Pchum Ben – Festival of the dead

Liz / / 2 Comments
Offering food and money to the monks

On the weekend Steve’s staff let us tag along with them to a pagoda to make offerings as part of the lead up to Pchum Ben. Pchum Ben is a religious holiday where Cambodians remember their deceased loved ones, and in the two weeks prior to the holiday Cambodia’s temples and pagodas are packed with people bringing food, money and offerings to the monks. Read more about it here.

Our friends decided to go to a poorer pagoda a little outside Phnom Penh, since they figured that those in the city will receive alot of visitors hence alot of money and food – good thinking! We headed across the Japanese bridge then out of town for a while to reach the temple. We certainly attracted a bit of attention (in a good way) and as usual our baby was a hit! There were people videotaping us and cute little toothless old people taking our photo.

Here are some more photos from the morning (by the way, I didn’t realise females are supposed to wear white so I’m wearing a hot pink t-shirt! Being a clueless barang I think I was forgiven).


An ultimate day in Phnom Penh

Liz / / 6 Comments

Psar Orussei Phnom Penh

One of my favourite kinds of articles to read in travel magazines is of the ‘my perfect day in [fabulous city]’ variety, providing inspiration on the best places to see, shop, eat and drink in a certain place, so I thought I’d share some Phnom Penh ideas before I leave for sunny Saigon.

Here’s what you could do for the ultimate Phnom Penh day (albeit a very girly one). Let’s also pretend that just for one day there’s no rubbish or beggars on the streets, lecherous sexpats lurking around or aggressive Lexus drivers careening down the wrong side of Norodom Boulevard at 100 kilometres an hour – this is make believe remember!

08:00

Rise and shine after an uninterrupted 10 hour sleep. No, make it 12.

08:30

Head to buzzing cafe The Shop on boutique lined Street 240, with the best service staff in town and the best chocolate croissants – ever. Order two chocolate croissants and a carrot beetroot ginger juice. Eye off their insanely tempting dessert counter but practice some self-restraint – there’ll be plenty of time for sweet treats later on.

09:00

While on Street 240 check out the shops. Hunt for quirky jewellery finds at Water Lily, and peruse the clothes at Bliss, Jasmine and Song in search of something inspiring.

09:45

Now duck around to Sihanouk Boulevard to shoe store VNC to find some new footwear to go with the Street 240 purchases. If in luck, there’ll be one of their ‘up to 70% off’ sales on and they magically won’t have sold out of your size in the style you like.

10:15

The retail therapy is only just beginning. Now it’s time to visit Ambre, an amazing clothing store featuring the designs of Romyda Keth, Cambodia’s most successful fashion designer. Visit each of the colour themed rooms in the spacious colonial house before trying on some of the creations. Do not leave without a purchase!

11:00

By now you’ll be in need of a caffeine hit and some air-con, so relax at the riverfront’s Cafe Fresco with a strong coffee and the day’s newspapers to catch up on what’s going on.

11:30

Time for a bit more shopping. See if there are any nice silk bags in Orange River a few doors down, then duck back around the corner to Kravan House to stock up on silk scarves. Around the corner on Sothearos, pick up some secondhand reading material at Bohr’s Books (especially the US$3 photocopied ones) and check out the silver shops for chunky rings, cuffs and earrings.

12:15

Finally, it’s lunchtime. Make your way to Metro for some Asian tapas and cool drinks in funky, glass enclosed surrounds. How about the Metro Fries, wok fried squid and chilli salt chicken wings, with a lychee and mint shake? Yum! Use the free wi-fi to catch up on emails, news, Facebook shenanigans and of course, blog subscriptions!

14:00

After all that shopping in ‘proper’ shops it’s time to get down and dirty at the Russian Market. Jostle the crowds in the narrow aisles for ts and singlets fresh from Phnom Penh’s garment factories. Some might call these items ‘fallen off the back of a truck’. Pick up some latest release pirated DVDs and CDs, and a few more pieces of silver jewellery. Take some fabric to one of the many tailors to get some clothes copied at bargain prices (my favourite is Asia Tailors, run by a friendly couple). And check out the cute bits and pieces (funky toys, bags, wallets and more) at Too-it Too-it, run by the Friends streetkid charity.

15:30

Time for more sustenance. Head back to Street 240 to Chocolate by The Shop, set in a charming French colonial building. Belgian chocolate is for sale here in various guises, from flavoured chocolates (I recently discovered their amazing Kampot pepper variety), to truffles, pralines, brownies, ice-creams and drinks. Select some different chocolates, order a coffee (or a hot chocolate – why not go crazy) and take a seat for a breather and a chocolatey feast.

