he used his formidable skills to interview city residents about their personal histories. Members of Chinese minorities and former residents alike helped inspire Filippi to document the history of selected buildings, ranging from the imposing railway station to small soup shops and rain-betting venues. “Thanks to these living testimonies I could get many ideas,” says the linguist, who also delved into the city archives for research. Though Filippi is an expert at investigating bygone days, he does not oppose architectural change and believes the evolution of a city is unstoppable. “To destroy is essential. If we don’t destroy we would still be in Middle
Age towns. The one condition is that we try and attempt to be something better than before." Given the recent propagation of what he dubs ‘Chinese-Thai Baroque’ design, Filippi is yet to be convinced that this lofty goal has been reached. For the author, the post-independence work encapsulated by the designs of Cambodian icon Vann Molyvann remain a source of architectural excellence. One of his fondest city spots is Molyvann’s Institute of Foreign Languages, built in the early 1970s, where Filippi once taught. Beyond the building’s striking exterior, ventilation is an intrinsic element in its structure. For the architects of the future, it seems aesthetics are not the be-all and end-all of design. “I never felt as well as I did in this building. For me I don’t judge a building by my eyes. I judge a building with my impressions,” says Filippi. Strolling Around Phnom Penh ($20) is available in French and English at Monument Books and the Carnet d'Asie book shop.
Even the most compact outdoor space has the potential to be transformed into a piece of paradise. Ellie Dyer and Lim Meng Y join some of the city’s gardeners and get to grips with nature. Photography by Conor Wall.
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Lush ferns, soaring palms and vibrant flowers decorate the grounds of Sokea Garden in Phnom Penh. With the odd gnome statue peeking through the undergrowth, this haven in Sen Sok district is the stomping ground of garden designer Lao Nam Kheang. The 33-year-old is one of the city’s leading garden designers, capable of reworking outdoor spaces into sleek modernist styles, French formal gardens or even manageable jungles. “Life is not long, but you can live in happiness in the time you spend in your home. You spend almost half your life there,” explains the designer, who established Sokea in 1999 after branching out from a career in architectural design. “Gardening is important to humans. It gives us oxygen, the balance of life and energy.” Even if your outdoor area is limited to a balcony, the smallest space can become a calming oasis. “You can do it, even in onesquare-metre,” says Kheang. “The important thing is to put in your heart, time and love.”
Plant Life
One of the first steps in creating a garden is design. For Kheang, the concept is dependent on clients’ needs, space and preferences. Drawing up plans can take anything from a week to a month. When it comes to implementation, sourcing the plants is a key challenge. Sokea has its own nursery in Cambodia and often imports plants — including Royal Palms that can stretch up to
12-metres-high and can cost more than $1,000 — from abroad. “We are like hunters, we go to Vietnam and Thailand for new types of flowers,” he says. “We have loyal customers who come to us because we try our best.” For those looking to source their plants closer to home, flower sellers around the city also offer a range of greenery and advice. “Before planting flowers or any kind of plant to decorate your house, you have to bear in mind what kind of plants they are — whether they are indoor or outdoor plants, how much water they need, and whether or not they can grow with another tree,” explains 23-year-old plant vendor Srey Neang, of Takhmao town.
Gardeners’ Favourites
Expatriates from cooler climates may be unfamiliar with the tropical plants of Cambodia, but experts say many popular species are easy to grow and maintain. Spectacular Heliconias, known for their resemblance to a bird of paradise, can often be spotted in tropical gardens. Related to a banana plant, colourful triangular inflorescences hide flowers within. “They give a good flower [which lasts] for a long time. You can cut it and put it in pots around the house and it can stay there for one week or more,” says Kheang. One of Srey Neang’s bestsellers is the flowering Frangipani tree, also known in Cambodia as a Champei. The tree is easily grown in the local climate, but requires
space as it can reach five to six metres high. Its bright blooms are known for their fine fragrance. The pink, yellow and orange flowers of the Globba, or dancing lady, are also a favourite, and are known to look good when hanging on a wall. For those looking for a plant to brighten up indoors, Kheang points to Mother-inLaw’s Tongue, which is also known as a Snake Plant thanks to its sword-shaped green leaves. Orchids are a favourite with green-fingered enthusiasts the world over, but the designer warns growers to be patient with the elegant flower. “Sometimes over a year an orchid can give one flower. You should just wait and see. With orchids, the important thing is watering and don’t put it in strong, direct light as it can burn. Put it in 50 to 70 percent light, maximum,” he says.
Know-How
Whether you have a spacious estate or a tiny patio, a little bit of knowledge can go a long way in the quest to keep plants healthy and happy. “It is difficult sometimes but people who love it will study — every day they will water plants and give them fertiliser. They should also find an expert to give them advice,” says Kheang. Creating a green oasis can improve your life, by providing a spot of exercise and a relaxing area in which to unwind. “The nature of flowers allows people to release stress and lets them smile at their beauty,” adds Srey. asialife Cambodia 37
Michael Sloan finds out how an influx of Khmerlanguage computer games is bringing online gaming to Cambodian teens on a level never seen before. Photography by Dylan Walker.
Cheng Kimheng is a mildmannered accounting student by day, but in front of a computer he slips seamlessly into a second skin. As one of the highest-ranked players of AK, Cambodia’s most popular online game, he is a seasoned warrior with a kill count in the thousands. “Last year I was able to qualify for the Cambodian team to go and play in an international tournament in Malaysia,” he explains, pausing the interview to gun down an opposing player trying to sneak up behind him. “At the moment, I’m the number two AK player in the country. I play every day just to stay there.” The shoot ‘em up game allows players to create an avatar — ranging from SWAT team members to cartoon Japanese girls — that participates in frenetic kill-or-be-killed matches. Halfway through its second year on the market AK’s popularity shows no signs of slowing down, with 150,000 player accounts registered nationwide. By late afternoon most of the 78 computers inside the Cyber City café on Phnom Penh’s riverside are occupied by students. At least half are playing AK, occasionally pausing to yell out loud if they get shot in an unexpected way. Owner Nita Lim says the release of Khmer-language games like AK have been rapturously received by his customers. “The market is nowhere near its peak, it’s growing exponentially. The young generation, they’re craving things to do, they’re bored out of their minds,” he says. “A lot of people think of gaming as this nerdy private thing
but it’s very social. They come after school with their group of friends. It’s a type of hangout.” AK, which was adapted from the international hit Counterstrike, is the second Khmer-language game to be released by local media company Sabay. The firm makes money thanks to a virtual gaming economy where extra items such as guns can be bought online for around $1 or $2 each. Chief operating officer Mike Gaertner, head of the company’s 30-person online gaming division, says that AK’s success encouraged the company to release additional titles. “I think what captures people’s imaginations is that there are real world events linked to it — you can go to Malaysia, you can go to Thailand, and play in competitions,” he explains. “If you look at other games that do exactly the same thing as AK, I think people would prefer to play AK because they know it’s in Cambodia and they can sit next to their friends and beat them.” It hasn’t always been smooth sailing for the gaming industry. A gambling ban and a subsequent speech by Prime Minister Hun Sen blaming numerous social ills on ‘gaming machines’ — interpreted in some quarters to also cover PCs — meant the industry almost didn’t get off the ground, says Gaertner. Today, internet and gaming cafés are allowed to operate without interference as long as they are located further than 200 metres from a school and no students in school uniform enter. The industry is also trying to broaden its appeal beyond male teenage gamers.
Sabay’s Avatar is designed for mobile phones and primarily marketed to teenage girls. As a lovechild of Farmville and the Sims, players walk their character around a fictional town, purchasing new clothes and haircuts and chatting, in between planting crops for their farm and pitting their skills against each other in games like fishing. As with AK, the company profits from the thousands of micro-transactions players make each month to exchange real money for Sabay coins used to purchase in-game items. With increasing numbers of Cambodian teenagers being drawn into a virtual world, it’s unclear whether the success is a temporary bubble caused by the novelty value of affordable online games, or something deeper. Sabay marketing and communications manager, Ula Piler, points to the idea of escapism and players’ ability to retreat into a fantasy world as one of the most interesting features of the new industry. “The attraction of online games is even stronger in a society which has so many rules,” she explains. “In our games you are free and equal, we don’t ask questions: what’s your background, how much you're worth. They just come and are judged on their abilities.”
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Gabrielle Yetter cruises Vietnam’s Bai Tu Long Bay, the more secluded neighbour of iconic Ha Long Bay.
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The driver inhales deeply on his cigarette as smoke mingles with the motor boat’s fumes. Soon, a wide smile cracks his leathery face in a dozen directions. Pulling out a container filled with brown liquid, he pours the brew into glasses hacked from water bottles. “Mot hai ba, yo!” he toasts in Vietnamese, laughing loudly as we toss back the bitter tea. Bobbing up and down on a small vessel, while preparing to beat a bamboo pole with a stick to drive fish into a net, this is the second day of our Bai Tu Long Bay cruise. Located around 170 kilometres from the Vietnamese capital Hanoi, Bai Tu Long is a natural inlet where graceful junks ply the waters, close to the natural caves of its soaring limestone peaks. The bay lies to the northeast of better-known Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage site where the beauty of an estimated 1,600 islets draws hundreds of thousands of tourists to cruise its waters each year. While Bai Tu Long Bay is every bit as stunning as its neighbour, it is not as crowded. Few companies operate in its jade waters and visitors are likely to have the stunning vistas to themselves. Our three-day trip begins with gazing through the window of our comfortable 10-berth junk, the Santa Maria, while enjoying a five-course gourmet lunch. Jagged islands rise from the Gulf of Tonkin, dwarfing tiny fishing
vessels and piercing the horizon as far as the eye can see. As the early morning mists linger over the water, the sweeping views and massive rock pillars generate a certain magic. While Ha Long travellers may experience boozy latenight karaoke and crowded excursions, activities in Bai Tu Long are more isolated. A trip with gnarly fishermen from a local community involves a demonstration of traditional fishing methods and a display of culinary skills. Docking at a tiny, white sand beach, the men haul a table and canvas umbrella ashore, set it with silverware, and prepare a feast of fresh seafood. While the makeshift chefs prepare the meal, guests forage for clams in warm sand or take a dip in the rocky bay. Later on, visitors can kayak across the silent waters, gliding through massive passageways cut into the islands. A walk through Thien Canh Son cave reveals walls of shimmering crystals and at Cong Đam floating village guests toss back glasses of hooch that hit like a hammer. The nights at Bai Tu Long are peaceful; packed with conversation, food and a glass of cognac under an inky sky. At present, only Columbus Adventures — which operates the Santa Maria, Indochina Junk and Bai Tho Junk — offer trips through Bai Tu Long. In comparison, up to 350 vessels traverse Ha Long Bay daily. With prices ranging from
$150 to $2,000 per couple for two nights, cheaper options expose you to the likelihood of a non air-conditioned boat with mediocre food and crowded daytrips. Top price cruises might have a private butler, massage rooms and a spacious suite with a private terrace. For both bays, it’s better to make a reservation ahead of time if you want a specific boat. But beware, competition is fierce. Some agents will pull out all the stops to lure you in, including fake websites masquerading as renowned companies. Whether you choose Ha Long or Bai Tu Long, there is a common denominator. It can be the trip of a lifetime, which allows a peek into a landscape created 500 million years ago and offers spectacles of nature to stir the senses.
Ha Long and Bai Tu Long Bays Cruise Options Super-budget: Low-cost drinking tours can cost as little as $35 per person for a two-day, onenight cruise. Budget: Two-day tours with a splash more facilities are available for $50 to $75, with threeday tours at $60 to $100. Luxury: Offering upscale amenities and good food, two-day tours range from $80 to $150 with three-day tours at $150 to $250. Super-luxury: With unique itineraries and private butlers, prices can reach $2,000 for a private suite for two nights. asialife Cambodia 41
Each night, hords of party-goers spill out of the bars and clubs around Street 51 in search of a midnight snack to soak up a night on the town. An intrepid Daniel Riegler investigates their options. Photography by Conor Wall.
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Any number of the activities that lure revellers to Street 51 could work up an appetite. Luckily, as Phnom Penh evolves there is an increasing variety of options to satiate the midnight to 5am munchies. For the newly initiated, the idea of after-hours street eats outside Heart of Darkness might be less than appealing, but a few gin and tonics should ease such concerns.
Hot Dogs Noodle soup may be the most prevalent late night option but, if you’re craving something more substantial, hot dogs are the next best bet. Carts are strategically located along Street 51, between the junctions of Streets 172 and 154. It is a point of contention as to which stand has been there the longest, but all agree that the now-shuttered Midnight Train was the original after opening in 2003. Mr Cheang, a former Midnight Train employee, is
continuing its proud tradition and now runs his own cart. He serves up standard hot dog, burger and chicken wing fare, along with McDonaldsesque chicken nuggets and a slightly dubious lamb kebab. Towards Street 174, Raksmey Burger wins for character. The proprietor, Raksmey himself, holds claim to the title of the street’s second oldest cart. The stall opened a few months after Midnight Train and Raksmey proudly notes he has never raised prices — extra bacon and cheese are $0.25 each compared with $0.50 at other carts. Raksmey is a gracious host and good at remembering faces, likely due to his day job as a bodyguard. He has amassed a dedicated expat following for his satisfying $1.50 hot dogs and $2 burgers. Sunflower Burger across the street has similar offerings plus a decent take on a kebab, and claims to use proceeds to support a local orphanage.
Going Italian
Healthy Choice
Late night snacks are not limited to American-style offerings. Tucked by the corner of 174 near Black Cat, a few enterprising Elsewhere bartenders have fixed a wood-burning oven to a moto and set up Katy Peri’s Peri Peri Chicken and Pizza. In addition to chicken marinated in peri peri — a slightly zesty Portuguese/ South American sauce — starting at $2, they serve excellent pizzas. Pepperoni is the standout and a great deal at $5 for a large pizza. The stand will deliver to local night spots if the few surrounding tables are occupied. For the full Italian experience, about 50 meters away lies Pasteria. It also has a pizza oven and a broad lineup of pastas. The carbonara, both pizza or pasta versions, is touted as an effective form of hangover prevention.
If you are still in the right frame of mind to opt for a healthier snack, Fresh Sandwich Shop, found near Street 158, is a viable option. Opened about six months ago, fans of Fatboy Sub and Sandwich Shop won’t be surprised to learn that the owner is a former employee. The shop turns out lightning quick sandwiches on homemade bread. The shredded BBQ pork ($3) and the Philly cheesesteak ($3.75) are both served warm and good options for the inebriated. For those too lazy or in too much of a state to venture out into the street, several bars offer food. Zeppelin has a Chinese-centric menu with great dumplings, spring rolls and sweet and sour pork from $1.50 to $2.50. At Pontoon Bistro, which is attached to the club, you can have a lamb shank with mashed potatoes for $11. That’s not a bad option at 4am anywhere in the world.
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Cross Town Café Upon entering the Cross Town Café, your attention may be drawn to a bookshelf stocked with encyclopedias about cats. Out of the corner of their eyes, diners are also likely to spy a chicken advising them to try the ginger pork. Japanese owner Ryota Miyauchi — who designed everything at the café from the classic rock soundtrack to the custom pine furniture and glass sake shelf — says that the venue’s slightly kitsch style is part of the appeal. “Cross Town Café’s meaning is from the words cross or close town. Tokyo and Phnom Penh are both close to me. Another thing is I really like Western music like Cross Town Traffic by Jimmy 44 asialife Cambodia
Michael Sloan sits down with Ryota Miyauchi to learn how East meets West at Cross Town Café. Photography by Dylan Walker.
Hendrix, so inside we have a mix of everything,” he says. The road to opening the café was a long one. Miyauchi and business partner Masatake Waki both quit their jobs and left their families behind in Japan last year to start a water filtration system business in Cambodia. Finding the market slower than expected, they put their previous hospitality experience to good use and opened Cross Town Café on Street 294 in April. The café serves an expanding lunch and dinner menu, which is heavy on curries and chicken. In fact, the restaurant’s logo — featuring a chicken holding a coffee mug waving its right wing happily —is emblazoned on
menus, mugs and T-shirts sold over the counter. If you need help deciding on a wine, then the chicken has already compiled a handy guide on page 11 of the menu. The kitchen has produced an eclectic combination of dishes ranging from fried bread-wrapped sausage ($3.50) through to the Cross Town roll cake ($3.50). The chocolate treat is accompanied by a testimonial from restaurant staff on the “hours of blood, sweat and tears” it took to develop. A good first pick for a main course is the curry hamburg teppan plate ($8) featuring spiced chicken marinated in gravy. It is served fresh from the oven, cafeteria-
style, and is accompanied by rice and vegetables. Dessert comes in the form of a selection of fruit frozen in amber and green-coloured jelly ($3) served in champagne glasses. You can order coffee or drink the jellied version. “I think that until the end of next month we're going to add at least one food a week to the menu and see which is the most popular,” says Miyauchi. “I want to say thank you very much to the customers, as most of our cross town cakes are sold out everyday, but we still want more people to come and try everything.” Cross Town Café , 193 Street 294, Phnom Penh. Open Monday to Sunday from 11am to 10pm and closed Thursdays.
Taqueria Corona A surprise lies in store for those who can drag their eyes away from the mountain of food presented at Taqueria Corona restaurant. The blue ceiling is decorated with hundreds of stars, enabling diners to feel as if they’re spending a night among the cactus-filled Mexican plains. Such attention to detail, coupled with fresh and feisty food, ensures that the newest addition to Phnom Penh’s burgeoning Mexican culinary scene is one of the most memorable. A first stop for diners should be the drinks menu, where the ubiquitous spirit tequila makes a welcome appearance with at least nine varieties on offer. The classic margarita ($2.25), so often a wishy-washy
Cambodia may be a long way from the Americas, but Taqueria Corona is doing the cuisine proud. Ellie Dyer digs out her sombrero, with photography by Dylan Walker.
disappointment in the capital’s bars, is a certain way to awaken your taste buds. Refreshing and punchy, it strikes an excellent balance between salty and sour. The drink comes with the added kick of a second glass being offered for $1.50. The food menu doesn’t disappoint. Both Americanstyle and typical Mexican fare are served, with Californian hot sauce already on the table to spice up unadventurous palates. Fish, prawn and fish ceviche ($6.50), a range of burgers (from $5.25 upwards) and beer-steamed and tequila shrimp ($7.50) mark a welcome diversification from tortilla-focused food. Well-known favourites are also worth re-visiting. Sizzling
fajitas ($7.50) consist of three flour tortillas, a generous portion of marinated steak and both green and red peppers served on a hot plate. Salsa, jalapeños, cheese and sour cream come on the side, allowing diners to concoct a mixture of their choice with a dizzying range of ingredients. Burritos ($6.75) are light on rice and, for an extra dollar, come with a meat filling of choice, from chorizo to seasoned pork or grilled shrimp. The chilli option displays the chef’s skill, with the ground beef both flavourful and, most importantly, tender. Red ranchero sauce, available on the side, is also a triumph. The tomato-based mixture plays on the tongue with chilli
heat that reaches a crescendo long after the first spoonful, yet manages not to overpower the tomato undertones. For each dish, thanks to some undoubtedly fresh ingredients and subtle spicing, the flavours remain clear and crisp despite the hearty nature of the food. As a disclaimer I should say I’m an Englishwoman and, like many others living in Asia, am no expert on the intricacies of Mexican cuisine when compared to those hailing from the region. Regardless, I can testify that Taqueria Corona is offering good food, cooked from the heart. Taqueria Corona, 14E Street 51, Phnom Penh. Tel: 089 281 626, Open 6pm to 10pm each day and 11.30am to 2pm Monday to Saturday. asialife Cambodia 45
Connoisseur IT'S OK TO LIKE NICE THINGS
Christian Louboutin “As she struts down the boulevard radiating confidence, elegance and sassiness, the flick of her foot reveals that seductive and royal red sole." This distinctive feature of Christian Louboutin’s famous footwear allows a woman to subtly tell the world that she has attained a certain status and possesses discerning tastes. Coveted by women across the globe, these shoes are worn by the affluent or the lucky, and unfortunately for the vast majority of us this image will remain fiction. The man behind these luxurious shoes was born in Paris in 1963. After being expelled from school several times, Louboutin ran away from home at the age of 12. He claims his enchantment with shoes began when, in 1976, he visited the Musée National des Arts and saw a sign on display which forbade women from entering the building with stilettos for fear their shoes would damage the wooden flooring. Louboutin says that this made him want
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to, “create something that broke rules and made women feel confident and empowered”. He began sketching shoes in his early teens, but his real inspiration came from his first job at the famed Paris cabaret, Folies Bergère. He noticed the show girls would parade around with elaborate headdresses on, but no attention was paid to their shoes. “That's where I learned that shoes are all about posture and proportion,” he says. Louboutin spent a year in India in his late teens on a kind of artistic sabbatical, sketching and soaking up the local culture. He returned to the avenues of Paris with a portfolio of elaborate high heel designs and approached all the large couture houses, before eventually becoming an apprentice of Roger Vivier, who is acclaimed as having invented the stiletto. In 1992, Louboutin opened his own shop at the end of a 19th century Parisian arcade on the Rue Jean-Jaques
Rousseau, where the business is still run to this day. Princess Caroline of Monaco was one of his first customers and her enthusiasm for his designs in the presence of a journalist helped propel Louboutin's shoes to becoming the object of desire of fashionistas worldwide. His brand now boasts over 40 boutiques in 16 countries, including right here on Dong Khoi Street in Saigon. The distinguished and simultaneously fabulous red soles supposedly came about when Louboutin was designing an early prototype in his studio, where he was trying to match a shoe to Andy Warhols' colourful Flowers sketch. He was struggling to figure out what was missing until he suddenly realised that the sole was too dark, and painted the sole red with a bottle of nail polish that he grabbed off an assistant who was painting her nails nearby. Never again would a bottle of nail polish accomplish such greatness.
