Fah Thai Magazine Nov/Dec 2017

PHNOM PENH
Cool cafés numbering in the many
can define today’s Phnom Penh.
Appealing restaurants run by some
of the best chefs in the world are
equally represented. Signs of “hipping it
up” are everywhere. Diaspora Cambodians
are moving back into town, creating their
own specialised trendy microcosm while
expatriates loving it here settle down,
creating new leading trends. Phnom Penh
remains on the move, but its finest moments
point to the steady strength and charm of
the local Cambodian people that make this
city uniquely special.
FRIDAY
FIRST, A MEAL
It is best to get settled into the city
with good, hearty food. Start your
trip with lunch at Phnom Penh’s
historic Chinese House, a building
that’s now a very chic bistro, bar
and restaurant. The epitome of
Phnom Penh’s glorious past,
Chinese House is part of the city’s
history when the first concrete
houses were built back during the
1800s for Chinese traders. Now
owned by the granddaughter of
the original owner, the Chinese
House has magnificent details only
a charmed age can confer: faded
French villa-style arched facades,
a traditional Chinese-tiled roof,
original patchwork and hand-hewn
hardwood floor. restaurantphnompenh.com
Clockwise from Top
Phnom Penh
converts a colonial
mansion into an
uber-trendy and
chic restaurant;
Closer encounters
with Khmer
architecture can
be had by signing
up with a tour
outfit that provides
comprehensive city
walkabouts; Visitors
can learn more
about Cambodian
history at the
Bophana Center;
Phnom Penh now
offers a variety
of sophisticated
cuisines.
TOURING KHMER ICONS
Phnom Penh was on the verge
of splendid urbanisation right
after Cambodia’s independence
back in 1953. A sudden burst then
of ‘New Khmer Architecture’ was a
movement of inspired Cambodian
architects led by the most prolific
and avant-garde Vann Molyvann,
who recently passed, whose projects
gained support from the late King
Norodom Sihanouk. Some of those
glorious buildings still thankfully stand,
and tours range from architecture,
cultural walking or cycling tours that’s
organised by Khmer Architecture
Tours. Downloads of their free
maps are available to do your own
sightseeing. ka-tours.org
Equally and incredibly valuable
are the audio-visual historical
archives at the Bophana Center.
As any local would tell you, most
of Cambodian history was lost and
only just orally recorded. Bophana
Center, named after a Khmer Rouge
victim, was founded in late 2006 by
Rithy Panh – an Oscar-nominated
Cambodian auteur whose passion
for filmmaking is deeply intertwined
with his country’s untold stories.
The place is open to the public
and has regular arts and culture
programmes. bophana.org
SIGHTINGS AND TRADITIONAL
PROTEIN
Be a connoisseur of various libations
and take your drinks at the superlative
Elephant Bar. Try to spot the hidden
monkey in the ceiling murals while
sipping their famous ‘Femme Fatale’
cocktail, first made for Jacqueline
Kennedy in 1967. If you’re feeling
even bolder, munch on local protein.
Make these a Phnom Penh rite of
passage for real street food: crispy
fried crickets, bloody cockles and
dried beef sausages. raffles.com/
phnom-penh/dining/elephant-bar
Omakase-inspired with a series
of tasting menus, Le Broken Plate can
easily be the hottest table in town.
Chef owner Narith Plong, who’s
Cambodian with restaurant stints in
Canada, creates an inventive cuisine
inspired by fresh local produce and
flavours of the hometown. Choose
from USD$30, $40 or $50 per person
for multi-course meals. Reservation
is essential.
facebook.com/lebrokenplate
Top Left
It may be full of history but modern
dining has made its foray with welldesigned
space.
Top Right
A modern and trendy restaurant design
puts Phnom Penh on par with other
world-class cities and their dining
concepts.
Bottom Left
The dining scene in in this rapidlychanging
city introduces new looks
and new dishes with a menu of fusion
Asian food.
Bottom Right
Japanese-influenced dishes make this
restaurant a destination in Phnom
Penh and one of the many fine dining
establishments.
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