Louboutin's designs range from the quirky to the absurd at times, but they of course remain fabulous and extravagant throughout. He has covered shoes with everything from golden studs to googly eyes and feathers, and gives every pair an equally far-out name. The legendary Very Prive is a curvy open-toed high heel with a hidden platform which has been described as ‘Louboutin's iPod’, and it makes its predecessors look fit for your granny. All the shoes carry the same voluptuous and indisputably elegant silhouette. More than 500,000 pairs of Louboutin shoes are sold every year, with prices ranging from $95 up to $6,000 for a crystal encrusted pair. Desired by women from around the world, worn by the rich or the indebted, these shoes exude style, confidence and kick-ass girl power. As Marilyn Monroe once said, “Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world.”
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All designs by Keok'jay www.keokjay.com Models: Bethany Clark and Runchek Sotheavy Styling and makeup: Rachel Faller Photographer: Nicolas Axelrod www.nicolasaxelrod.com
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Listings
Eva Air 298 Mao Tse Tung Blvd., Tel: 023 219 911 Jet Star Asia 333B Monivong Blvd., Tel: 023 220 909
hotel & travel Airlines
Korean Air F3-R03, 254 Monivong Blvd. Tel: 023 224 047/8 Lao Airlines 58C Sihanouk Blvd., Tel: 023 216 563 Malaysia Airlines 172 Monivong Blvd., Tel: 023 218 923
Air Asia 66 Mao Tse Tung Blvd., Tel: 023 356 011.
Silk Air 313 Sisowath Quay (Himawari Hotel), Tel: 023 426 808
Angkor Airways 32 Norodom Blvd., Tel: 023 222 056
Thai Airways 294 Mao Tse Tung Blvd., Tel: 023 214 359
Asiana Airlines A-16 Domestic Arrival Terminal, Phnom Penh International Airport, Tel: 023 890 440-2 Bangkok Airways 61A Street 214, Tel: 023 722 545 China Airlines 32 Norodom Blvd., Tel: 023 222 393 Dragon Air / Cathay Pacific 168 Monireth Blvd, Tel: 023 424 300 www.dragonair.com/kh, pnh.res@dragonair.com
Vietnam Airlines 41 Street 214, Tel: 023 363 396.
Battambang
La Villa 185 Pom Romchek 5, Tel: 017 411 880 / 053 730 151, lavilla. battambang@gmail.com, www.lavillabattambang.com Beautifully restored 1930s colonial house with six rooms is the premium hotel in the country’s second city and with an excellent kitchen and bar. Riverside Balcony Bar & Restaurant West bank of river, Tel: 012 437 421 Traditional wooden house with great views of the river and good food, ideal for a sunset cocktail lounging over the river. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 4pm to 11pm.
Kampot
Tasty Thai, Khmer & café fare, also has photography decorating the walls.
Bar Red Old Market area, Tel: 092 724 720 Restaurant and bar in close to the river, just around the corner from Bokor Mountain Lodge, is a good spot for a late night drink with personable host Steve, or to try some Indian food including their gargantuan samosas. Open from 6pm to late.
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, freshly prepared food.
Blissful Guest House Kampot, Tel: 012 513 024, 092 494 331 www.blissfulguesthouse.com Small guest house, with 11 rooms, set in a quiet part of town with downstairs restaurant and bar, and communal TV room upstairs.
Mea Culpa 44 Sovansokar, Kampot, Tel: 012 504 769 meaculpakampot@gmail.com Accommodation established by the former manager of Bokor Mountain Lodge set in the French Quarter. Six rooms have air con, hot water, DVD and TV. The large garden has a patio pizzeria and bar.
Bokor Mountain Lodge Riverfront, Kampot, Tel: 033 932 314, 017 712 062. www.bokorlodge.com Beautiful French colonial building situated on riverfront with well-fitted air-conditioned rooms. Has a good restaurant and bar.
Nataya Coral Bay Resort Prek Ampil, Kampot, Tel: 016 226 471, 012 902 823. natayaresort@yahoo.com Only 16km from Kampot, this top-end hideaway comes complete with eight beachfront bungalows, a 25m infinity pool, a 2km private beach, stilt huts off a 300m pier, and simply oodles of relaxation.
Epic Arts Café Old Market, Kampot 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 to 6pm. Jasmine House 25 Riverside Road, Kampot, Tel: 012 927 313 Run by the friendly Jasmine and her husband Mark, this café/restaurant is a stylish oasis on the Kampot riverfront.
Rikitikitavi Riverfront, Kampot, 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 7 days a week. Rusty Keyhole Riverfront. Kampot
This British pub is the place for expats to chew the fat over a pint. Friendly British owner has recreated the atmosphere of a rural pub in outer Kampot, or at least as close as it gets. The ribs remain as good as ever. Open 8.30am to midnight.
Kep
The Beach House Opp. Kep Beach, Tel: 012 712 750 www.thebeachhousekep.com Small hotel with pool in an excellent location, directly opposite Kep’s mermaid statue. Relaxed café, and tasteful western-style rooms all with sea view. Can organise trips to nearby Rabbit Island or further afield to Bokor Mountain. Breezes Route 33, Kep, Tel: 097 675 9072 Situated on the main coast road about halfway between Kep Beach and the ferry to Rabbit Island, this stylish restaurant and lounge is located right by the sea in a green, wooded area. The food is a fusion of Asian and western with a focus on small dishes with plenty of seafood. Free pick-up and return to Kep hotels. Champey Inn Resort Tel: 012 501 742 Sea-fronted resort with fan-cooled bungalows. Has a swimming pool, a restaurant, a bar and a pleasant garden. Knai Bang Chatt Resort Tel: 017 917 452, knaibangchatt.com Exclusive seaside resort just along from the crab stalls, which has opened up its doors to the public. Elegant swimming pool, air-con, gym, library and fantastic gardens, this resort is the ideal place to get away from Phnom Penh. Good restaurant with fantastic views of the sea. Check for special offers. Also has a Sailing Club next door with bar and restaurant, as well as Hoby Cats. Le Bout du Monde Kep, Tel: 011 964 181 www.leboutdumondekep.com Individual and separate bungalows in traditional Khmer architecture located at a top of a hill with good views and nice gardens. Serves French and Khmer cuisine. Rooms have hot water, mini-bar, fan and safe. Saravoan Hotel Thmey Village, Kep, Tel: 036 639 3909 / 012 715 588 / 012 357 729, Recently renovated building with 17 rooms has all the modern amenities including an inviting swimming pool and sweeping views of the sea. Veranda Natural Resort Tel: 033 399 035, 012 888 619, www.veranda-resort.com Traditional wooden bungalows set in the hillside. Settle down for the night and listen to the jungle purr. Has a good restaurant and bar with some quite stunning sweeping views down to the coast.
Phnom Penh – Deluxe
Amanjaya 1 Sisowath Quay, Tel: 023 214 747 www.amanjaya-pancam-hotel.com Large hotel with a great central location along the riverfront. The rooms are spacious and well-equipped with tasteful Khmer decorations. The downstairs restaurant doubles up as the air-con K West bar. Cambodiana 313 Sisowath Quay, Tel: 023 426 288 www.hotelcambodiana.com Great riverside location with spectacular sweeping views of the confluence of three rivers. Large rooms with air-con,
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in-room safes and good bathrooms. Live band plays nightly (except Mondays) from 8.15pm to late. The Governor’s House 3 Mao Tse Tung Blvd., near corner of Norodom Blvd. Tel: 023 987 025, www.governorshouse.net Welcome to The Governor’s House Colonial Boutique Hotel in Phnom Penh. The Governor’s house offers an exclusive 10 rooms 5 stars boutique hotel embodied in an original colonial-style mansion in the heart of BKK I, surrounded by the top residential area in downtown Phnom Penh city, Kingdom of Wonder. Himawari 313 Sisowath Quay, Tel: 023 214 555 www.himawarihotel.com The 115 beautifully-designed suites have air-con, cable TV, IDD, Internet, in-room safes and large bathrooms. Nice swimming pool and good gym facilities as well as two good tennis courts. Imperial Garden Hotel 315 Sisowath Quay, Tel: 023 219 991 Large hotel and villa complex next to the Cambodiana. Has a swimming pool, gym and tennis court. InterContinental 296 Mao Tse Tung, Tel: 023 424 888 www.intercontinental.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 a spa. Raffles Hotel Le Royal Street 92, Tel: 023 981 888 www.phnompenh.raffles.com 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. Beautiful gardens with a separate swimming pool for kids plus reasonably priced apartments for long stays. The rooms at the front are particularly special. Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra 28 Old August Site, Sothearos Blvd., Tel: 023 999 200, www.sofitel.com Set riverside amongst landscaped gardens this 12-storey colonial style hotel is close to key attractions, embassies and the central business district. Along with 201 luxurious rooms and suites with Mekong or Bassac river views, are chic restaurants and bars, an upscale spa, two swimming pools, a sports club and the finest conferencing facilities in Cambodia. Sunway Hotel 1 Street 92, Tel: 023 430 333, phnompenh.sunwayhotels.com Luxurious international four-star hotel located close to Wat Phnom with 138 well-sized rooms, spa, good business centre and meeting facilities.
Phnom Penh – Mid
Asia Club 456 Monivong Blvd., Tel: 023 721 766 An oasis of water and green in the city, the five bungalows and four rooms with air-con and bath, large safe and flatscreen tv. The beautiful swimming pool is tucked around the back of Man Han Lou Restaurant and you can have drinks and food delivered from Man Han Lou Restaurant. Almond Hotel 128F Sothearos Blvd.
Tel: 023 220 822 www.almondhotel.com.kh 56-room hotel located close to the Royal Palace and the riverfront with spacious rooms with WiFi. Downstairs restaurant serves dim sum and Cantonese food. Anise 2C Street 278, Tel: 023 222 522, www.anisehotel.com Small hotel with well-fitted, good size rooms, all equipped with air-con, in-room safe and hot water. Downstairs restaurant serves good Asian cuisine.
Lebiz Hotel & Library 79F Street 128, Tel: 023 998 608/610, info@lebizhotel.com, www.lebizhotel.com Luxury accommodation with a competitive edge and sleek modern design offers a full range of specialty services tailored to business needs, and cutting-edge technology to maximise comfort and productivity. Has unique library.
Blue Lime 42 Street 19z (off Street 19), Tel: 023 222 260 www.bluelime.asia Centrally-located mini-hotel with a great swimming pool and contemporary rooms is a good flashpacker option.
Paddy Rice 213-217 Sisowath Quay, Tel: 023 990 321, www.paddyrice.net Former Hope and Anchor has newly refurbished rooms with solar hot water, cable TV, air conditioning, WiFi and great views of the river from its balconies. Downstairs restaurant offers full western and Asian cuisine.
Bougainvillier 277G Sisowath Quay, Tel: 023 220 528 www.bougainvillierhotel.com Elegant, riverfront restaurant using gourmet homemade ingredients, specialising in foie gras, with plus a regularly changing specials board and excellent French wines. Three course set. lunches are also available. Open from 6am to 11pm.
River 108 2 Street 108, Tel: 023 218 785, www.river108.com Art deco hotel aimed at the flashpacker set, the river view rooms are extremely comfortable with flat screen TV and separate bathroom and toilet. Efficient WiFi, good working space and spacious rooms make this the perfect business option.
Circa 51 155 Street 51, Tel: 012 585 714. www.circa51.com Combining a retro design vibe with both modern and traditional touches, this boutique hotel promises to deliver stylish exclusivity. All rooms come with A/C, flat screen TV and DVD player, iPod docking, mini-bar and writing desk.
Splash Inn Hotel 5 street 244, Tel: 023 986 174 www.splashinncambodia.com The SPLASH INN was opened in March 2011 and consists of two Khmer Villas situated 1 block from the Royal Palace. All the rooms have been fully renovated and consist of handmade furniture, flat screen LCD TV with DVD player, ensuite bathroom, fridge & mini bar. Free Wi-Fi is provided.
FCC Phnom Penh 362 Sisowath Quay, Tel: 012 253 222 www.fcccambodia.com Phnom Penh’s landmark restaurant has seven rooms with balconies offering views of the river. Each is individually designed and meticulously outfitted with high-speed Internet access and the latest mod cons.
The Little Garden 8 Street 398, Tel: 078 217 871 Stylish boutique hotel with a swimming pool. A quiet retreat from the city’s chaos. Rooms feature attractive Cambodian furniture and gorgeous colonial tiles.
Goldiana 10-12 Street 282, Tel: 023 219 558 www.goldiana.com Extremely popular hotel for visiting NGO workers due to its close proximity to NGO-land and reasonable prices. Hotel Nine 48 Street 9, Tel: 023 215 964, www.hotel-nine.com Australian-run smart and comfortable boutique hotel close to Psar Kap Ko. Plunge pool and high walls provide an oasis feel. Hotel Cara 18 Street 47 & 84, Tel: 023 430 066 / 023 998 422, stay@hotelcara.com, www.hotelcara.com Just north of Wat Phnom, this stylish boutique hotel has well-fitted rooms at very reasonable rates and a great sushi restaurant. Kabiki 22 Street 264, Tel: 023 222 290 www.thekabiki.com First hotel in Cambodia dedicated to families and children, with two saltwater pools designed with children in mind. The rooms have a double bed and a bunk bed as well as outside area. Le Marais Boutique Hotel 33 Street 222, Tel: 023 996 266 Swish, modern hotel set in comfortable and elegant surroundings with spacious rooms and suites.
The Pavilion 227 Street 19, Tel: 023 222 280 www.pavilion-cambodia.com Beautiful boutique hotel set in a colonial building with large, unique rooms, each with either a small balcony or garden. Outdoor swimming pool, free WiFi and a small poolside restaurant. The Quay Sisowath Quay, Tel: 023 224 894 http://thequayhotel.com Five-storey, 16-room riverside boutique hotel has beautiful contemporary rooms designed by Gary Fell. The stand-out features are the rooftop jacuzzi and the very contemporary groundfloor bar and Chow Restaurant with WiFi. Queen Boutique Hotel 49A Street 214, Tel: 023 211 683, om@queenboutique.asia Boutique hotel located conveniently close to all the major attractions including the Royal Palace and National Museum. The Villa Paradiso 27 Street 222 corner Street 51, Tel: 023 213 720, www.thevillaparadiso.com The Villa Paradiso is a great addition to the scene, with ten uniquely designed and beautifully furnished rooms, ranging in style from Balinese, thought Japanese to the modern. Villa SALT 4 Street 294, Tel: 012 815 066 villasalt@sentosasilk.com Whether you are touring Phnom Penh or planning a long vacation, Villa SALT along with SentoSaSilk, work together to create an atmosphere that is closest to your home. Explore and experience fourteen artistically
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interior rooms, each created to give you that authentic feel and sense of uniqueness.
Phnom Penh - Budget
Blue Dog Guest House 13 Street 51, Tel: 012 658 075 Small guesthouse close to the Golden Mile with cheap upstairs rooms, some with A/C. Khmer art gallery on ground floor, features artwork by owner. Has ground-floor restaurant. California 2 79 Sisowath Quay, Tel: 077 503 144 www.cafecaliforniaphnompenh.com New guest house and bar on the riverfront with well-priced rooms with air con and security box. Downstairs bar has great Tex-Mex food and pool table. Lotus House 13 Street 258, Tel: 023 500 0485, lotushouse@yahoo.com Centrally located near the Royal Palace and the riverside, this guesthouse offers full A/C and rooms with hot showers for a reasonable price. Also includes an Indian restaurant. Feeling Home Cnr. Streets 278 & 63, Tel: 023 221 522, www.feelinghomecambodia.com Stylish nine-room boutique hotel with ample rooms at competitive rates, including flatscreen TV, air-con, security box and great beds. Also has two apartments, an Asian restaurant and a Café Sentiment coffee house. L’Imprevu Highway 1, 7km past Monivong Bridge Tel: 024 390 405 Complex with twenty-four bungalows just outside of Phnom Penh. Tennis courts and excellent swimming pool make this a good break from the city.
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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. The restaurant has a European set lunch menu and serves authentic Khmer food a la carte for diner. Tonle Sap Guest House 4-6 Street 104, Tel: 023 986 722 www.tonlesapguesthouse.com Clean, well-kept guesthouse upstairs with 15 rooms, with air-con, fans, hot water, cable TV. Downstairs Pickled Parrot bar open 24 hours.
Sihanoukville
Holy Cow Ekareach Street, Tel: 012 478 510 Beautiful restaurant set in a relaxing garden environment on the main street, with terracotta terrace downstairs and wooden dining area upstairs. Competitively-priced, good cuisine including vegetarian options. Open daily from 9.30am to 11:00pm. Independence Hotel Independence Beach, Tel: 012 728 090 www.independencehotel.net Beautifully restored hotel on Independence Beach, originally opened in 1963, reopened in 2007 following a complete refurbishment. Has sweeping ocean views from most rooms. Also has a gym, conference rooms and circular restaurant. Luna d’autunno Ekareach Street, Tel: 034 934 280 Best Italian restaurant in Sihanoukville, serves a similar menu to the one in Phnom Penh, but with a heavier emphasis on seafood. The beautiful roof-top terrace and interior air-con restaurant are both open for lunch and dinner.
Reef Resort Road to Serendipity Beach, Tel: 012 315 338, www.reefresort.com.kh Guesthouse set around a beautiful pool with well apportioned air-con rooms, in-room safe and cable TV, family rooms also available. Has a welcoming bar with excellent TV screen, slate pool table and excellent Mexican cuisine. 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 Kon, also runs a range of PADI-certified courses, and has an office in Phnom Penh. Sokha Beach Resort Sokha Beach, Tel: 034 935 999 With its own private beach, excellent swimming pool and fine restaurants, Sokha is the most up-market place to stay in Sihanoukville. A live Filipino band plays around the cocktail bar at night. The Secret Garden Otres Beach, Tel: 0976 495 131, www.secretgardenotres.com Modern beachside air-con bungalows with hot water, jungle showers or baths, TV, WiFi and Otres Beach’s only swimming pool. Restaurant run by professional Australian chef with draught and imported beers. Zoco Independence Hotel, Road to Serendipity Beach Two fashion boutiques – one on the way to Serendipity Beach, the other in Independence Hotel – run by the Spanish-
born Nuria, sells dresses, skirts, bags and accessories.
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. Exotissimo Travel No. 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. Travel Indochina 43-44EO Street 108, Tel: 023 991 978 www.travelindochina.com.au Australian-owned and managed travel company specialising in small group journeys around Asia that can tailor trips for individuals.
Listings
siem reap 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 from 10.30am to 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 US$6. Fresh at Chilli Si-Dang East River, Tel: 012 723 488 Riverside dining, balcony views, a relaxing lounge downstairs, and a pool table. Fresh food, including traditional Khmer cuisine, cheese, sandwiches, a generous selection of vegetarian food. 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 to 9pm washing hours. Open 6pm to 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 some amazing light boxes that serves a great range of cocktails. Free WiFi. Open from 5pm to late. Little Pari The Lane, off Pub Street, The newest and bluest bar in town! Very sweet, very stylish little jewel of a bar, much like the eponymous owner herself, Pari. This jazz/wine bar serves delicious Asianised cocktails, wines and beers. Open from 7pm until closing. 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. Molly Malone’s Pub Street Tel: 063 963 533 www.mollymalonescambodia.com Wood panelled Irish Pub with lots of Irish memorabilia. The Guinness either comes in a cold can or alongside some steak in a pie. Also has a small guest house upstairs with air-con rooms. Open from 7am to midnight. Nest Sivutha Blvd. Tel: 017 925 181 A step up for Siem Reap, Nest is high level drinking and dining, serving light Mediterranean and Asian food in a unique, highly stylised setting, with loungers and table settings.
Picasso Alley West A very cosy wine and tapas bar, with artful décor and a curved bar making conversation easy and fun. Good selection of wines and delicious tapas make this a regular haunt for expats. Open from 5pm to midnight. The Station Wine Bar Old Market Area, Tel: 097 850 4043 Modern wine bar serving over 120 different wines with always 20 by the glass. Also a selection of local and imported beers plus a great cocktail list and a selection of premium spirits. Comfortable decor and relaxing music. Live “Lady Boy” show every Friday and Saturday evening at 9.30pm The Warehouse Old Market, Tel: 012 530 227 Popular expat bar plays great music with good Asian-Western fusion cuisine. Best stocked bar in town and homemade infused vodkas. Open from 10am to 3am.
Siem Reap - Cafés
Blue Pumpkin Old Market, Tel: 012 946 227, 063 463 574 www.tbpumpkin.com Popular café with a great range of freshly baked breads and pastries, shakes and coffee. Also at Angkor Wat and the airport. Open daily from 6am to 10pm. Free WiFi. Café de la Paix Sivutha Bld,Tel: 063 966 000 www.hoteldelapaixangkor.com Like the adjoining Hotel de la Paix, this small café exudes contemporary chic. Excellent Lavazza coffee, bagels, salads and free WiFi dished up in air-con surroundings.
Siem Reap - Galleries
Arts Lounge Hotel de la Paix, Sivutha Boulevard Tel: 063 966 000 Large space in the ground floor of the hotel showcases the works of Cambodian and international artists. All pieces focus on Cambodian subjects. Diwo Galleries One at Vat Svay, Tonle Sap Road and another between Monument Books and Ta Prohm Hotel on the riverside Features a selection of refined Khmer statues and Buddhas. The larger Vat Svay location features a gallery exhibition of Thierry Diwo’s photography, as well as sells home decor and books. Drinks are available in the garden and on the terrace. 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 to 10pm.
Siem Reap - Hotels
FCC Angkor Pokambor Avenue, Tel: 023 992 284 www.fcccambodia.com Boutique hotel with 31 contemporary Asian-designed rooms spread around the garden and swimming pool. Free WiFi for guests both in rooms and around the pool. Golden Orange Off East River Road, Tel: 063 965 389 reservations@goldenorangehotel.com www.goldenorangehotel.com Mini-hotel with good sized air-con rooms that tends to have customers when others are empty. Nice outside bar makes for a good place to sit and have a few beers.
Wine Gallery & Shop Wine Tasting Restaurant Cognac & Cigar Bar Champagne Bar Swimming-pool Private VIP Rooms Corporate Privileges
siem reap
Tranquil Retreat Nicky McGavin
Luxury, for those who know, is nothing but an affordable necessity
Come to Elyxir wine shop to bring back home a part of the best among over 200 references of BORDEAUX Wine.
to reserve your favorite table :
023 211 711 # 3 - street 466
(near Thaïland Ambassy)
PHNOM PENH 58 asialife Cambodia
The Hariharalaya Retreat Centre opened two years ago on a narrow dirt road that runs east from the 10th century Bakong Temple about 15 kilometres from Siem Reap. It has created a pastoral haven where guests can rest, restore and re-energise with daily yoga, healthy vegan food and the chance to step out of the world’s stresses for a while. The Hariharalaya team is now changing things up with the introduction of Kriya Yoga initiations, which will take participants into a deeper form of reflection by learning breathing techniques, meditation and postures. Kriya yoga is intended to accelerate spiritual development and bring about a deeper state of tranquillity. According to Hariharalaya, it is “a simple yet powerful method for cleansing our body, mind and emotions, releasing the deeper power, energy, potential and beauty inherent in our soul”. The resort is the brainchild of American founder Joel Altman, who arrived in Cambodia from India two years ago and stayed in order to learn local musical instruments. In addition to speaking 12 languages, he is also a trained classical musician.
The centre now has space for guests in shared dormitories, private rooms and huts in one of the fields of the 2.5 hectare property. In addition to the yoga area and main house, guests wandering the property will find a meditation pool, mud bath, a picnic area, an outdoor gym, a library, musical instruments, an arts and creativity centre, and gardens with a rich harvest of fruits and herbs. “I wanted to create a place for people to come and connect with themselves and each other, and to put an emphasis not on our pasts but on the strengths of our present, on being and enjoyment, on art, music, dance, food and community,” says Altman. “It’s about following our passions and our joys, learning how to breathe again.” Not content with the hard work done so far, Hariharalaya will also be bringing out a vegan cookbook and a range of clothes and jewellery soon. “We’re hoping to do more food visits and cooking classes, when visitors can come out, practise yoga in the morning, have a cooking class and enjoy the fruits of it during lunch,” Altman adds. Expats are invited to join in at a special rate and can enjoy a second night’s stay at half-price.
Hotel de la Paix Sivutha Boulevard, Tel: 063 966 000 www.hoteldelapaixangkor.com With stoneware bathtubs in the rooms, mini-iPods, flexible reading flashlights above the decadently lavish beds and inset photographic galleries along all the corridors, de la Paix is a modern design classic. Raffles Grand Hotel D’Angkor 1 Charles de Gaulle, Tel: 063 963 888 www.raffles.com Elegant hotel with opulent gardens and a spectacular swimming pool in its grounds. Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf & Spa Vithei Charles de Gaulle, Siem Reap, Tel: 063 964 600/610, www.sofitel.com Ultimate in comfort and refinement by combining the traditional architecture of Cambodia with elegant
Siem Reap - Leisure
Body Tune 293-290 Pokambor Av. (next to the old market along Siemreap River) 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 10:00am to 10:30pm. Helicopters Cambodia 658 Hup Quan Street, Tel: 063 963 316 Professionally run company that has flights over the temples and beyond in modern, safe helicopters. Khmer Ways Wat Svay Village, Tel: 077 367 790. www.khmerways.com Ride specially adapted motor-scooters to explore parts of Siem Reap nobody else gets to, including villages, temples and waterfalls. No previous experience required. Lunch, water, sunscreen and snacks provided. Sam Veasna Centre Wat Bo Area, Tel: 063 96 37 10 Wild Asia Responsible Tourism Award winner. Some of the rarest birds in Asia can be seen at Prek Toal and Ang Trapang Thmor, a day-trip from Siem Reap, or combine bird watching with temple trips to Koh Ker and Beng Melea. Phokeethra Country Club Sofitel Royal Angkor Resort & Spa, Vithei Charles de Gaulle, Tel: 056 396 4600, golf@sofitel-royal-angkora.com International standard 18-hole, 72-par golf course 16km outside of Siem Reap.
Siem Reap - Restaurants Abacus National road 6 turn right at
Acleda bank, Tel: 012 644 286. www.cafeabacus.com With both air-conditioned dining room and alfresco terrace, and serving modern European and Asian cuisine, Abacus has become one of Siem Reap’s landmark. Open 11am to late. FCC Angkor FCC Complex, Pokambor Avenue , Tel: 063 760 280 Elegant bar and restaurant serves a mix of Asian and international cuisine. The complex includes shops, the McDermott Gallery, Visaya Spa and boutique hotel. Le Malraux Street No. 7, Tel: 063 966 041 Beautiful French restaurant offering alfresco, café and brasserie style dining with a menu catering to a range of budgets and tastes. An attractive wine list rounds out this restaurant’s promise. L’Oasi East River Road, Tel: 092 418 917 The best Italian restaurant in, or rather just outside of, town. The combination of the beautiful garden and home-cooked Italian pasta and pizza makes the trip well worth it. Meric Hotel de la Paix, Sivutha Boulevard, Tel: 063 966 000, www.hoteldelapaixangkor.com Elegant, contemporary restaurant, that allows you to explore the mysteries of Khmer cuisine in comfort
Siem Reap - Shops
De Silk 18 Oum Khun Blvd., Siem Reap, Tel: 063 761 198 011 775 168, www desilk.com Boutique offering 24/7 tailoring services using 1 00% Khmer traditional silk, that has expertise in making clothes and accessories. Eric Raisina 53 Veal Village, Siem Reap Tel: 012 965 207, 063 963 207 Accessories, decor, textiles and clothing created by Madagascan-born and French-trained designer. Phone in advance for an appointment. 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.
Pharmacy & Beauty store Services - International cosmetic brands - Largest selection of medicines with original brand products - Professional advice - Central locations in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.
www.ucarepharma.com
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Aircon Restaurant
Listings
Art Exhibitions Dance Theatre German Classes Film School Musical Events Fixed +855 (0)23 224 140 Mobile +855 (0)10 312 333 Homepage: www.meta-house.com Email: mesterharm@gmx.net
Workshop Space Open-Air-Cinema
food & drink Cambodian
Boat Noodle 8B Street 294, Tel: 012 774 287, 016 504 588 Khmer and Thai restaurant with excellent, well-priced food, set in a beautiful, traditional wooden house. Open every day from 7am to 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. K’NYAY 25K Suramarit Blvd. (Street 268), Tel: 023 225 225 or 092 665 225, www.knyay.com Modern Khmer restaurant tucked away down an alley off Sihanouk Blvd, with a menu including a selection of freshly prepared, vegan dishes, along with traditional Cambodian specialities. Offers a selection of cakes, ice creams and sorbets, using all vegan ingredients. Open 12pm to 9pm (Mon to Fri), 7am to 9pm (Sat), closed Sunday. Malis 136 Norodom Bvd., Tel: 023 221 022 www.malisrestaurant.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. Restaurant Le Royal (See Restaurants French) Romdeng 74 Street 174, Tel: 092 219 565 Authentic Khmer restaurant run by Friends International that doubles up as a training school for former street kids. Specialties include fried sweet tarantulas. Swimming pool, playroom and large garden make this both parent and child friendly. Has a special set lunch. Open 11am to 9pm. The Local 39C Street 454 Tel: 077 905 522 Café with a courtyard, art deco style mezzanine bar and dining room displaying art from the Apsara gallery with menu established by Khmer chef and cookbook author Sok Chhong. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 11pm.
Chinese
Emperors of China 19 Street 163, Tel: 097 929 2699 Upmarket Chinese restaurant popular with the capital’s large Chinese community with private dining rooms that specialises in Peking duck and dim sum. Fortune Palace NagaWorld, Hun Sen Park Chinese restaurant with authentic Greater Chinese cuisine and all-you-can-eat dim sum buffet on Sundays. Open from 11am to 3pm, 5pm to 10pm.
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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 11.30am to 2.30pm, 6.30pm to 10.30pm. Dim sum weekend from 8am to 2.30pm. Man Han Lou 456 Monivong Blvd., Tel: 023 721 966 Micro-brewery with four types of Germanstyle beer. Has extensive Chinese, Thai, Khmer and Vietnamese menus, as well as dim sum breakfast from 6am to 10am. Mekong Village 290 Monivong Bvd., Tel: 023 218 888 Large Chinese restaurant that offers crispy Beijing duck. Open from 12pm to late. Sam Doo 56-58 Kampuchea Krom, Tel: 023 218 773 The place for cheap 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 to 2am. Xiang Palace InterContinental Phnom Penh, 2/F, 296 Mao Tse Tung Blvd, Tel: 023 424 888 ext. 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: 023 220 822 www.almondhotel.com.kh Set on the ground floor of the Almond Hotel, this stylish restaurant specialises in Cantonese food and dim sum that fuses the traditional with the contemporary, including excellent dim sum. Open from 6.30am to 10am, 11.30am to 2pm and 5.30pm to 10pm – dim sum not served in the evening. Two other branch are on the riverside and close to the airport.
French
Atmosphere 141C Norodom Bvd., Tel: 023 994 224, 012 960 573 Well-established air-con restaurant serves fine French food in an elegant yet tastefully decorated setting, close to the Independence Monument. Open from 11am to 2pm and 6pm to 10.30pm. Closed Sundays. Armand’s 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 5pm until late. Closed Mondays. Bougainvillier 277C Sisowath Quay, Tel: 023 220 528, www.bougainvillierhotel.com Elegant, riverfront restaurant using gourmet homemade ingredients, specialising in foie gras. Fish, beef, gourmet pasta dishes and langoustine also feature, plus a regularly changing specials board and excellent French wines. Three course set lunches are also available. Open from 6am to 11pm. Brasserie du Port 49E Sisowath Quay, corner Street 84, Tel: 012 607 507 Seaside bistro featuring eclectic menu of haute cuisine mixed with pasta and fish specials. French classics including flambeed duck, pork filet mingnon and
home-made foie gras available at reasonable prices. Open daily for lunch and dinner, Braisserie’s long wooden bar is the perfect spot for enjoying a sea breeze and the restaurant’s comprehensive wine list. Open daily from 8am to 11pm. Comme à la Maison 13 Street 57, Tel: 012 951 869, commealamaisondelicatessen.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. Also has air-conditioned restaurant next door on Street 288. Open daily from 6am to 10.30pm. 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 to 8pm Fridays. Has a brasserie menu with daily specials, and free WiFi. Open 6.30am to midnight. La Marmite Cnr Streets 108 & 51,Tel: 012 391 746 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. Open 11am to 2.30pm, 6pm to 10.30pm. La Residence 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 to 2pm, 6.30pm to 10.30pm. Le Café Mith Samlanh French Institute, Street 184, Tel: 092 471 791 Set in the lush garden of the French Institute (formerly CCF), Le Café offers an extensive à la carte menu with Khmer and French dishes. Happy Hour is from 5pm to 7pm. All proceeds go towards Mith Samlanh’s programmes for marginalised youths. Open 7am to 9pm, closed Sundays.
Le Gourmet NagaWorld Hotel and Casino, Hun Sen Park, Tel: 023 228 822. Kitsch meets tradition at this up-scale Quality ingredients come ht diningrestaurant. together in beautiful presentation on the plate, with the luxury of the surroundion sushiings complemented by professional and attentive service. Open daily from 12pm to 3pm and 6pm to 10pm. Le Jardin 16 Street 360, Tel: 011 723 399 Beautiful shaded restaurant with large garden and spacious outdoor play area for kids with excellent ice cream. Open 8am to 10pm (closed Mondays).
MIRO21 Restaurant H TEL 023 51 79& Lounge
43 Sihanouk Blvd., Tel: 023 217 991
A chic and trendy addition to the city’s everyday dining scene, Miro is stylishly outfitted in
tones of green and black with padded velvet couches and a sweeping granite staircase, this dining spot provides a taste of Basque cuisine with a French influence. Open 12pm until late.
cebook.com/RahuMetro
Restaurant Le Royal Raffles Hotel Le Royal, Tel: 023 981 888 The finest French and Khmer cuisine in the most stylish restaurant. Try the chef’s degustation menu to taste a myriad of dishes in a single meal. Private rooms available on request. Open 6.30pm to 10.30pm.
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. Has an excellent set lunch menu. 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, this is the place to splash out on special occasions. Open 11am to 2pm and 6pm to 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 city’s Post Office. Open every day from 11.30am to 2.30pm and 5pm to 10.30pm.
Indian Sub-Continent
Dosa Corner 15 Street 51, Tel: 012 673 276 Small south Indian restaurant has a wide range of very good value dosa as well as thali and biryani dishes. Air-conditioned, it’s open from 7am to 10pm. East India 9 Street 114, Tel: 023 992 007 South Indian cuisine predominates in this pristine restaurant with excellent breads including nine types of dosa. One of the best curry houses in the Penh. Open 11am to 2pm, 5.30pm to 10.30pm. 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 to 11pm. Irrawaddi 24 Street 334, Tel: 012 979 510 Authentic Myanmar food at very reasonable prices in a clean setting with paintings of the Myanmar countryside decorating the walls. Open 10am to 10pm, closed on Mondays. Mumtaz 162 Street 63, Tel: 023 726 761 Popular Vietnamese chain of Indian restaurants comes to Phnom Penh. Excellent tandoori and southern Indian delicacies including dosa with chefs from both north and south. Sher-e-Punjab 16 Street 130, Tel: 092 992 901 Just off the riverfront, this restaurant is a favourite haunt of Phnom Penh expats due to its tasty tandoori dishes. Highly courteous service, and generous free snacks and condiments make this a wallet friendly option. Has another equally good outlet on Sothearos Blvd. Shiva Shakti 70 Sihanouk Bvd., Tel: 012 813 817, 023 213 062 Decidedly upmarket and sophisticated Indian restaurant in a beautiful setting with prices to match. Good place for an Indian treat. Open from 11am to 2pm, 6pm to 10.30pm. Closed Mondays.
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. The pizzas are excellent as is the spit-roast. Open 7am to 11pm.
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Boddhi Tree Umma 50 Street 113, Tel: 023 211 397 Relaxed garden atmosphere and open balcony restaurant with an imaginative menu, located opposite Tuol Sleng. Open 7am to 9pm. Botanico Gastro Bar 9b Street 29, Tel: 017 873 101 Surrounded by over 2,000 plants this open air restaurant has a provocative menu of tapas, salads, sandwich, cocktails, wines and fruit shakes, as well as an espresso bar. Open 8am to 9.30pm. 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. Buffet from 6am to 10am, 12pm to 2.30pm, 6pm to 10pm, a la carte from 11am to 11pm. Do It All Pub & Bistro (See Bars) Elsewhere Street 278, Tel: 012 660 232 On the Golden Mile, with two pools, sleek white walls and sensible 8am to 11pm opening hours. The menu at Elsewhere features soups, salads, sandwiches and pastas. Don’t miss out on their infamous cocktails. There is also a kids’ menu with child-friendly dishes. Has boutique clothes shop upstairs. Equinox 3A Street 278, Tel: 012 586 139 or 092 791 958 Cool French-run hang-out with welcom-
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ing al fresco downstairs bar and cool open balcony above. Good cocktails, excellent choice in music, best foosball table in town and regular art exhibitions make this one of the more popular places on the golden mile. Has live music especially at weekends. Open 7am to late, serves food from 7am to midnight and delivers from 8am to 10pm. FatBoy 124 Street 130, Tel: 012 704 500 American style sub outlet serving made to order foot long and six inch subs and sandwiches. Wide choice of fillings to suit every taste. FCC Phnom Penh 363 Sisowath Quay, Tel: 023 724 014 The first stop for newcomers but avoided by locals and it’s easy to see why. 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, the cocktails are half price and draft beer goes for US$1. Open daily from 7am to midnight. Fish Sisowath Quay, cnr of Street 108, Tel: 023 222 685, 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 to late. Flavours Cnr. Street 51 & 282, Tel: 017 765 896 Relaxing restaurant and popular bar run by Quebecois with comfortable chairs that fall out onto the street and a mix of Asian and western cuisine. Open 7am to late.
Friends ‘n’ Stuff Street 13, Intercontinental Hotel & Russian Market, Tel: 012 802 072 Non-profit training restaurant where all the proceeds go to the neighbouring street-kid school. Food is a reliable mix of Mediterranean and Asian with tapas thrown in if you are not feeling too hungry. Great juices. Another one of Phnom Penh’s places designed to take it easy, but this time with a clear conscience. Open 11am to 9pm.. Garden Centre Café 60-61 Street 108, Tel: 023 997 850, 092 429 968. www.gardencentercafe.com Popular expat restaurant with fresh ingredients and lots of healthy options. Has second outlet at 4B Street 57. Open from 7am to 10pm (closed Mondays). Gasolina 56/58 Street 57, Tel: 012 373 009 The largest garden bar in town has an extensive menu. Crèche facilities make this a popular choice with families at weekends. Has regular events with live music and DJs, even fashion shows. Open from 8am to 12am. Green Vespa 95 Sisowath Quay, Tel: 012 887 228 Superb daily breakfast selection, varied lunch and dinner specials and the best roast meal in town on the weekends. Traditional accompaniments to great food include Branston pickle, Colemans mustard, mint and horseradish sauce, HP and Heinz Ketchup. Open 6am till 11pm. Irina Russian Restaurant 15 Street 352, Tel: 012 833 524, 092 833 524 Russian restaurant of iconic Phnom Penh status. If you can walk out of the restau-
rant after hitting the vodkas then you are doing well. Open daily from 11am until the vodka runs out. Java Cafe & 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. Second outlet is on Street 90. Open 7am to 10pm. 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 to late. La Plaza Spanish Tapas Bar 22B Street 278 (near the corner of Street 57), Tel: 012 825 443 Phnom Penh’s one and only Spanish tapas bar. It recreates to perfection the best known and most delicious Spanish tapas, making of seafood Paella its signature dish. Tapas are the result of
on the table
Coffee Time Three Corner Coffee Roaster produces coffee for wholesale distribution to cafÊs, restaurants and hotels, with products available in supermarkets and minimarts. Its roasting facility is in Phnom Penh but the company is a regional coffee roaster and sources beans not only from Cambodia, but also Vietnam and Laos. The bestselling 100 percent Cambodian Robusta coffee (Kampuchea Gold) has a fruity, full-bodied flavour and an inexpensive price tag. But the company says that even the least expensive and freshest international-standard coffee on Cambodian supermarket shelves can have difficulties due to a lack of information. The main customer base, for both wholesale or retail, are expats and the growing Cambodian middle class. Both generally assume that because a product is Cambodian, its quality is low. But if the domestic coffee industry could have a proper quality control system, Cambodian coffee would easily compete with any of the world’s top Robustas. Three Corner Coffee Roaster has a vision to see both more quality Cambodian coffee produced and increasing demand on local and international markets. Once demand starts to grow, businesses will be encouraged
to meet high hygiene and quality standards. The founder of the company wants to see ethical and profitable businesses in Cambodia. Three Corner Coffee Roaster strives for long-term sustainability by doing honest business, keeping good standards and always trying to do better. Various competitions held over the last couple of years have proved that Cambodia has the ability to create beautifully unique cuisine using locally-sourced products. Such competitions help to raise awareness of healthy living and quality standards in the food and beverage industry. This helps to encourage local demand for products, which is pertinent for a sustainable agricultural business and is better for Cambodian consumers because it gives them access to quality local products that are fresher and healthier. As a member of the Cambodia Restaurant Association, Three Corner Coffee Roaster will continue to be involved in supporting the CRA in raising public awareness and desire for Cambodian products. More importantly, it believes that the industry must work together with the CRA to create proper hygiene and quality standards for all Cambodian products.
A member of the Cambodia Restaurant Association, the representative body of the dining industry in the country. For more information about the CRA, see cambodiarestaurantassociation.com.kh.
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recipe
dylan walker Photographer Marble Foie Gras Terrine with Pear Compote – La Coupole Dylan Walker Tel: +855 78 809 931 web: www.dylanwalker.co.uk e-mail: dylan@dylanwalker.co.uk
This luxurious dish is classic French cuisine. The word terrine refers to the tight-lidded earthenware dish in which it is cooked. The dish is available at brunch every Sunday at La Coupole at Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra. INGREDIENTS Foie Gras Terrine Foie gras 1kg Salt 18g Black pepper 4g Cognac 4tbsp Balsamic vinegar 4dl
Pear Compote Pears 10 All spice 1tsp Vanilla 1 stick Sugar 200g Lemon 1
PREPARATION ONE: Slice the foie gras 1cm thick then marinate with cognac, salt and pepper. Pan-fry the marinated foie gras slowly until cooked, but do not overcook. TWO: Place a piece of paper film at the bottom of a terrine. Make sure there is enough length to cover the foie gras. Layer the warm foie gras inside the terrine until full. Wrap with the left-over film. Press the terrine firmly with something heavy and keep overnight. THREE: For the compote, peel the pears and cut into quarters, removing core and seeds. Resize each pear quarter into three or four pieces. Mix the pieces in a bowl with sugar, spices and vanilla seeds. Cook slowly for about one hour and cool to room temperature. FOUR: Prepare a clean plate. Reduce the balsamic vinegar into syrup and make two rough lines on the plate. With a spoon, make a kernel of the pear compote on the plate near the syrup vinegar. FIVE: Place a slice of marble foie gras terrine on the plate and season with rock salt and ground black pepper. Serve with a slice of toasted country bread. La Coupole Restaurant, Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra 26 Old August Site, Sothearos Boulevard, Phnom Penh. For more information call 023 999 200 ext 6610 or email H6526-FB2@sofitel.com. Recipes provided by members of:
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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 to 2pm and 5pm to 10pm. All day on the weekend. Latin Quarter Street 178 and Street 19, Tel: 093 319 081 Latin restaurant and bar that serves excellent tapas and mains with extra salsa. Beautiful courtyard often hosts live music and salsa dancing while the air-con restaurant is available for private hire. Open from breakfast until the music stops. Le Quay Café Cnr. Sisowath Quay & Street 110, Tel: 023 998 730, www.amaraspa.hotelcara.com Enjoy the menu of sushi, salads, paninis, crepes and Asian specialities, with a wide range of healthy power juices, smoothies, cocktails, coffees, beers and wines, either beside a relaxing water feature or on the riverside terrace. Smoke free environment for lunch and dinner. Open from 10.30am to 10.30pm. Lime Restaurant + Bar 79F Street 128, Tel: 023 998 608/610, 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. Lotus Blanc 152 Street 51, Tel: 017 602 251 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 to 10 pm. Metro Café Cnr. Sisowath Quay & Street 148, Tel: 023 222 275 Metro has much more than a cool décor and changing light boxes, with reasonably priced Tiger and house wines and a great range of Martinis, try the Expresso. Gets very popular late on, while during the day is a good time to enjoy the free WiFi while enjoying a coffee in a smoke free environment. Open 7.30am to 1am. Mike’s Burger House Russian Blvd inside Sokimex Petrol station, 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. Nature & Sea Cnr. Street 51 & 278, Tel: 012 195 3810 Laid back eatery overlooking Wat Lanka that serves many types of fish dishes as well as some great crepes if you can make it up the 3 flights of stairs. Also sells some take home organic produce. Open everyday 8am to 10pm. 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, the squid with rocket or the gnocchi. Often has exhibitions around the understated walls. One More Pub (See Bars)
Paddy Rice (See Bars) Regency Café InterContinental Phnom Penh, Lobby Level, 296 Mao Tse Toung Blvd, Tel: 023 424 888 ext. 3562 An ideal venue for business lunches or an indulgent Sunday Buffet, Regency Café offers International and Asian cuisine. Open daily from 6am to 11pm. 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 excellent pork knuckle. Open 11.30am to 2pm, 5pm to 11pm. Rising Sun (See Bars) Riverhouse Restaurant 6 Street 110, Tel: 012 766 743, Sophisticated restaurant with a welcoming outside seating area that serves up a mix of Asian and western food. Has a nightclub upstairs. 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 to 2am. Samba Brazilian Steakhouse 64 Sihanouk Blvd. (Near Independence Monument) 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 everyday from 11am to 3pm & 5pm to 10:30pm. Sonoma Oyster Bar 159 Street 278, Tel: 023 223 617, 077 723 911 Phnom Penh’s first and only independent oyster bar has drawn a crowd of expats and Cambodians seeking high-quality oysters in a cosy setting. Open daily for lunch 10.30am to 2pm and dinner 5pm to 11pm. Stella Restaurant 55 Street 75, Tel: 099 574 188, 012 735 002 A cosy restaurant located near Wat Phnom, Stella serves pizzas, grilled food and Asian cuisine in a peaceful garden atmosphere. Steve’s Steakhouse 20 Street 51, cnr. Street 282, 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 to 7pm. Open from 11am to 10.30pm. Stonegrill 649, Preah 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 a natural
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volcanic stones heated to 400C (752F). Open Monday to Sunday, from 11.30am to Midnight.
with a good wine selection, shakes, gelato and frappe. Open from 3pm till late evening, Sunday closed.
T-Bone Steak House 392 Monivong Boulevard & Street 360, Tel: 012 900 138 Contemporary restaurant serving a premium selection of both imported and Cambodian beef, in a sophisticated air-conditioned setting – a carnivore’s delight. Open 12pm to 2pm, 5pm to 11pm.
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 from 6.30pm to 10pm.
Tepui at Chinese House Chinese House, 45 Sisowath Quay, Email: info@tepui.asia Tel: 023 991 514 Located on the second floor of Chinese House, Tepui offers a mix of Mediterranean and South American small plates with Asian accents. The skilled Venezuelan chef is considered one of the city’s best culinary talents. Open Monday to Saturday (close on Sundays). Happy hours 5pm to 7:30pm. The Exchange / The Vault 28 Street 47, Tel: 078 886 889 Large colonial mansion contains The Vault, Phnom Penh’s first private members club for those who have $1,000 to burn. Underneath the Exchange has elegant exposed brickwork and low lighting as well as an impressive fusion menu. Open from 10am to midnight. The Lost Room 43 Street 21, Tel: 078 700 001 The Lost Room is a new urbane restaurant, tucked away in a semi-secret locale in street 21 Tonle Bassac, run by the former owners of Talkin To A Stranger. The eclectic menu provides small plates of food for sharing, influenced by seasons, availability of quality produce and experimental ideas of the owners. The atmosphere is Cosmopolitan chic, with a reasonably priced wine list and good service. Open from 5pm, Closed Sunday. Lunch by appointment. The Quay 277 Sisowath Quay, Tel: 023 224 894 Rooftop deck with spectacular views of the river is a great place to have a drink during its half-price 4pm to 8pm happy hour. Food is a mix of tapas and more substantial international offerings, including an excellent duck confit. Open daily from 7am to 11pm. The Shop (See Café)
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 to 2pm, 5.30pm to 10pm. Bistro Romano NagaWorld Hotel and Casino, Hun Sen Park, Tel: 023 228 822 Best known for its Sunday Brunch, this stylised Italian restaurant in the NagaWorld complex specialises in Italian cuisine. Open daily from 11am to 11pm. Cafe Monivong, Raffles Hotel Le Royal (See Restaurants International) Casa Italia Sisowath Quay, (Riverside Rd) Tel: 092 230 207 Small house with terrace and lounge in front of the Cambodiana Hotel, across the garden. Specialising in fish dishes
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Dolce Italia da Giorgio 96 Sothearos Blvd, Tel: 012 562 892 Opened by the same owner as Pop Café, this restaurant focuses more on pizza than pasta with authentic pizzas from Naples. Upstairs terrace has good views and the downstairs restaurant is air-con and smoke free. Open from 11.30am till 2pm from 6pm till 10pm closed on Sunday. Genova Italian Restaurant 19Eo Street 154, Tel: 012 390 039 Small restaurant with 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 from 10am to midnight. Le Duo 17 Street 228, Tel: 012 342 921 Flamboyant restaurant has excellent wood-fired pizzas, pasta and fish dishes. Friendly Sicilian owner will guide you through the extensive wine list or explain why the Sistine Chapel is on the ceiling. Open from 8am to 10pm. Limoncello 81Eo Sisowath Quay, Tel: 081 800 210 / 081 800 240 Authentic Italian cuisine with pasta, risotto and pizzas, prepared in the traditional way and baked in a blazing wood fire oven. Open 11.30pm to 2.30pm and 6pm to 10.30pm. Luna d’Autumno 6C Street 29, Tel: 023 220 895 Beautiful courtyard or stylish interior aircon restaurant, whichever you choose, Luna has more classical pizzas, both red and white, to choose from than most restaurants. Also serves excellent pasta and other up-market Italian food. Good wine cellar on view in the restaurant. Open 11am to 2.30pm, 5.30pm to 10.30pm. Pasta & Vino 45 Street 288, Tel: 086 314 400 Cosy Italian spaghetteria that specialises in well-priced authentic Italian pasta and wines in a smokeless air-con environment. Open from 12pm to 2pm and 6pm to 10pm. Pop Café 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. Open from 11.30am to 2.30pm and 6pm to 10pm.
Japanese & Korean
Fusion Sushi 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
street cuisine
Lunch: 11:30 am – 2:00 pm Dinner: 6 pm – 10 pm
Num Bpum (Khmer Waffle) Conor Wall Price: 1,500 riel Ingredients: Khmer waffle mix is similar to that of its ‘Barang’ counterpart and consists of milk, egg, butter, flour and sugar. Once a nice consistency has been achieved, the mix is carefully spooned into a cast iron circular press and grilled for one minute. Served: Once taken out of the grill press, the Khmer waffle emerges with a signature crisscross indentation. It is then served in a plastic bag. Taste: The finished waffle has a slightly sweet, fortune-cookie-esque flavour and a fluffy texture not too dissimilar to that of a fairy cake. Although tasty, the major downfall is extreme dryness. It could definitely do with some sauce to moisten the palate. (3/5) Where to get it: Available from roadside stalls and hand-pushed carts around the city streets, from morning until afternoon.
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A taste of Japan in a Zen atmosphere with tatami rooms and sushi bar. Lunch from 11.30am to 2.30pm and dinner from 6.30pm to 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 from 11am to 2.30pm, 5pm to 10pm. Rahu 159 Sisowath Quay, Tel 023 215 179 Stunning, upscale atmosphere with a mix of modern Chinese décor, high ceilings, muted colors and rich woods. Japanese food takes the main stage but there is also Khmer and Western fusion cooking. A good place to go late night for sushi or a bowl of congee. Open daily from 5pm to 2am. Yumi Restaurant, Bar and Grill 29a Street 288, Tel: 092 163 903 Elegant but inexpensive English-run Yakitori restaurant nestled in to a quiet street in BKK that serves top-notch Japanese nibbles, hot and cold sake, plum wine, wine and beer. Don’t leave without trying the salt and chilli squid.
Mexican & Tex-Mex
Alley Cat Café Cnr. of Streets 19, 178, Tel: 012 306 845 Small, friendly patio café serving good Mexican food and claiming to have the biggest burgers in town. Hard to find, Alley Cat is tucked down an alley at the back of the National Museum, the first on the right if you are coming from Street 178.
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California II 79 Sisowath Quay, Tel: 077 503 144 American-style bar with some of the best Mexican food in town, the excellent pool table and great tunes make this a good place to while away a few hours on the riverfront. Open 24/7 with good rooms upstairs. Cantina 347 Sisowath Quay, Tel: 023 222 502 A mainstay of the riverside scene, this is a popular meeting place for local expats with a large selection of Mexican beers and tequilas, and sinfully good margaritas. Serves good Mexican fare, and features photographs that capture the changing face of Cambodia. Kitchen open 3pm to 10:30pm. Closed Sundays. Casa Lika 16 Street 136, Tel. 012 429 542 American-run family restaurant serving up good Mexican fare in an authentic setting with rustic brick walls and colourful Mexican artwork, great music and even better tacos make this a good place to share some Coronas with friends. Open 10am to midnight, closed on Mondays. 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, Mexican food and burgers. Be prepared for some good solid R&R. Open 7am to midnight. La Cita 13 Street 282, Tel: 092 388 123 /
imbibe
Shiraz: A Wild Stallion Darren Gall In Australia, they call it Shiraz. In France and much of the rest of the wine-producing world it is known as Syrah and, for a time, it was called Scyras. No matter the name, few wine lovers can resist its dark, brooding body. Shiraz’s origins are shrouded in mystery. Legends regarding the wine are many and feature the Phoenicians, a crusading knight returning from the Holy Wars, temple builders in Hermitage, a Roman Emperor and a fabled wine from the city of Shiraz in Persia. The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám (1048 — 1141) is thought to have heaped praise on Shirazi wine when the Persian town enjoyed a reputation for producing the finest wines in the Middle East. However, these were white wines and few today believe that Syrah/ Shiraz have origins in Shiraz. Modern DNA testing and extensive research concludes that Syrah was the offspring of the Dureza and Mondeuse Blanche grape varieties. Documented evidence begins and ends with Northern Rhone in France. It would appear any prior history is the stuff of myth. In the vineyard, the Syrah/
Shiraz vine is majestic. It endures in poor, stony soils and produces excellent grapes. In the winery, it is like a wild black stallion, needing to be treated with great caution, restrained but never broken. It is prone to want to do its own thing with hot ferments that are dangerous to take your eyes off. If you can tame it enough to put some of that wild spirit into the bottle, then you’ve cracked the code. My favourite Syrah wines come from the Cote Rotie region of Northern Rhone, where unique terroir of the roasted slopes come through like nuts fresh from a wood-fired oven coupled with intensely flavoured fruit. There is always the spicy character the variety is famous for, sometimes like fresh pepper and in other wines like mixed peel or fruit mince. The Shiraz I favour comes from the warmer climates of the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale in South Australia. They are all brutish ripe plum, boysenberry, violets, star anise and pepper. From the cooler climates of Coonawarra, South Australia, and Frankland River, Western Australia, the wines have a touch more elegance.
Darren Gall is a 20-year veteran of the wine industry with experience in all of its facets, from brand ambassador to winemaking and grape growing. For information on any aspects of the industry, contact him at: darren@auskhmer.com
Fine Wine & Dine
#15-17, Street 240, Phnom Penh, Kingdom of Cambodia Tel: 855 (0)23 990 951 H.P.: 855 (0)17 588 191 Email: contact@redaproncambodia.com
092 626 123 Email: lacita@live.ca www.lacita.ox2net.com Get ready to change your tune about what you think Mexican food is! Just one taste of our hand-rolled burritos, tacos and quesadillas will tell you how much effort we put into our mouthwatering products. Open everyday from 9am to 10pm. Taqueria Corona 14E Street 51 (between Sihanouk Blvd and St 242) Tel: 089 281 626 /012 629 986 Enjoy our mexican specialties, barbacoa, cochinita pebil, texas chile, carnitas, pollo and carne asoda in our festive dining room. Open daily from 11:30am till 2pm from 6pm till 10pm (Sunday serves only dinner). iVIVA 111 Sisowath Quay, Tel: 093 678 888 Mexican restaurant offering a full range of dishes using the freshest ingredients. Great happy hours on margaritas and tacos.
Pan-Asian
Beirut 117 Sisowath Quay, Tel: 023 720 011 / 092 483 759 Authentic Lebanese halal cuisine and Sisha Lounge offering middle east flavours including mezze – hummus, shish kebab, baba ganouj, falafel, vegetarian and nonvegetarian kebab wraps. Offers delivery food, takeaway and catering. Open daily from 10am till late.
Indochine
NagaWorld, Hun Sen Park With a focus on Southeast Asian cuisine, Indochine offers tradition dishes from Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand in a sophisticated space. Open from 11am to 11pm. Lemongrass 14 Street 130, Tel: 012 996 707 Elegant Thai-managed restaurant with stylish use of heavy wood and artefacts to create a far more luxurious ambience than the reasonable prices would suggest. Open 10am to 10pm. Le Wok 33 Street 178, Tel: 092 821 857 Light and modern pan-Asian and French eatery with dishes such as prawns with lime and wasabi and Mekong lobster thermidor, and a comprehensive list of wines and cocktails. Open daily from 9am to 11pm. Ngon 60 Sihanouk Boulevard, Tel: 023 987 151 www.ngonpnh.com Open air restaurant that features a vast range of Vietnamese food in a garden environment. Meaning delicious, although the food does not live up to its name, the ambience makes up for it. 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 all-you-can-eat dinner buffets. Open daily from 6am to 10.30pm. Singapore Kitchen 110 Street 360, Tel: 092 201 304, 017 821 480 Specialising in classic Singapore hawker food, try the laksa – full of wholesome ingredients and with a great spicy sauce or those wanting a more subtle flavour could do worse than trying the Hainanese chicken rice. Open from 11am to 9.30pm, does delivery.
Vegetarian
Fresh Salad Bar 37Eo Street 310, Tel: 081555559 / 016977790
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Fresh salad bar which is the first salad shop in Phnom Penh that provided all organic and healthy foods , keep your health well with fresh salad bar. We serve salad, coffee, bakery included Wifi, free delivery please call Jung at 081555559. Open everyday from 8am to 10pm. The Vegetarian 11 Street 200, Tel: 012 905 766 A cosy, colourful restaurant focused on wholesome Asian and Western cuisine with all natural, fresh vegetarian ingredients. Open 10am to 3pm, closed on Sundays. The Vegetarian II 158 Street 19, Tel: 077 900 210 With a lush garden space in the heart of Phnom Penh, The Treez provides a relaxing dining experience. Whether it be amok, curry or tom yam, The Treez creates vegetarian versions of popular Cambodian, Indian and Thai dishes. Open from 10:30am to 8:30pm closed Sunday.
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 in Monument Books on Norodom Boulevard, Tel: 023 998 153 Siem Reap’s favourite café has two locations in Phnom Penh, serving breakfast sets, Asian and Western entrées and an array of ice cream flavours. Open daily from 6am to 11pm. Botanic Café Art Gallery 126 Street 19, Tel: 077 589 458, www.botanica-gallerycafe.com Cafe and food inside 80-year-old building, with garden is display art works, pot plants and premium souvenirs. First floor exhibition and event space promotes local artists. Has special lunch and dinner sets. Open everyday from 8am to 9pm. Brown Coffee & Bakery 17 Street 214, 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 7.30am to 8pm. Has branches on Streets 51 and 57 in BKK. Café El Mundo 219 Sisowath Quay, Tel: 012 520 775 Affordable and stylish riverside café and restaurant. Seating available on the mezzanine lounge, ground-floor restaurant and on the streetside terrace. Open 6.30am to 10.30pm. Café Fresco Riverside: 363 Sisowath Quay, Tel: 023 217 041 BKK: Cnr. Streets 51 & 306, Tel: 023 224 891 Canadia Tower; Borey Sunway, Toul Kork The FCC’s café chain sells strong Illy coffee, mix-and-match sandwiches, pastries and salads. Currently has four chains in town. Opening hours - Riverside: 6am to 9pm; BKK: 6am to 9pm; Canadia Tower: 7am to 7pm (closed Sunday); and Borey Sunway: 6am to 10pm. Café Living Room 9 Street 306, Tel: 023 726 139 Set in a stylish villa, Living Room has healthy salads and snack plates, plus a great tea and coffee menu. Has a kid’s playroom and baby changing room and uses organic and fair trade produce. Open everyday from 7am to 8.30pm.
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 to 9pm. Chill Ice Cream & Coffee Lounge 219D Sisowath Quay, Tel: 092 547 534 Casual lounge on the riverside offering coffee, sandwiches, cocktails, and some of the best homemade ice cream in town, as well as inventive ice cream cocktails. Open 11am to midnight. 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 café with three branches in town allows you to enjoy a variety of coffees, teas, smoothies and more in air-con environment. Coffee Room 385 Street 215 Tel: 098 518 888 The first coffee house in Phnom Penh to have an electronic menu, at the Coffee Room you simply tap in your order and went for your purchase to arrive. Serves coffees, juices, pastries and breakfast. Open from 7.30am to 6pm. 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 relaxed inside dining area has a small gallery attached to it. Open 7am to 10pm. Morning Café 32C Street 592, Tel: 023 982 109 Cosy air-conditioned coffee house with relaxed atmosphere, located in Toul Kork district serves Khmer, Thai and European cuisine. Open every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner from 6am to 9pm. 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 to 9pm (closed Sundays). 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 7am to 7pm (Mon. to Sat, 7am to 3pm Sun.)
Bars
3Rivers 14 Street 258, Tel: 017 716 212 Also known as Eden’s Bar this garden bar and restaurant on the Penh’s new backpacker street is a popular pit-stop. 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 to midnight. Brasserie Durga 94 Street 130 (near Central Market),
Tel: 023 221 740 Set in a French colonial building, this newly renovated space overlooking Central Market is a great place to escape the heat and listen to live music. A spacious area upstairs is available for private parties. Open daily from 7am to midnight. Cadillac Bar & Grill 219e Sisowath Quay, Tel: 011 713 567 Riverfront air-con bar and restaurant has good American cuisine as well as a popular riverfront vantage to watch the world stroll by. California II (See Restaurant Mexican and Tex-Mex) Cantina (See Restaurant Mexican and Tex-Mex) Dodo Rhum House 42C Street 178, Tel: 012 549 373 Naming a bar after an extinct bird is a brave move considering the turnover rate for bars in town, but Dodo has survived longer than most mainly due to the 20 different flavoured rums created by the owner to say nothing of the loyalty of the French expat community. Open 5pm till late. Do It All Pub & Bistro 61 Street 174, Tel: 023 220 904 Dishes out African, Asian and Western cuisine, with hip hop and reggae played into the early hours of the morning. Open daily 9am to 4am. Elephant Bar Raffles Hotel Le Royal, Street 92, Tel: 023 981 888 Flamboyant carpet, comfortable wicker chairs and hotel pianist provide a sense of a time gone by, you can imagine Jackie Kennedy drinking here. Its many signature cocktails, including the femme fatale make this a popular place with expats especially during the two-for-one happy hours (4pm to 8pm). Open 2pm to midnight from Monday to Friday. Saturday and Sunday from 12pm to midnight. Elsewhere (See Restaurant International) Equinox (See Restaurant International) FCC (See Restaurant International) Freebird (See Restaurant Mexican & Tex-Mex) Green Vespa (See Restaurants International) Harem Shisha Lounge 157 Sisowath Quay, Tel: 023 990 244 Share in an ancient ritual and enjoy the many fruity flavours of the shisha pipe at Harem. With lavish golden surroundings and chilled world house beats, the Penh’s first shisha bar offers signature cocktails and exotic Middle Eastern tapas menu. Open from 5pm till late. Howie’s Bar 32 Street 51. Air-conditioned and open until very very late, this is the Heart’s unofficial chill-out bar although the sound system could give its neighbour a run for its money. Tends to be a popular late night hang-out, especially around the ‘mini’ pool table. Open 7pm to 6am. K West (See Restaurant French) Le Bar Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra, 26 Sothearos Blvd. Tel: 023 999 200 A modern colonial style lobby bar with a fine selection of comfort food, tapas, champagnes, wines, premium spirits and large selection of coffees and teas.
Le Moon Cnr of Sisowath Quay and Street 154, Tel: 023 214 747. Rooftop terrace bar on Amanjaya Hotel has arguably the best view of the river out of any of the city’s rooftop bars. Has a full bar as well as some food, while the service is slow enough to afford you sufficient time to soak up the view. Liquid 3B Street 278, Tel: 023 720 157 Welcoming open air bar on golden street run by the same owner as Flavours. Has one of the best pool tables in town with happy hour from 5pm to 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 to 11:30pm. Meta House 37 Sothearos Blvd, Tel: 012 607 465 / 067 867 305, www.meta-house.com Multi-media arts centre established by German film-maker Nico Mesterham has a very cool bar. Open from 2pm till midnight. Closed Mondays. Metro Café (See Restaurant 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 & 70s music. Has terracotta-tiled terrace and 3 guest rooms upstairs. Open from 5pm to late, happy hour from 5pm to 7pm, closed Sundays. Paddy Rice 213-217 Sisowath Quay, Tel: 023 990 321, www.paddyrice.net Irish sports bar on riverside with big screen live sports, serves home cooked western and Asian favourites alongside a fully stocked bar and a fine selection Irish whiskeys with daily happy hour from 4pm to 8pm. Has live music at the weekends. Open 7.30am to late. 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 till late. Riverside Bistro (See Restaurant International) Rory’s Irish Pub 33 Street 178, Tel: 012 425 702 Irish bars with barmaids dressed in emerald green. Good place to talk to local expats or try the Irish stew. Open from Monday to Sunday at 7am to midnight or 2am at weekends. Sharky Bar 126 Street 130, Tel: 012 228 045, www.sharkybar.blogspot.com Countless pool tables and a large balcony to look out over the street. Guaranteed to be lively – a place where anything can happen, especially if you get a bit too close to the local clientele. Serves good Mexican food, and has frequent live music. Open 4pm to 2am, take away 5pm til late. The Bungalows Mekong River, Tel: 077 555 447 Stylish simplicity located within a quick
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cruise from Sisowath Quay port. The floating bar serves basic drinks and nibbles. Open Saturdays and Sundays from 3pm to 8pm, available for private events if booked at least two days in advance. The Chinese House 128 Sothearos Blvd., Tel: 023 356 399 Decadent cocktail bar set in beautiful old Chinese house. Has art exhibitions, film nights and parties down stairs and Tepui restaurant upstairs. Open from 6pm till late, closed on Tuesdays. 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 pilsener. Tours of the facility are organised on a regular basis, culminating in frothy cold ones at the brewery’s bar overlooking the Tonle Sap. Velkommen Inn 23 Street 104, Tel: 092 177 710 Hotel restaurant and bar off the riverfront offers a wide selection of western dishes as well as several Scandinavian specialities with a full bar, draught beer, wine and spirits, and free popcorn while you drink. Open 7am till late. From Monday to Sunday. Zeppelin Bar 109C Street 51, Tel: 012 881 181 Over 1,000 vinyl albums played by stonefaced DJ owner in small bar next to the infamous Walkabout. Remarkably good food considering the setting, especially late at night. Try the dumplings. Open daily 5pm to 4am.
Wine Bars
Bouchon Wine Bar 3-4 Street 246, Tel: 077 881 103 Sophisticated wine bar with a very French ambience and a wide range of French wines and bar food. Often has live music as well as a mellow jazz soundtrack. Open noon to midnight. ELYXIR 3 Street 466 (near Thai embassy), Tel: 023 211 711 Elyxir is dedicated to wine, luxury and gastronomy. Each course was dreamed up in order to marry perfectly the wines on our menu. Elyxir includes a swimming pool, champagne bar, private rooms & all our wines are available at our Wine Shop. Open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10am till late. Le Sauvignon 6B Street 302, Tel: 092 730 250 Contemporary wine bar and restaurant serves a variety of wines with a focus on high-end French whites. Open Monday to Saturday 12pm till late. Open Wine 219 Street 19, Tel: 023 223 527 Large wine shop and deli with well-priced wines from around the world. Has an outside dining area. Open from 7am to 11pm every day. Rubies Cnr Street 240 & 19, Tel: 015 670 024 Intimate wood-pannelled wine bar that is a mainstay of the female expat population with well-priced wines. Often has parties at the weekends.
Gay
Blue Chilli 36 Street 178, Tel: 012 566 353, www.bluechillibar.com Welcoming bar run by Thai national Oak is the number one gay bar in town as well as one of the coolest bars in town, even if you’re straight. The drag shows on Friday and Saturday are an additional draw. Open from 5pm till late.
The Rainbow Bar 73 Street 172, Tel: 097 741 4187 Intimate bar designed to get to know people better has a range of well-designed cocktails to make the night go with a swing.
Nightclubs / Live Music
Bouchon Wine Bar 3-4 Street 246, Tel: 077 881 103 Occasional live performances by jazz bands. Darlin Darlin NagaWorld Hotel and Casino, Hun Sen Park, Tel: 023 228 822 Top-end nightclub with live music popular among the high-flyers of the city. Semi-private booths in a chic environment make for an unrivalled experience. Open daily from 7pm until late. Equinox 3A Street 278, Tel: 012 586 139 or 092 791 958 Has regular live music from expat and local bands at weekends and swing dancing on Thursdays. Heart of Darkness 38 Street 51, Tel: 023 222 415 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 and is totally packed out on Friday and Saturday nights. Open 8.30pm to 4am. Mao’s Cnr. Street 106 and Sisowath Quay, Tel: 023 992 726. Chairman Mao has been reconstructed into one of the Penh’s liveliest nightspots with djs and occasional live bands. What would the Chairman have said? Open 5pm to 2am. Memphis 3 Street 118, Tel: 012 871 263
Only permanent rock venue in town with a house band that plays covers from 10pm til 1.30am, later at weekends. Also has open mike sessions on Mondays. Open from 8pm ‘till late, closed Sundays. Buy-1-get-1-free on cocktails everyday from 8pm to 10pm. Paddy Rice 213-217 Sisowath Quay, Tel: 023 990 321, www.paddyrice.net Regular gigs at weekends. Pontoon Cnr. Streets 172 & 51. Now no longer the Penh’s floating hotspot, Pontoon still manages to pack in the punters, especially when international DJs are in town. Also has monthly comedy nights that draw in the crowds. Thursday night is ‘Shameless’ gay night. Riverhouse Lounge 6 Street 110, Tel: 023 212 302 The alternative dance venue for both expats and young Khmers with a self-contained aircon dance room and great balcony to chill out. Mon-Wed, Fri is hip hop, Thu is Ladies night, Sat is house and Sun is dance remix. Open daily 4pm to 2am. Saint Tropez 31 Street 174, Tel: 077 212 100, 097 9000 401 Upscale club that is proving a popular alternative to the Heart and Pontoon. Has a slightly retro-feel to clubbing in the 90s. Open daily 6pm to 2pm. Sharky’s 126 Street 130, Tel: 012 228 045, www.sharkybar.blogspot.com Has regular gigs at weekends involving local and expat bands with an emphasis on heavy rock.
TROPICAL & TRAVELLERS MEDICAL CLINIC Dr.Scott BSc.MBChB. DRCOG.DipVen. (U.K.) -20 years of medical experience in Cambodia
Tel: 012 898981 No.88 St.108 Phnom Penh www.travellersmedicalclinic.com
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Listings
culture Cinemas
The Flicks 39B Street 95, Tel: 078 809 429, theflicks-cambodia.com A festival movie house with a revolving weekly schedule of international films. Also offers possibility for movie parties, with option to hire the movie room for a private session (max 30 people). Screenings generally at 2pm, 4pm, 6pm or 8pm, but check the website for schedule and ticket prices. The Cineplex 5th Floor Sorya Shopping Centre, Tel: 017 666 210,.thecineplexs.com 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. Opening times 9am to 10:30pm. Le Cinema French Institute, 218 Street 184 Tel: 023 213 124 100-seat cinema shows international art house and mainstream movies with occasional films in English. Children’s cinema on Saturday mornings at 10am. Legend Cinema 3rd Floor City Mall, Monireth Blvd., Tel: 088 954 9857, www.legend-cinemas.com. International quality cinema showing Hollywood releases in air-conditioned environment including 3D. Screenings from 10am to 9pm, box office from 10am to 9pm. Meta House 37 Sothearos Blvd., (opposite of Buildbright, 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.
Galleries
Bophana Audiovisual Resource Centre 64 Street 200, Tel: 023 992 174 Preserving much of Cambodia’s audiovisual material, has regular exhibitions. Open from 8am to 6pm (Mon to Fri), 2pm to 6pm (Sat). Dori Thy Gallery 9 Street 278 Tel: 012 661 552 Features the black and white photographs of German photographer, Doris Boettcher. Open every Saturday and Sunday from 10am-6pm. Equinox 3A Street 278, Tel: 012 586 139, 092 791 958 Cool French-run restaurant and bar has art exhibitions each month. Open 7am to late. FCC Phnom Penh 363 Sisowath Quay, Tel: 023 724 014 Phnom Penh’s landmark restaurant has a permanent, rotating exhibition devoted to photography. Open 7am to midnight. French Institute 218 Street 184, Tel: 023 213 124 Formerly the Alliance Française, the French Culture Centre (CCF) is one of Phnom Penh’s major venues for the arts. Promoting French culture and Khmer Ongoing cultural activities include exhibitions, festivals, and film screenings. Onsite shop Carnets d’Asie offers a selection of French books.
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Java Café & Gallery 56 Sihanouk Bvd., Tel: 023 987 420 www.javaarts.org Contemporary art gallery with regular exhibitions of Cambodian and international artists. Has second gallery on the ground floor. Website has details about Cambodia’s contemporary art scene. Meta House 37 Sothearos Blvd., Tel: 012 607 465 Multimedia arts centre on three floors has regular exhibitions, interviews with filmmakers and short films, contains the Art Café. Open Tues. to Sun. 2pm to 10pm. 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 arts. 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. The 240 83 Street 240, Tel: 023 218 450 Adjacent to its lobby, The 240 Hotel houses a gallery space dedicated to contemporary art. Picking up where The Chinese House left off, the gallery space presents an ongoing programme of local and international artists. Open daily from 7am to 10pm.
Performing Arts
Amrita Performing Arts 128-G9 Sothearos Blvd., Tel: 023 220 424 www.amritaperformingarts.org Performance art company that puts on contemporary & classical music and theatre. Apsara Arts Association 71 Street 598,Tel: 011 550 302 Organisation that promotes Cambodian arts & culture. Open from 7.30am to 10.30am Cambodian Living Arts 407 Street 246. Art organisation devoted to the revival of traditional Khmer performing arts that puts on occasional performances. Central School of Ballet Phnom Penh 10 Street 138 (entrance on Street 406 www.centralschoolofballet.com Cambodia’s first purpose-built ballet school offering classical ballet training for children in the afternoons, contemporary dance, ballet and dance conditioning for adults in the evenings Spacious dance studio equipped with large, custom-made mirrors, barres and a professional, sprung dance floor. Chaktomuk Conference Hall Sisowath Quay, Tel: 023 725 119 Designed by master Cambodian architect Vann Molyvann, this under-utilised building is worth a visit. Open from 7am to 11.30am and 2pm to 5pm (Mon. to Fri.). 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.
Listings
leisure & wellness Amusement
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 daily from 6.30am to late. Parkway Square 113 Mao Tse Tung Blvd. Ten-pin bowling alley and dodgem track. 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. Phnom Tamao Wildlife Park Phnom Tamao, 44 kilometres out of the capital along Highway 2. Cambodia’s best wildlife centre. All animals are either rescued from traders or bred at the centre. Many of the animals are critically endangered. Open daily from 8am to 4pm.
Classes
Cambodian Cooking Class Frizz Restaurant, 67 Street 240, Tel: 012 524 801 First and only Khmer cooking school for travellers & expats in Phnom Penh, includes transport to the market and a colourful 16page recipe booklet. Open 10am to 10pm. Capoeira Home of English, Building D, 10B Street 57, Tel: 012 242 396 Lessons in this rhythmic Brazilian cross between dance and martial arts are held every Tuesday from 6.30pm to 8pm. 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 horseriding centre in Phnom Penh Tuesdays to Sundays, 9am to 11am and 2pm to 5.30pm The Flicks Community Movie House 39b, Street 95, theflicks-cambodia.com Daily classes in yoga and pilates, check website for schedule, prices and sign-up form. Stress relief massage therapy sessions by appointment. Human Rights Kickboxing Pontoon Night club Tel: 017 878 248 A partner-oriented Khmer-boxing class that trains on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6.30-7.30pm. Admission has dropped to $5 per person. Music Arts School 9A Street 370, Tel: 023 997 290 www.music-arts-school.org New NGO school providing music training for Cambodians and expats - of all ages and levels - at affordable tuition fees. Learn guitar, piano, violin, vocals, and tradtional Khmer instruments. Also
has a scholarship fund to provide music education to the less fortunate. Nataraj Yoga Center 52 Street 302, Tel 855 12 250 817, www.yogacambodia.com Daily classes in yoga and pilates, check website for schedule and prices. Photography Tours 126 Street 136, Tel: 092 526 706 www.nathanhortonphotography.com Weekend photography tuition and guided tours to Kampong Chnang and Udong, covering technical and creative considerations in the context of travel photography. Scuba Nation Dive Centre 18 Sothearos Blvd., Tel: 012 715 785 Learn to scuba dive in Phnom Penh. The academic part of the course takes place in the Plaza Hotel pool, while the real diving is in Sihanoukville. Open 12pm to 6pm during rainy season, but 9am to 6pm during dry season. 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 for Life 126 Street 19, Tel: 077589458 Yoga to release stress, relief tension, find peace and live a good life with quality yoga class taught by Yoga and Massage virtuoso, Azmi Samdjaga from Singapore. Class is every Wednesday from 7.30pm with more classes starting late June 2012. Also healthy food and wifi is available.
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.
Chemists
U-Care Pharmacy Phnom Penh 26-28 Sothearos Blvd, Tel: 023 222 499 39 Sihanouk Blvd , Tel: 023 224 099 41-43 Norodom Blvd, Tel: 023 224 299 254 Monivong Blvd, Tel: 023 224 399 844 Kampucheakrom Blvd, Tel: 023 884 004 207-209 Sisowath Quay, Tel: 023 223 499 Siem Reap Old Market (pub street area), Tel: 063 965 396 Lucky Mall, Tel: 063 966 683 With very central locations, Ucare pharma is the first chain of health and beauty stores in Cambodia. In each store, the cosmetic part offers a large range of international brands such as L’Oreal, Vichy, Nivea, and the pharmacy part is run by a qualified pharmacist who provides certified medication.
Counselling Services
Alcoholics Anonymous 11 Street 420 Tel: 012 813 731 www.aacambodia.org Meets on Friday, Wednesday & 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, Monivong Blvd., Tel: 012 813 731 NA meets on Monday, Thursday at 8pm and Saturday at 7pm.
Dance
Dance Workshop Cambodia The International Dance Connection’ Since 2007, Professional Tuition in R.A.D Ballet, Modern dance and Jazz, Tap, Neo Classical and Contemporary, Classes held after school, 3-6 years, 7-9 years, 10-12 years, 13-16 years, and open adult classes for beginners and intermediate to advanced. Contact Miss Laura – 012634008, danceworkshopcambodia@gmail.com
Chas,Slor Kram Tel: 063 767 618 IMI Dental Cosmetic and Restorative Dentistry center has been successfully creating beautiful smiles in Phnom Penh and throughout Cambodia. Our advances in Cosmetic Dentistry are beyond compare, delivering a beautiful smile in as little as two office visits. Open Monday-Saturday from 8am to 7pm and Sunday from 9am to 12pm. SOS Dental Clinic 161 Street 51, Tel: 023 216 911 International standard dental clinic. Full time dentist Dr. Antonia Moa specialises in pediatric dentistry as well as catering for adults’ dental needs. Services range from routine check ups and cleanings to extractions. Open from 9am to 12pm and 2pm to 6pm Monday through Friday and 9am to 12pm on Saturday. Open 24/7 for emergencies.
Gyms
European Dental Clinic 160A, Norodom Blvd. Tel: 023 211 363 www.europeandentalclinic-asia.com Total dental care, Implant, Orthodontist Treatment by expat dentists. Open (Monday to Friday) 8am-12pm and 2pm7pm. (Sat) 8am-1pm.
The InterContinental Fitness Center 3/F Mao Tse Toung Boulevard, Tel: 023 424 888 ext. 5000 A sophisticated retreat from the crowds, The InterContinental Fitness Center 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.
International Dental Clinic Phnom Penh 193 Street 208, Tel: 023 212 909 www.imiclinic.com Siem Reap 545 National Road Nº6 Banteay
Fitness Centre CCC, Street 2004, Group 6 Toeuk Thla, Tel: 015 704 759 Achieve individual targets whether sports specific or to tone, lose weight,
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build strength or improve cardiovascular fitness for a healthier and fitter lifestyle. Open daily from 6.30am until 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 from 6am to 10pm. Physique Club Hotel Cambodiana, 313 Sisowath Quay, Tel: 012 810 432 Reasonable selection of equipment in the gym and a pool overlooking the river. Open from 6am to 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 6am to 10pm (Mon to Fri) and 8am to 10pm (weekends).
Hairdressers
Chocolate Blonde Cambodia 18e, Street 242 Tel. 077995160 www.chocolateblondecambodia.com Relaxed hair salon offering professional services by American and New Zealand/ Australian stylists. Tues - Wednesday 9am - 7pm, Thurs - Fri 9am - 6pm, Sat - 9am -4pm. De Gran 19 Street 352, Tel: 023 999 707
Classy yet affordable Japanese-run hair salon in beautiful premises with excellent service. Open from 10am to 8pm, closed Tuesdays. The Dollhouse 46AEO Street 322, Tel: 016 620 907 Salon offers haircutting, 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 to 7pm), Sun (11am to 7pm) Closed: Mondays. The French Element Himawari Hotel Unit D, 313 sisowath Quay Tel: 077 283 332, www.thefrenchelement.com Overlooking the Tonle Sap ,wonderful spot to relax and pampers yourself , offering all Hair services witch as highlights, colour, cut ,Brazilian Keratin treatment and more, International hairdresser. Open from 10am to 8pm, closed on Sundays. Hair & Nail Studio 51D Street 214, Tel: 023 992 626 Sleek Cambodian-run beauty salon offers quality nail care using OPI products, and hair, body and facial treatments. Open 9am to 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 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 from 8am to 5.30pm Mon to Fri and 8am to 12pm on Sat. Open 24/7 for emergencies.
professional skin clinic offers a range of beauty treatments using American Derma-Rx products, minor dermatologic surgery, antioxidant boosters, chemical peeling, and lipolysis. Open from 9am to 7pm. Derma-MK Skin Center 183 Street 63, Tel: 023 452 5626 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.
Physiotherapy Phnom Penh 45C Street 456, Tel: 023 99 63 44 General physiotherapy practice specialising in manual therapy, sports injuries and acupuncture
Dermal Spa 4C Street 57, Tel: 012 222 898 Spa offering beauty salon, foot massage and body massage services, specialises in Dermalogica skin and beauty products. Open 9am to 10.30pm.
Royal Rattanak Hospital 11 Street 592, Toul Kork, Tel. 023 991 000, www.royalrattanakhospital.com A Thai owned and run private hospital with extensive services that strives to provide high standard and quality medical care by professional care team.
EL Skin and Wellness Centre 115E0 Street 109, Tel: 012 681 948 Using Dermalogica, L’Oréal, Jane Iredale and OPI products for a variety of face and body treatments, spa provides a professional, relaxed ambience for customers to sample products before purchase. Open 0am to 7pm.
Optics
Grand Optics 11 Norodom Bvd., 337 Monivong Bvd., 150 Sihanouk Blvd., Tel: 023 213 585 Modern opticians with the latest equipment including free computerised eye test. Makes prescription glasses and lenses.
Master Kang Health Care Centre 456 Monivong Blvd., Tel: 023 721 765 Health centre next to Man Han Lou Restaurant offers foot massage in public or private rooms, with both Chinese and oil massage. A grand piano is played in the evenings. Open from 10am to 12pm.
Pools
Passion Spa & Salon 29 Street 302, Tel: 081 998 227/089 998 227 Email: passionspa.kh@gmail.com Passion Spa & Salon is dedicated to helping you to celebrating a happier, healthy life, Yours’ Day in a healthy, stress-free, beautiful way. Open everyday from 9am to 9pm.
Spas
Queen Spa 150 Street 63, Tel: 012 767 858 Cambodian-owned spa offers a range of affordable oil massages, facials and salt scrubs among other pampering services. Dermalogica products and other beauty items are for sale. Open daily from 9am to 10pm.
Asia Club 456 Monivong Bvd., Tel: 023 721 766 Beautiful swimming pool at rear of Man Han Lou Restaurant. Members get a discount at both restaurant and Master Kang Health Care Centre. Amara Spa Cnr Sisowath Quay & St.110, Tel: 023 998 730, www.amaraspa.hotelcara.com Comprehensive day spa providing a wide selection of facials, body massages and treatments, arranged in a four-storey modern facility at riverfront. Open from 11am to 11pm. Bliss 29 Street 240, Tel: 023 215 754 Health spa at back and upstairs in this beautiful French colonial building. Open 9am to 9pm, closed Monday. Derma-Care Skin Clinic 161B Norodom, Tel: 023 217 092, Two qualified dermatologists, this
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 from 6am to 10pm. The Nailbar at Friends’n’Stuff 215 Street 13, Tel: 012 381 988
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Part of the Mith Samlanh NGO, the Nailbar is a training business run by students in the Hair & Beauty training programme and their teachers. Individually sterilized equipment and a hygienic environment. Massages are also on the menu. Open daily from 11am to 9pm. 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 from 10am to 3am. The Villa Paradiso Spa 27 Street 222, Tel: 023 213 720, Professional spa set in individual huts around a lush, tropical pool. All treatments conducted using natural substances only. Bookings recommended. Open daily from 8am-8pm. Villa Spa 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; women customers only.
Sports General
Ball Hockey Played every Thursday night at City Villa, corner of Streets 360 and
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71 at 7pm. To play, contact Mike: michaelwarford@ispp.edu.kh Cambodian Federation of Rugby cambodianfederationofrugby.com Proper 15-a-side rugby league with four senior teams as well as kid’s touch and women’s rugby teams. Contact Larry: khmer_rugby@yahoo. co.uk for more details. Cambodia Golf & Country Club Route 4, Kompong Speur, Tel: 023 363 666 International standard, 18-hole golf course. Open everyday from 6am until dark. Football: The Bayon Wanderers www.bayonwanderers.com Mixed Khmer and western team. Training at the City Villa court on Wednesday and Friday, 8pm to 10pm, Old Stadium on Tuesday from 4.30 pm. Contact Billy Barnaart on 012 803 040 (available from 11am to 10pm). Sunday play at 2pm. Hash House Harriers 8, Street 360 (cnr. Street 71) Meets at the railway station every Sunday at 2:15pm. An ideal way to see the countryside walking or running. Contact 012 832 509. Phnom Penh Ultimate Frisbee A fast paced fun game that is open to everyone, regardless of skill set or gender, Phnom Penh Ultimate has weekly games at ISPP and Northbridge. Contact CraigDGerard@gmail.com for details on times and locations. Touch Rugby Mixed touch rugby is played most Saturday afternoons at 3-5pm at ISPP. Contact: pptouchrugby@gmail.com.
sos Hepatitis Awareness Dr Narith Tan During World Hepatitis Day on Jul. 28, the World Health Organisation said that “Hepatitis viruses A, B, C, D and E can cause acute and chronic infection and inflammation of the liver leading to cirrhosis and liver cancer.” The WHO added that such viruses constituted a major global risk, with around 350 million people chronically infected with Hepatitis B and around 170 million people chronically infected with Hepatitis C. With infection of such magnitude, peoples’ awareness must be encouraged, especially in the Cambodian context where chronic infection is widespread. Viral hepatitis has two patterns of aggression. On the one hand, Hepatitis A and E cause acute infection and disease through the
ingestion of contaminated food or water, but causes no long lasting damage to the liver. In addition, Hepatitis A can be readily prevented with a vaccine. On the other hand, Hepatitis B, C and D cause not only acute infection and disease but also have the potential to cause chronic infections. Such infections can cause long lasting and often irreversible damage to the liver. They are transmitted through direct contact with infected blood or body fluids through sexual contact, contaminated needles use, unsafe blood products or from mother to baby during birth. Only Hepatitis B can be prevented with a vaccine. The good news for people who are scared of needles is that a combination of Hepatitis A and B vaccine is available at International SOS Clinic.
Dr Narith Tan is a General Practitioner and Deputy Chief Medical Officer at the International SOS Clinic Phnom Penh. If you have any enquiries regarding this or any other medical matter please contact aine.flanaghan@internationalsos.com.
Listings
family Cafés & Restaurants
Café Fresco II Cnr. Streets 51 & 306, Tel: 023 224 891 Let your children play with puzzles and Lego on beanbags, watch films like the Lion King looked after by a trained staff as you enjoy your cappuccino. Open daily 6am to 9pm. Café Living Room 9 Street 306, Tel: 023 726 139 The playroom is stocked with books, games, a wooden dollhouse and even a rattan crib, while the kid’s menu has bite-sized portions. Contact Living Room to see what classes they are currently running. Open daily from 7am to 8.30pm. 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 babychanging facilities are in the toilet. Open daily from 7am to 10pm Le Jardin 16 Street 360, Tel: 011 723 399 This garden retreat has a great kids’ area with playhouse and sandbox, specialises in birthday parties, with cake, decorations, toys and drawing materials provided for children of all ages. Open from Tuesday until Sunday 8am to 8pm.
Entertainment
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 from the city. Dedicated to leisure, rest and entertainment, CCC is suitable for children. Open daily from 6.30am to late. Dragon Water Park Diamond Island (KOH PICH) Tel: 023 45 54 023/023 224 776 Clean-Safe-Exciting! Wonderful Water World just in the biggest amusement land fit for all ages. Have fun with Crystal Blue Clear Water, Immense pools, Giant slides up to 15m high & Water Toys. Open Daily from 10:30am till late.
Monkey Business Paragon Department Store, Second Floor, 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 from 9am to 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 from 8am to 4pm.
International Schools
Giving Tree International Elementary School of Phnom Penh 40 Street 334, Tel: 017 997 112, www.thegivingtreeschool.com Established to provide an exceptional, affordable, and unique learning environment, based on small class sizes and a international curriculum incorporating compassion, communication,
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Products that
change lives
Jewellery, bags, threads… 3 shops in Phnom Penh: Street 13, Russian Mkt & InterCon Hotel
conservation, contemplation, creativity, conscience and global citizenship. iCAN British International School 85 Sothearos Blvd, Tel: 023 222 416 www.ican.edu.kh iCAN offers affordable, high quality education to 330 children, aged 2-14, from 31 different nationalities, using both the British and International Primary Curriculum. iCAN is a contemporary, purposebuilt school and is the first in Cambodia with interactive whiteboards in every classroom. All iCAN teachers are fully qualified, experienced and encourage a love of learning that goes beyond what is taught. International School of Phnom Penh 146 Norodom Blvd. Tel: 023 213 103 www.ispp.edu.kh Founded in 1989, this non-profit, non-sectarian international school currently has over 600 students from Pre-K to Grade 12. The largest international school with over 70 professional teachers, and the only fully authorized IB Programme in the country. Lycée Français René Descartes Street 96, Tel: 023 722 044 French school offering primary and secondary level education, extra-curricula activities include basketball, football, rugby. Northbridge School 1km off National Road 4 on the way to the airport, Tel: 023 886 000 www.nisc.edu.kh Founded in 1997, NISC is an authorized IB World School with a growing enrollment of 410 students age 3 to Grade 12. Spectacular purpose built campus unlike any in Cambodia. 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
Footprints School 220 Street 430, Tumnub Teuk, Phnom Penh Tel: 077 222084 www.footprintsschool.edu.kh Established in 2007 Footprints School offers nursery (age 2) through grade 6 and has 4 campuses. The curriculum is designed for the dynamic needs and interests of our students and the staff are hired for their experiences and love for children. Gecko & Garden Pre-school 3 Street 21, Tel: 092 575 431 This not-for-profit pre-school, established ten years ago, emphasises learning through
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creative play in a supportive environment. The Kids Club, for 18 months to 5-year-olds, is from 3.15pm to 4.45pm (Mondays, Wednesday and Thursday). Also has yoga and Khmer classes. Open everyday from 8am to 12pm. Giving Tree Preschool 5 Street 325, Tuol Kork, Tel: 077 993 073, www.thegivingtreeschool Preschool committed to provide a nurturing environment that supports and extends the child’s emotional, social, physical and intellectual development. Offers a play-based programme in English and French that is fun, motivating and relevant to every child. Sambo’s Tots 14 Street 398, Tel: 023 211 044 / 016 944 208, 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 to 12pm (Mon to Fri). French is the main language, although English and Khmer is also practised.
Shops
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 name toys and games. Open daily from 7.30am to 8pm. 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 from 8am to 8pm. Shade7 Outdoor Living Co. Ltd. Showroom: Borey Chamkarmon Tel: 077 962 467, Email: david@shade7.com www.shade7.com and www.springfreetrampoline.com Supplier of Shade7 premium aluminium umbrellas and exclusive distributor of the original Springfree trampoline range. World class products now available in Cambodia! Stock available in the 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.
kids corner
Temper Tantrum Gemma Jones There is rarely a more embarrassing moment in any parent or carer’s life than the dreaded temper tantrum in a public place. Whether your child is throwing themselves to the supermarket floor in a fit of histrionics, or screaming blue murder in a hushed restaurant, a temper tantrum often leaves adults red faced. There is no set answer to dealing with tantrums, but there are a number of techniques that should take some of the heat out of the situation. Don’t forget that the tantrum may have started for a simple reason, so try to find out what is wrong. If your child is simply hungry, tired or thirsty then it should be easy to deal with. Remember to stay calm. Even though your little one is being a terror, he or she will not respond positively to you yelling or getting stressed out. Try to show some concern and love. Remember that even adults get angry, but we can express it in other ways. If the tantrum is in full swing, the best thing you can do is not to pander to your little one. Make sure they are in a safe environment where they cannot hurt themselves and calmly but firmly say, “I’m going to leave you here for a few minutes until you have calmed down. Then I
will see if you are ready to be good.” Stay nearby but occupy yourself with something else before going back two or three minutes later to see if your child would like a cuddle. If they are still not ready, repeat the process until they decide they want their cuddle. Remember not to get angry. It is better that he or she lets out their frustration than keeps it inside. However, you may want to gently remind your bundle of joy that the tantrum was not appropriate behaviour. Always remember you are the adult. If you have said no to a demand then mean it and never go back on your word just to prevent a tantrum. By giving your child whatever they want, you are setting no boundaries, which may result in future behavioural problems. Once the storm has subsided and your child has calmed down, be sure to hold him or her close and talk about what has happened. Discuss ways to avoid it happening again in the future. I must emphasise that the most important thing is not to panic. Tantrums are completely normal and should become less common as children get older and are better able to express themselves verbally.
Gemma Jones has been working in childcare for over 10 years. She holds an NNEB diploma in nursery nursing and is currently a principal at Cambridge Child Development Centre.
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business insider
Listings
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.
Printing
business
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.
Staffing Business Groups
Jean Loi Managing partner of VDB Loi How did you become interested in tax? When I finished my undergraduate degree in commerce, The University of Auckland began offering a masters of taxation. It sounded interesting, so I enrolled. I later joined Pricewaterhouse (which later became PricewaterhouseCoopers) and it was there that I developed my passion for tax. This passion has grown over the years, especially as I’ve had more involvement in emerging markets. From a tax perspective, Myanmar is especially exciting at the moment. I’ve just returned from opening VDB Loi’s office in Yangon and I can tell you that the government’s 2012 tax reforms are one of the key interests in my profession at the moment. Tax departments are probably the most disliked (and feared) government departments anywhere around the world. Is that reputation fair? The reputation isn’t fair. The tax department is just one of many vital government organisations we need. In this line of work, it’s very important to have access to and a good working relationship with the tax department — which is why VDB Loi has a highlyskilled government relations group. In Cambodia, we have a specialised tax controversy
team that deals solely with the tax department to resolve tax audits for our clients. I suppose being involved with taxes is like being a doctor as everyone wants to tell you their woes. Friends of mine who work as flight stewards often tell people they work in aluminum tubing. What is your usual answer when asked what you do? Normally I tell people I’m a flight attendant. Seriously though, when people meet me they are often surprised by what I do. There’s something a bit frightening about the word ‘tax’. But in reality, I do so much more than just offer tax advice. I help my clients grow their businesses. The more successful my clients are, the more successful my business is. This is why VDB Loi doesn’t bill clients by the hour, we bill based on results. The big question for the girls — how can one get a tax deduction for a shoe collection? Generally, to get a deduction, an expense must be incurred in relation to one’s business. So this is an easy question to answer: Open a fashion house or a modelling agency. You’ll need to stock lots of fabulous shoes. I love shoes, and I would have saved a fortune if I’d done this years ago!
VDB Loi is a regional legal and tax services firm with more than 50 local and international lawyers and consultants. Managing partner Jean Loi is widely recognised as one of the region’s most experienced tax specialists. She speaks Mandarin, Bahasa Malay, Cantonese and English.
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Australian Business Association of Cambodia (ABAC) 20 Street 114 (cnr. Street 67) For information, contact Derek Mayes 012 385 157 , abacambodia@gmail.com British Business Association of Cambodia (BBAC) 35 Sihanouk Blvd, Tel: 012 803 891 Contact enquiries@bbacambodia.com. Chambre de Commerce Franco-Cambodgienne Office 2nd floor, 33 Street 178, Tel: 023 221 453, www.ccfcambodge.org International Business Chamber of Cambodia 24 Street 462, Tel: 023 210 225 www.ibccambodia.com Canadian Cooperation Office Cambodia Commissioner Service Canadian Embassy, 50 Street 334, Tel: 023 215 496 www.cco-cambodia.org The Lighthouse Club www.lighthousecambodia.org. Helps those in the construction industry and their families in case of accidents and also promotes camaraderie. Malaysian Business Council of Cambodia Unit G21, Ground Floor, Parkway Square 113, Mao Tse Tung, mbcc.secretariat@ gmail.com Singapore Business Club (Cambodia) 92 Norodom, singcamb@online.com.kh
Commercial Banks
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. Advanced Bank of Asia 148 Sihanouk Blvd., Tel: 023 720 435, www.ababank.com Managed by Koreans and Cambodians, since 1996. 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. Maruhan Japan Bank 83 Norodom Blvd., Tel: 023 999 010 First Japanese bank in Phnom Penh.
Insurance
AG Cambodia Hotel Cambodiana, 313 Sisowath Quay Tel: 017 360 333, info@agcambodia.com Professional insurance agent offering health, home, car, factory, employee and hotel insurance packages.
Top Recruitment Cambodia 592 Building F Phnom Penh Centre, Sothearos cnr Sihanouk, Tel: 023 997 492, www.top-recruitment.com Provides comprehensive services including recruitment, staff outsourcing, payroll management and staff development.
Telecoms
Beeline Norodom Blvd., Tel: 090 999 611, www.beeline.com.kh Mobile phone company offering VoIP international calls at attractive rates. Cadcoms 825A Monivong Blvd., Tel: 023 726 680 Communications company with Norwegian connections has launched the qb 3G entertainment network with competitive talk packages. Cambodia Samarat Communication 56 Norodom Blvd., Tel: 016 810 001 Internet provider that issues the 016 SIM card. Camshin 6B-7B 294 Mao Tse Tung Blvd. Tel: 023 367 801 Internet provider that also installs land lines and issues the 011 SIM card. City Link 170 Norodom Blvd., Tel: 023 220 112 One of the major internet providers in Phnom Penh. Ezecom 7D Russian Blvd., Tel: 023 888 181 www.ezecom.com.kh Internet service provider that promises boundless internet packages suited to everyone’s needs. Good packages for those looking for unlimited downloads. Hello Tel: 016 810 000, www.hello.com.kh Mobile phone provider that has the 015 and 016 SIM card. Mobitel 33 Sihanouk Blvd., Tel: 012 801 801 Largest ISP in the country. Major mobile phone company which issues the 012 SIM card. Online 60 Monivong Blvd., Tel: 023 727 272 The biggest of the Internet providers. Watch out for their hotspots around town. Smart Mobile 464A Preah Monivong Blvd. Tel: 010 201 000, www.smart.com.kh, http://facebook.com/SmartMobileKH One of the most dynamic and fastest growing mobile telecom service providers in the country. Issues the 010, 069, 070, 086, 093 and 098 prefixes. TeleSurf 33 Sihanouk Blvd., Tel: 012 800 800 www.telesurf.com.kh Internet service provider (ISP) providing 24-hour broadband Internet service.
Listings
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 abseilers.
Car Rental
services Architecture & Design
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. 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. Bill Grant Landscape Design Tel: 012 932 225, 012 738 134 The city’s most talented landscape designer.
Bikes & Mechanics
Dara Motorbike 43 Street 136, Tel: 012 335 499 Off-road specialist offers repairs, parts and accessories. Tours can be arranged by appointment. Emerald Garage 11 Street 456 Mechanics specialising in maintenance and repair of vehicles, including oil changing and body painting. 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. Flying Bikes 8 Street 114, Tel: 012 868 380 Company offering off-road motorbike sales and services. Western Service Centre 24 Street 420, Tel: 012 477 831 www.wmg-cambodia.com admin@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.”
Building Maintenance
Bizzy Beez 47B Street 466, Tel: 012 755 913 bizzybeezservices@gmail.com Premier handyman service does renovations, construction work, electrics, plumbing, painting and landscaping.
ACC Car Rental Services 43 Street 160z Toul Kork., Tel. 012 456 003, 015 456 003. Professional, prompt and organised 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. All vehicles can be delivered to your door. Asia Vehicle Rental 27 Street 134, Tel: 078 666 557, www.avrcambodia.com With the motto “leave your driving to us”, the 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 go-anywhere packages to all areas of Cambodia and neighbouring countries by the day, week or month. Royal Limousine Services Attwood Business Center, 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. Sada Car Rental 279 Street 107, Tel: 012 864 735, www.sadacarrental.com Has a long history of vehicle rental for embassies, NGOS and corporate sector with or without drivers.
Construction
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.
Design & Media
Anon Creative Energy www.anoncambodia@gmail.com Internationally trained advertising talent at your service. Strong, strategic ideas. Available for freelance art and copy writing projects. Call 089 812 123. Asia Media Lab Tel: 012 818 917, www.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.
on the move Western Living David Murphy This month, we turn our gaze to Toul Kork and Sen Sok districts, which lie to the west of central Phnom Penh between the airport and the city centre. Although considered distant, in reality the areas are within easy commuting distance, especially thanks to the large arterial road Confederation de la Russie. The road has benefited from a new flyover to ease congestion at the intersection of Kampuchea Krom and the Street 271 ring road. In recent times, there has been considerable development in Toul Kork, including ongoing construction on the now filled Boeung Kak lake and Camko City. Both of these developments have some time before they are completed. Sen Sok has seen rapid development on a smaller scale, reflected in the areas around Northbridge community and the development of the Rothana Shopping Complex. The shopping centre contains a Lucky Supermarket and other shops, with the addition of the Attwood Business Centre. It caters for most, if not all, household needs. The western suburbs have seen an increase in the number of restaurants and entertainment establishments
catering to diverse tastes. Coffee shops have been established to meet the demand of an expanding population, including the popular The Shop Two and Fresco in Toul Kork and Café Republic in Sen Sok. Much of the new growth is not only made up of middleclass locals, but also many expatriate families, both of which work in the city and commute daily. There are a number of apartment options including the large and well-established DeCastle, Morodok Khmer Apartments, Chey Phumin Apartments and the brand new ISL Modern Apartment complex. Closer to the airport, there are apartments in Northbridge community and in the new Borey Phepop Thmei. The latter offers small townhouse options. Two bedroom apartments in these complexes are priced from $600 to $1,500 per month. Villas are common and of variable quality and size, and are priced from $1,500 to $3,000. Some resemble modern concrete castles, complete with maid quarters and separate kitchens. However, there are some smaller, neater villas nestled amongst such monstrosities, that are more appealing to Western tastes.
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IT & Software
services
Cresittel Co., Ltd. Office 705, KT Tower, 23 Street 112, Tel 098 518 888 Company that provides software solutions and systems, point of sales systems for bars and restaurants, website designing and telecoms consulting. Has showroom at 385 Street 215. Netpro Cambodia 11, Street 422, Tel: 855 23 215 141, 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 Technology company that offers GPS navigation systems, an online map directory and vehicle tracking system.
Internet Provider
EMAXX 99 Norodom Blvd., Tel: 023 999 818 EMAXX offers fast internet access via WiMAX, Optical Fiber, and Satellite.
Legal
BNG Legal No.64, Street 111, Tel: (855-23) 212 671 / (855-23) 212 740 www.bnglegal.com BNG Legal is a leading Cambodian law firm providing comprehensive legal services to foreign and local clients. We differentiate ourselves by coupling a deep understanding of the local business environment with international professionalism and integrity. DFDL Mekong Legal and Tax Advisors 33 Street 294, Tel: 023 210 400,
www.dfdlmekong.com Law firm providing tailored international standard legal and tax solutions with extensive local and cross-border experience with offices in neighbouring countries. Gordon and Associates Asia (Cambodia) 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 with an in depth knowledge of the telecoms, agriculture, banking and hospitality sectors. Sciaroni & Associates 24 Street 462, Tel: 023 210 225 A leading legal and professional services firm based in Phnom Penh, providing advice and business insight since 1993 to many of the world’s leading companies as well as to the Royal Government of Cambodia.
Pets
Happy Dog. 233 Kampuchea Krom (Street 128), Tel: 012 321 333 This shop specialises in dog food, toys, products and services, including veterinary, boarding, grooming and shampoo. Open from 8am to 8pm.
Post Office
Main Post Office Cnr. Street 102 & Street 13 Open from 6.30am to 9pm. The place to go if you want to send something overseas or get a PO Box.
Photography
AsiaMotion Tel: 092 806 117, www.asiamotion.net Photographic agency established in November 2008 as a cooperation between local and international photographers.
SavInG for educatIon
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.
Real Estate
240CONDO 50B Street 240, Tel: 012 271 636 www.240condo.com 240 is the home to 42 luxury serviced apartments set in the most stylish area of Phnom Penh with spectacular river and city views. The condominium was designed by leading international architects gfab and represents the most contemporary luxury apartment development currently available in Cambodia.
Relocation, Shipping
Asian Tigers Transpo International (Cambodia ) Ltd 86 Street 160 Toul Kork, Tel. 023 880 951 One of Asia’s leading move management specialists has 1,500 staff as well as the largest fleet of trucks and the most warehouse space in the Far East. 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. 8:30am to 5:30pm Mon to Fri, 8:30am to 12pm Sat. JVK – NAGA 1157 National Road 2, Tel: 023 216 781 Asian-based relocation company with years of experience operating in most major Asian cities, offers record management and warehouse and distribution services.
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 3 Street 106 next to Night Market Tel: 023 999 333, www.giantibis.com Siem Reap 6A Street Sivatha, Mondol I, Svay Dangkum Travel “Affordable Luxury” to Siem Reap and other destinations in brand new 2012 buses with comfortable reclining seats, spacious leg room, cold A/C, Wi-fi internet, complimentary snacks, pick-up services and helpful friendly staff. Schedule: 8:45am, 12:30pm and night bus depart at 11:30pm. Global Meter Taxi Tel : 011 311 888, 092 889 962, 016 680 118 Modern metered taxi fleet with rates from US$1$ for first 2km.
Training
Sapors 11 Street 59, Tel: 012 900 470 Modelling agency and training school for housekeeping, cooking and beauty.
Security Firms
G4S Security Services (Cambodia) Ltd. 52 Russian Confederation Blvd., Tel : 023 880 085 The world’s leading security solutions group protects airports and embassies, cash and valuables for banks and retailers across the globe. MPA 23 Street 214, Tel: 023 210 836 Well-established security company that is responsible for keeping many of the town’s buildings safe and sound.
It’s never too early to start investing in your child’s future. The only thing growing faster than your children, is the cost of higher education. And for many parents, establishing a regular monthly savings plan is the best way to ensure they have sufficient funds to cover their children’s university or college fees. Infinity’s experienced consultants can provide the impartial advice that you need, and can a develop a tailor-made financial plan which starts now – but will help you to provide for your family’s needs in the future.
Labuan FSA License NO.BS200548 Company No. LL04446
Get in touch today.
Visit infinitysolutions.com Email info@infinitysolutions.com Call Thailand +66 2 261 1571 Malaysia +60 3 2164 658 Hong Kong +852 2855 6961 An associate of Infinity General Insurance
Cambodia +855 23 997 121 Vietnam +84 8 6255 6914 Shanghai +86 21 6247 5755
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Insurance for Life Trevor Keidan Cambodia has its first life insurance provider thanks to the official inauguration of the majority government-owned Cambodian Life Insurance Company in May. The company is a joint venture between the Cambodian Ministry of Economy and Finance — which owns 51 percent — and Asia Insurance from Hong Kong, Bangkok Life Assurance, Bangkok Insurance Public from Thailand, and PT Asuransi from Indonesia. The move is a major step forward for Cambodians, who can get mortgage insurance, whole of life and term insurance from the company. Whole life cover will insure those aged up to 90 for accidental death, death by natural causes, or death from disease. The term assurance will last from three to 10 years for the same causes of death. Life insurance is one type of cover that anyone with a family or dependants should think about, especially if they are the main breadwinner. With insurance you can be sure that when you are no longer here, your family will be taken care of financially until they can get back on their feet.
An important issue for expats to consider is that if they have a policy in a country they are no longer living in, it may no longer provide cover. Most insurers have strict rules about how long you can be out of the country before a policy becomes invalid. If you have not informed your life insurer you have left your home country, you could be paying premiums for nothing. The best solution is to get an international life insurance policy, which will cover you no matter where you are living. That way, if you move around for work there is no need to have a policy changed each time. No matter how or where you get your life insurance policy, you should ensure it is written into trust. This will keep it out of the inheritance tax net, which is a real advantage to your beneficiaries. Your family will receive all of the money directly and will be able to use it to pay any tax liabilities that may have arisen elsewhere. Without this, they could face the prospect of selling assets to raise money to pay a tax bill, which is far from ideal. Getting the right policy can be tricky, so make sure you get advice before you sign on the dotted line.
Trevor Keidan is Managing Director of Infinity Financial Solutions. This company provides impartial, tailor-made, personal financial advice to clients in Cambodia and Southeast Asia. Should you wish to contact Trevor, please send an email to info@infinitysolutions.com or visit www.infinitysolutions.com.
asialife Cambodia 85
Listings
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. Open from 7am to 8.30pm.
Crafts & Furniture
shopping Art
Happy Painting Gallery FCC, Sisowath Quay, www.happypainting.net Open since 1995, popular air-con art shop sells the extremely colourful and positive works of iconic artist Stef. Accepts all major credit cards. Open from 8am to 10pm. Global Art 1 Street 181 & Street 475 (Near Chinese Embassy) Tel: 023 222 084 / 087222084, www.globalartcambodia.com World Renowned Art and Creativity Program for children. Franchisee of Global Art Group. Available in 17 countries with more than 400 centers all over the world.
Beauty Products
Angkor Soap 16C Street 374, Tel: 023 223 720, 015 935 789. www.angkorsoaps.com Specialising in handmade soaps and natural spa products. Open daily from 8am to 5pm Raffles Amrita Spa Raffles Hotel Le Royal, Tel: 023 981 888, www.raffles.com/phnompenh, spa. phnompenh@raffles.com Distinctive collection of Raffles Amrita spa private label and international spa products are available for purchase. Open from 6am to 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 from 8am to 8pm D’s Books 12E Street 178 & 79 Street 240 Tel: 092 675 629. Second-hand book shop with over 20,000 copies and some originals, with a heavy emphasis on best sellers and travel books. Open from 9am to 9pm. Le Phnom Shop Raffles Hotel Le Royal, Tel: 023 981 888 www.raffles.com/phnompenh, Small shop offering books and souvenirs including recipes from the hotel’s pastry chef. Open from 7am to 9pm. Monument Books 111 Norodom Blvd., Tel: 023 217 617, Extensive range of new English-language
86 asialife Cambodia
Art des Lignes 42B Mao Tse Toung Blvd., Tel: 012 211 520 www.artdeslignes.com This new interior design showroom provides branded products of high-quality like luxury leather sofas and LED lighting, as well as furniture and metal artworks in contemporary style. Upstairs, the architecture and interior design office can offer complete solutions for projects, with a resolutely modern spirit and French Touch. Open from 8:30am to 7:00pm (closed Sundays). Artisans d’Angkor 12AEo Street 13 (in front of Post Office) Tel: 023 992 409 www.artisansdangkor.com This showroom displays a wide range of traditional and contemporary handmade pieces which were produced at the organization’s workshops in Siem Reap province: silk scarves and garments, home furnishings, stone and wood carvings, lacquerware, silver plating and silk painting. Open daily 9am to 6pm. Beyond Interiors 14e Street 306, Tel: 023 987 840, 012 930 332, www.beyondinteriors.biz Managed by Australian designer Bronwyn Blue, this interior design showroom can provide the ultimate design solution to your interior dilemma. All products from Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Cambodia have been treated to withstand any climate. Open from 9am to 7pm DeCosy 219 Street 19, Tel: 023 219 276 Stocking charming knickknacks and furniture, DeCosy is the place to find the things to make your house a home. Open daily from 9am to 7pm. I Ching Decor 85 Sothearos Blvd., Tel: 023 220 873, 012 558 000, 092 660 746, www.ichingdecor.com Boutique interior design shop offering advice on architectural work and interior design, as well as providing custom-made furniture, home accessories, kitchenware, lighting and bedroom suites. Open from 9am to 6pm, closed Sundays. NatureWild 10Eo Street 420, Tel: 023 727 407, www.naturewildcambodia.com A sustainable lifestyle store featuring community products made from natural and wild materials from the forests of Cambodia, ideal for gifts. Pavillon d’Asie 24, 26 Sihanouk Blvd., Tel: 012 497 217 Antique lovers dream, a large array of wellrestored 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 10am to 7pm, closed Sundays.
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 to 6pm, closed Sunday. Bambou Indochine 7 Street 178, Tel: 023 214 720, Facebook: bambouindochine High-quality T-shirts, Polo shirts and comfortable clothes in original designs. A fullrange of sizes for men, women and children. Open daily from 8am to 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 to 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 to 9pm (closed Mondays). [cgbcn] T-Shirt Concept Pencil Market across from Cambodiana Hotel Tel: 078 599 700, cgbcn.com, info@cgbcn.com Urban concept of t-shirt for those who want something that stands out from the crowds. 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 to 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. La Clef de Sol A design boutique offering home decor, women’s fashion, kids clothes, bags, accessories and continually updated design surprises. Next to K’nyay restaurant, in the alley across the park from java cafe. Open 10am to 7pm, Monday to Saturday Lim Keo 9 Street 222, Tel: 012 941 643 Pret a porter by Lim Keo, son of Sylvain Lim, the master of Cambodian fashion.
Luna Boutique 8E1Street 278, Tel: 023 220 176 www.lunaboutiquephnompenh.com Original and stylish fashion designs for men and women, from work suits to evening dresses. 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, in front of Anise Hotel, while its sister shop - Luna Shoes - is just next door and hosts a large selection of shoes, bags, and women’s accessories to complement your style. Open daily from 8am to 9pm. Promesses and Kaprices 20 Street 282, Tel: 023 993 527 Lingerie shop stocked with exclusive French and Thai undergarments. Chic, new prêtà-porter shop Kaprices is located upstairs. Open 9am to 7pm. SALT 2 Street 294,Tel: 023 211 729 SentoSaSilk’s younger sibling has just opened in the comfortable surroundings of BKK 1. Its stylish wooden interior complement the product sold, which range from bags to shoes, clothes to dresses and accessories. Open daily from 9am to 7pm. SentoSaSilk Uniform 33 Sothearos Blvd off Street 178, Tel : 012 962 911 / 023 222 974 Email : Sentosa@online.com.kh Well known for its professional management capability, 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 or 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 57, Tel: 023 211 701 7 Street 178 023 214 720 www.smateria.com Boutique specialising in accessories made from recycled materials including a range of bags and wallets made from old fruit juice cartons, plastic bags and mosquito nets. Spicy Green Mango 4a Street 278 Tel: 012-915-968 29 Street 178 Tel: 023-215-017 Now open in two locations, designer Anya Weis offers a very different style of clothing to any other shop in Phnom Penh with imaginative, colourful skirts, trousers, t-shirts, belts and shoes. Subtyl 43 Street 240 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 to 7pm. Wanderlust 21 Street 240, Tel: 023 221 982 Fantastic 100 percent cotton clothing with frocks and shirts as cute as candy, and a variety of cool and funky accessories. Open 10am to 7pm, Sundays 12pm to 5pm. Water Lily 37 Street 240, Tel: 012 812 469 Eclectic shop run by Christine Gauthier selling her distinctive range of unique jewelry, flamboyant hats and bags. Open 8am to 5.30pm (closed Sunday).
Food & Wine
AusKhmer – The Pantry Shop 125 Street 105, 9 Street 306, (The Livingroom) Tel: 023 993 859, 023 214 478 This small deli features a variety of well priced wines, Australian beers, and French delicacies, cheeses, antipasti, and cold cuts. Open 10am to 8pm. Booloom Booloom 209 Street 63, Tel: 023 649 899 A showroom with premium wines from around the world, and restaurant. Offers home delivery. Open from 9am to 9pm. 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 to 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 to 12pm and 2pm to 6pm, closed Sundays. 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 6am to 10.30pm. Dan’s 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 from 7:30 to 6:30, closed Sundays. Kurata Pepper Cnr. Streets 63 & 322, Tel: 023 726 480 Selling organic Koh Kong pepper and associated
products, Kurata is one of the more unusual shops in town. Open everyday from 8am to 7pm. Open Wine 219 Street 19, Tel: 023 223 527 Aircon wine shop and tasting gallery sells wines, severac, calvados and meat. Open from 7pm to 11pm. 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 from 9am to 9pm. Supercheap Cambodia 87 Street 360, Tel: 023 631 3668, www.supercheap.com.kh Budget shop claims to offer the biggest variety of wines and spirits in Cambodia as well as the cheapest prices. Open from 8am to 10pm. 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 from 6.30am to 6.30pm, delivery service (within 30 minutes) is only from 7am to 11pm. Veggy’s 23 Street 240, Tel: 023 211 534 One of the few shops catering for western tastes – marmite, Branston pickle, cereals, Barilla pasta, Lao coffee and other expat essentials. Good range of cheeses, salad and meats are stored in the walk-in cold room. Open 8am to 7pm.
Silks & Accessories
Friends ‘n’ Stuff 215 Street 13, Tel: 012 955 722 Colourful shop with unique products designed by Mith Samlanh/Friends students and parents of former street kids. Range includes clothes, necklaces, purses and second-hand goods. Has a nail bar run by students from the beauty class. Open from 11am to 9pm. Mekong Quilts 49 Street 240, Tel: 023 219 607 www.mekong-quilts.org Outlet for NGO Mekong Plus, stocks a large range of hand-crafted bed covers, home accessories, gifts and decorations. Benefits Mekong Plus, which promotes health initiatives in Svay Rieng Province. Open 9am to 7pm. Sentosa Silk 33 Sothearos Blvd, off Street 178, Tel: 023 222 974 Using a colourful range of Asian silks, Sentosa creates men’s and women’s clothing and accessories. Sentosa employs disadvantaged people. Open daily from 8am to 7pm.
#8E0, St. 57, Phnom Penh #7, St. 178, Phnom Penh Phnom Penh Int. Airport The Alley West, Siem Reap e: jennifer@smateria.com m: 012 64 70 61 www.smateria.com
BAGS & ACCESSORIES
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ISPP Malis Euro Dental Clinic Derma-Care Topaz Helicopter Cambodia Norodom Bou Salt levard Kiriya cafe Villa Salt Beyond Interiors Street) r teu (Pas Lotus Blanc Gloria Jean’s St. 51 The Governor’s Simphony Brown Cafe Fresco House Coffee De Gran Passion Spa The Dollhouse Aria d’Italia 57 AVR Car Rental
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Music Arts School 1st B-day
Music Arts School 1st B-day
Nerd Night at Score
Nerd Night at Score
Venezuela Day at Tepui
Venezuela Day at Tepui
Photography by Dylan Walker & Rithy Lomor Pich.
Venezuela Day at Tepui
Music Arts School 1st B-day
Charlie Corrie, Euan Gray & Rhiannon Johnson play The Willow Charlie Corrie, Euan Gray & Rhiannon Johnson play The Willow
soundfix album review
Confess Twin Shadow
If you have a weakness for bad boys, then beware Twin Shadow. He’ll only break your heart. From his leather jacket-clad posturing on the album cover to his cool detached vocals, Twin Shadow — real name George Lewis Jr — sets out to be the James Dean of the music scene. The Dominican-born American loves motorcycles and this passion is recreated in the album’s edgy sound. The video for killer lead single Five Seconds even features a voice-over passage from his unpublished motorcycle gang novel. In contrast to Lewis Jr’s 2010 debut album Forget, shaped by co-producer Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear, his self-produced Confess is darker, richer and more fermented, leaning heavily on 1980s New Wave with influences of Depeche Mode and Prince. Beneath Twin Shadow’s aloof exterior, there’s a hint of tortured sensitivity — his fractured heart is what shatters our own. “I’m working on making it start again, but I’m not in love,” he sings on Run My Heart. We swoon.
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by Mai Lynn Miller Nguyen
Is Your Love Big Swing Lo Enough? Magellan
Channel ORANGE
Lianne La Havas
Dirty Projectors Frank Ocean
“I found myself in a secondhand guitar, never thought it would happen,” sings Lianne La Havas, before asking “Is your love big enough for what’s to come?” That’s the conundrum at the heart of La Havas’ debut album, the follow-up to her two 2011 EPs. The 22-year-old South Londoner, with Greek and Jamaican heritage, croons in the type of honeyed voice that’s driven the record sales of many of her contemporaries. Though her scale is more tempered than belter Adele, the two soul-pop artists bear some comparison for their embrace of retro, vocalled music. La Havas ventures into folk territory, such as her pairing with legend Willy Mason for the memorable duet No Room for Doubt. Her lyrics — admonishing past lovers, admitting her vulnerabilities — explore personal issues, but somehow her delivery seems too polished to feel heartfelt. La Havas has undeniable promise, but the young artist still has more to find in herself, perhaps without the Warner Brothers label packaging.
Ever prolific, the Dirty Projectors have released seven full-lengths in less than ten years. Yet despite the relatively quick turn-around, they manage to create music that sounds more thoughtful than rushed. Dirty Projectors are classified as a rock band, but they experiment with styles as diverse as folk, Motown, chamber music and West African guitar. Fronted by singer/guitarist/songwriter and former Yale University music student David Longstreth, the six-piece is enriched by the vocals of its three female musicians. More accessible than some prior records, Swing Lo Magellan is quirky, but feels checked in a way that succeeds. One of the album’s strongest tracks is The Socialites, featuring vocalist Amber Coffman, with playful instrumentation and yearning verses. The album’s title number and Just From Chevron evoke post-modern lullabies with their soothing sound. Longstreth’s description of this album as being more focused on using a “simple language” is apt.
With credits writing for pop stars such as Beyoncé and Brandy, Frank Ocean has built up his solo career slowly but surely. Now, the 24-yearold New Orleans native is at the forefront of R&B’s reinvigoration. A member of the OFWGKTA collective, Ocean drew widespread buzz last year with a mixtape release and an appearance on Jay-Z and Kanye West’s super-album. He had his choice of collaborators for his debut album, but Ocean made the savvy decision to forge Channel ORANGE his own way, limited to guest spots from Earl Sweatshirt, Andre 3000 and John Mayer. His songs are crafted with an adept sensibility for melody and rhythm, and his distinctive voice is lush as velvet. Thought-provoking lyrics navigate heartache, his adjustment to fame and social issues like the gap between the rich and the “precariat”. Add in his recent disclosure of a past same-sex relationship — a breakthrough for an industry centred on heterosexuality — and it’s clear that Ocean is making waves worth watching.
topten
endorsed
Official 97.5 Love FM Phnom Penh Top Ten 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Call Me Maybe Safe & Sound Why Not Me One Thing Somebody That I Used To Know Live My Life Payphone Die In Your Arms Glad You Came Where Have You Been
Carly Rae Jepson Taylor Swift Enrique Iglesias One Direction Gotye Far East Movement Maroon 5 Justin Beiber The Wanted Rihanna
UK Top Ten 1 Spectrum 2 Payphone 3 This Is Love 4 Don’t Wake Me Up 5 Black Heart 6 Whistle 7 Feel The Love 8 Princess Of China 9 Wide Awake 10 Pound The Alarm
Florence and the Machine Maroon 5 Will.i.am Chris Brown Stooshe Flo Rida Rudimental Coldplay and Rihanna Katy Perry Nicki Minaj
US Top Ten 1 Call Me Maybe 2 Payphone 3 Somebody That I Used To Know 4 Wide Awake 5 Lights 6 Where Have You Been 7 Titanium 8 We Are Young 9 Starships 10 Scream
Carly Rae Jepson Maroon 5 Gotye Katy Perry Ellie Goulding Rihanna David Guetta fun Nicki Minaj Usher
A Song of Ice and Fire Michael Tatarski I’ve never been a fan of the fantasy literature genre. The only reading I’ve managed with such books is The Hobbit and roughly half of the first Lord of the Rings installment, which I gave up on out of boredom. After watching the first season of HBO’s Game of Thrones though, I decided to have a go at the Song of Ice and Fire series that inspired the show. Written by George RR Martin, who has been called the modern-day Tolkien, the epic series thus far includes five published books out of a planned seven. I initially intended to simply read the first part, A Game of Thrones, before moving on to something else, but by the end I was hooked. As a result I blew through the whole series without even thinking about reading anything else, even though each book is at least 700 pages long. The sprawling tomes focus on a medieval fantasy world set on two continents, Westeros and Essos. The huge cast of characters and the array of places are given rich historical backgrounds and incredibly detailed descriptions. For example, we learn of the old Targaryens, who conquered Westeros with dragons but were brought down by the current king, Robert Baratheon. The series begins a number of years into Robert’s rule.
The first book details the beginning of a power struggle between the Starks and Lannisters, two of the most influential families in Westeros. Robert’s best friend is Ned Stark, while his wife is a Lannister. A series of events leads to Robert’s son, who was actually born of incest between the queen and her brother, taking the throne. His illegitimacy is no secret, and in short order there are five men vying for the title of true king. The War of the Five Kings, as it comes to be called, rages through the second book and climaxes in A Storm of Swords, the third and strongest installment so far. Martin has no qualms with killing off major characters in shocking twists, and one chapter in particular is jawdropping. Fantasy books are often derided as being nerdy and a bit silly, but Martin’s series feels more grounded in reality partly thanks to the wellwritten dialogue, although there are beasts and creatures that certainly don’t exist in real life. The mood of the series is relentlessly grim, meaning it isn’t exactly beach reading, but it includes more than enough blood and gore, sex and Machiavellian royal power scheming to keep nearly anyone interested. I can’t wait to see what happens in the last two books.
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bookshelf True Believers
The Festival of Earthly Delights
Kurt Andersen Random House
Matt Dojny Dzanc Books
Vanity Fair and New Yorker contributor Kurt Andersen delves back into literature with his third novel, True Believers. Set in the present day with flashbacks of the tumultuous 1960s, the story follows high-flying attorney Karen Hollaender as she looks back at her youth. When she’s contracted to publish her memoirs, Karen decides to divulge the secret she’s kept buried for decades. In the 1960s, Karen and her two best friends grow from James Bond-obsessed kids to politically active teens hatching a dangerous plan. Jam-packed with intrigue and cultural references, the book is equal parts a political thriller and a romp through reminiscences.
Our Kind of People
Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk
Uzodinma Iweala Harper
Ben Fountain Ecco
In Our Kind of People: A Continent’s Challenge, A Country’s Hope, Nigerian-American writer Uzodinma Iweala takes on the AIDS crisis. Despite progress made in awareness and treatment over the past decade, the disease continues to ravage communities in sub-Saharan Africa. Focusing on Nigeria, Iweala portrays the impact through statistics and collected narratives. He discusses the stigmatisation that allows AIDS to spread at such alarming rates, as people view HIV as a “commentary on a person’s moral standing”. By deconstructing these false assumptions regarding AIDS, Iweala provides an insightful — and constructive — look at how interventions could become more effective.
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The country of Puchai does not exist. But in Matt Dojny’s The Festival of Earthly Delights, Puchai is a Southeast Asian country with enough to ring familiar to those who know the region. The story is told in the form of unsent letters, accompanied by the author’s own illustrations, penned by protagonist Boyd Darrow. Together with his girlfriend Ulla, Boyd has traded in New York City for an exotic adventure abroad. In the leadup to Puchai’s quirky annual festival, Boyd discovers the joys and pitfalls of the expatriate life. Satirical situations and rich characters colour this breezy tale.
It’s a tricky premise for a book — 320 pages detailing one single day. Yet debut novelist Ben Fountain conjures up ample material between the plot and his protagonist’s complicated inner thoughts. It is Thanksgiving, and 19-yearold Billy Lynn is home in Texas on leave from Iraq. As part of the celebrated Bravo Squad, Billy is paraded around Dallas as a war hero before he is due to return to combat the next day. Like the seminal novel Catch-22, this story deals in allegories and candid reflections to provide perspective on war.
boxoffice
Total Recall
Step Up Revolution
The Bourne Legacy
Brave
Set in the futuristic world of 2084, Total Recall is a fastpaced science fiction thriller. The plotline is inspired by a 1966 Philip K Dick short story, and is also a remake of a 1990 film. Colin Farrell takes on the lead role of Doug Quaid, originally played by Arnold Schwarzenegger. A factory worker who finds his life isn’t what he’d hoped, Doug decides to visit Rekall, a company that implants artificial memories to clients who want to remember something better than their own experiences. When something goes wrong in the process, Doug finds himself in a quest to figure out what is his real reality.
If you like to dance, then put Step Up Revolution at the top of your must-see list. The film follows three Step Up movies, with a 3D treatment that makes the dance sequences pop. When aspiring dancer Emily (Kathryn McCormick) arrives in Miami, she falls in with a local crew known for their flash mobs in public spaces. ‘The Mob’ is run by Sean (Ryan Guzman), who soon becomes both Emily’s dance partner and love interest. The couple push the dance crew to go from performance art to protest art, in order to stop Emily’s wealthy father from re-developing The Mob’s neighbourhood.
The fourth instalment of the Bourne franchise, The Bourne Legacy promises more espionage and excitement. The previous films were based on Robert Ludlum’s bestselling novels, although Legacy loosely takes its story from a follow-up Bourne book by Eric Van Lustbader. Whereas Matt Damon’s Jason Bourne character was the focus of the first films, this one features a different CIA operative, Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner). The protagonist has changed, but the actionpacked formula remains the same with plenty of thrilling chase and combat scenes. Edward Norton and Rachel Weisz also appear in the cast.
The latest Disney/Pixar computer-animated film, Brave comes from the makers of Up and Wall-E. Using a reworked animation system, Pixar has created some of the most vibrant visuals yet to appear on the big screen. The misty, green highlands of 10th century Scotland provide a lush setting. When young princess Merida (voiced by Kelly Macdonald) refuses to accept being fought over by suitors, she unwittingly brings on disaster for her kingdom. Her attempt to seek help from a witch backfires, placing a curse upon her family and leaving it up to Merida to try and undo the spell.
Coming Soon AUGUST Movie Releases Sabay Cineplex See thecineplexs.com for screening schedule. Ice Age: Continental Drift (3D) Still Showing The Dark night Rises Still Showing Brave (3D) Aug. 2 Step Up Revolution (3D) Aug. 2 Total Recall Aug. 9 The Bourne Legacy Aug. 16 Apartment 1303 Aug. 16 The Expendables 2 Aug. 31
Legend Cinema See legend-cinemas.com for screening schedule. Brave (3D) Aug. 2 Step Up Revolution (3D) Aug. 2 Total Recall Aug. 9 The Bourne Legacy Aug. 16 ParaNorman (3D) Aug. 23 The Expendables 2 Aug. 31
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THE TWO OF US Artistic collaborators Peap Tarr, 36, and Lisa Mam, 22, have wowed the city with their live paintings and intricate artworks. Ellie Dyer talks to the creative duo, who have recently produced a range of T-shirts, about their work. Photography by Dylan Walker.
When I was young I always liked drawing and sketching but never took it to the next level. When I met Peap last year I started to feel as if I could really do this. We are both inspired by the same culture. I thought I might take a risk and do it, but just to have fun because I study dentistry at the University of Health and Science of Cambodia at the same time. I’m going to have my bachelor’s degree this year. It’s a career that I love and part of my family history. My grandparents were royal doctors in the 60s, but after the Khmer Rouge I lost them. My dad continued for the next generation and is a doctor specialising in tropical disease. I first met Peap through friends. When he said maybe I should paint with him, I didn’t expect it to get to this level. My parents were a bit surprised because I stopped drawing for a long time while doing my
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Peap studies. I now have two careers — which is a lot of work. At first, I felt ‘Oh my goodness, what if I do something wrong?’ But in my mind, I thought I should just do it. I took a really big risk painting live at the Chenla theatre for the first time. You have no idea how nervous I was. After that, I got quite good. People liked it. It was like a test. I paint women with their eyes closed because they represent serenity and compassion. Basically, women in Cambodia are all beautiful but I want to paint not just them but every woman. They mean something to the world. My parents are proud of me and my mum supports me at everything. She comes to every event and even to one in Thailand. She’s a great person and my number one fan. She wears my T-shirt to the market every day. Maybe after I complete my degree, I’ll take a year to have an adventure in art.
I was born in Auckland, New Zealand, and I’ve been drawing since I was a kid. My mum always gave me paper to draw on as she was in the academic field — she has a PhD in sociology and later on became a university lecturer. We moved a lot when I was a kid, from the Philippines to Thailand and Singapore. I got to see a lot of different places. But when I was going to primary school in Australia I saw lots of graffiti. It looked like a big cartoon on the wall. I got into that more when I went to high school. I did skating, and got into tagging. When I was first painting, I drew quite colourful images. But when I went to Angkor Wat in 1994 it opened me up. I thought it was part of my culture. Growing up in New Zealand and Australia, people didn’t always know where Cambodia was. When I said I was half Cambodian, they thought I was half Columbian.
I wanted to show something that came from my heart and represented who I was. When it comes from you, the ideas just flow. Things started to kick in for me in 2005, when I was put in an art show called art beats. At that time, I started coming up with my style — black and white, a mixture of New Zealand and Khmer style. One thing just led to another. I came back to Cambodia at the end of 2009 and again in 2010 to help my mum out. I did a live painting event at the night market and a year later I met Lisa. She had seen some of my stuff around and always loved art too. When we linked, it just connected. I’ve painted with lots of people, but it was like finding yin and yang. It was like that missing piece of the puzzle. Lisa was, to me, amazing. The first evening we painted together she blew people away. I almost stood back at times to watch her. From there on in, the rest is history.
Photograph taken at So Shoot Me Studio
Lisa
AsiaLIFE Thailand coming September 2012
THAILAND • CAMBODIA • VIETNAM www.asialife.asia
pub quiz
6. Which English city was known as Jorvik by the Vikings and Ebor by the Romans? 7. Which famous US General competed in the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm in the Modern Pentathlon, finishing fifth? 8. Who was the Emperor of Japan during World War II? 9. King Shaka became king of which “nation” in 1816? 10.Which 9th century king is widely recognised as the founder of the Khmer Empire?
So Good They Used the Name Twice! 11. Which town can be found in both Nova Scotia and West Yorkshire? 12. Which city in South-East Queensland shares its name with a county town in East England? 13. Which two states with the same name border each other in South Asia? 14. What can be a coastal city in South Africa or an area of New Jersey? 15. Which city can be one of the oldest in Europe, or home to R.E.M. and the B-52s?
The Olympics 16. What is the meaning of the motto “Citius, Altius, Fortius” of the Olympic Games? 17. The 2012 Summer Olympic Games are officially the Games of which Olympiad? 18. Americans Jesse Owens and Carl Lewis both won 4 gold medals at one Olympics. What nationality was the only man to win 5 gold medals in athletics in a single year? 19. Which Englishman won gold medals at 5 consecutive Olympic Games?
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21. Which 2003 film starred Jack Black as Dewey Finn? 22. W. Seymour Skinner is school principal in which fictitious town? 23. “No more pencils, no more books, no more teachers’ dirty looks” is a line from which 1970s chart-topping single? 24. North Quay Secondary School is the setting for which film, starring an Oscar winner? 25. Monica Lewinsky, John F Kennedy and Mick Jagger all attended which school?
Photograph by Rithy Lomor Pich
History
School Days
The Fountain of Age 26
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pub quiz answers
1. What are the two main ingredients of Sag Aloo? 2. What fruit is a cross between a raspberry and a blackberry? 3. Which blend of tea was named after a British Prime Minister? 4. Which type of sugar’s name is derived from the area in Guyana from which it originated? 5. From which fruit is the drink Slivovitz made?
1. Spinach & Potato, 2. Loganberry, 3. Earl Grey, 4. Demerara, 5. Plums, 6. York, 7. General Patton, 8. Hirohito (Emperor Shōwa), 9. Zulu, 10. Jayavarman II, 11. Halifax, 12. Ipswich, 13. Punjab – Pakistan and India, 14. Port Elizabeth, 15. Athens, 16. Faster, Higher, Stronger, 17. XXX (30th), 18. Finnish (Paavo Nurmi), 19. Sir Steve Redgrave, 20. Michael Phelps, 21. School of Rock, 22. Springfield, 23. School’s Out (Alice Cooper), 24. To Sir, With Love, 25. London School of Economics, 26. Hugh Jackman, 27. Leonardo di Caprio, 28. Charlie Sheen, 29. Vin Diesel, 30. Cate Blanchett.
Food and Drink
no holds barred 20. Who is the most successful Olympian of all time in terms of gold medals?