16:00

Venture a few doors down to Spa Bliss for a one hour body massage (it’s called Bliss for a good reason) – an antidote to all that traipsing, bargaining and jaunting all over town.

17:00

Now go home to have a much needed shower and get ready for a night out. Wear something from the day’s shopping bounty, perhaps a colourful little Ambre number with some Water Lily accessories or silver finds from the market.

19:00

Meet some friends at Chow for happy hour cocktails. Head up to the rooftop terrace for river views and a tropical resort feel.

20:00

Now it’s onto dinner at chic La Residence, one of the city’s newer dining options with a Japanese, Michelin star restaurant trained chef at the helm. Indulge in gourmet modern French cuisine and a fine bottle of wine (or two).

22:00

One could stay out for more drinking, dancing, or even a spot of karaoke or a 6am trip to Naga Casino (don’t ask!), but for my ultimate day this would be enough. Time to go home to bed for a long, well-deserved sleep.

The end!

I heart Phnom Penh

Liz / / No Comments


I love PP and I also love this idea – using the I love NY logo in an ode to Phnom Penh. This came about via a new art exhibition by Panca Evenblij that opened on Thursday at Phnom Penh’s Java Cafe & Gallery. It was all about reflections on life in the city with photos, installations and more, plus cool I love PP merchandise for sale, which people were so excited about it may have been the highlight of the opening! We bought a baby outfit for Zara featuring the logo – so cute.

A girl is on the move…to Saigon!

Liz / / No Comments

Now I’m glad this blog is called A Girl in Asia rather than A Girl in Cambodia – as a move to Saigon is imminent!

After nearly 2.5 years in Phnom Penh it’ll be sad to leave in some ways, yet it’s onwards and upwards to slightly more dynamic and cosmopolitan Saigon – a city that’s almost unrecognisable from ten years ago. Sure, there are still a few cone-hatted oldies roaming the streets but those streets are also home to glittering restaurants, chic bars, 5 star hotels, shops including Louis Vuitton and Gucci (real ones, not knock-offs!) – even Chloe and Marc Jacobs have opened their doors. But the great thing about Saigon is the contrast – a few metres down the road from the high-end stores might be a local restaurant where a steaming bowl of pho will set you back a few thousand dong. There are fantastic, bustling local markets and cheap finds galore, plus all the western comforts you could ask for too. It’s the perfect blend of old and new, Asian and western, local and expat…ok, you get the point!

Although I have visited Saigon plenty of times, I’m really looking forward to exploring the city further and getting to know it in more depth and attempting to learn some Vietnamese. But before heading off, I really need to do a few more all-important Phnom Penh posts. Coming soon – my ultimate Phnom Penh day, and things I wish I knew when I first moved to Phnom Penh…

Shoptalk: Ipa-Nima

Liz / / No Comments
A purchase from colourful bag boutique Ipa-Nima is to Saigon as an Ambre dress purchase is to Phnom Penh – that is, a must-do for any Asia-bound (or dwelling) girl! Ipa-Nima’s unique creations, designed by a Hong Kong lawyer turned fashionista are mostly boho-vintage with ethnic influences. Their bags feature lots of embellishment and colour and craziness rather than a sleek or minimal look –

While in Saigon recently, I visited Ipa-Nima’s three-storey bag parlour on Rue Pasteur and left toting this much embellished green leather satchel – a perfect day bag and large enough for Z’s paraphernalia (without looking like a naff baby bag).

Cafe crush: La Fenetre Soleil

Liz / / 9 Comments

I was just in Saigon for a few days and spent much time checking out the cafes. One of my favourites was La Fenetre Soleil – not as much for the food (there’s not too much to choose from apart from fried snacks and some desserts) but its eclectic Parisian style décor. With wooden floorboards, exposed brick walls, a super high ceiling and massive French glass doors, the space is dramatic in scale with a grungy European feel. Mismatched vintage furniture, a crystal chandelier and a massive vase of birds of paradise complete the look.

La Fenetre Soleil’s drinks menu is a drawcard – the spicy ginger juice is delicious and there’s a selection of teas made with fresh ingredients (like mint and lemongrass). Despite its dingy stairway entrance (though it kind of adds to the charm) I wish La Fenetre Soleil was my own apartment!

La Fenetre Soleil, 2nd Floor, 135 Le Thanh Ton, D1, Saigon

Chocolate – Cambodge style

Liz / / No Comments

One of the best examples of ‘east-west’ fusion I’ve experienced in a long time was some Kampot pepper chocolate I recently tried from Street 240’s Chocolate by The Shop.

The pepper originates from Cambodia’s Kampot province, and back in colonial times was highly prized by the French, who even used it in restaurants back in Paris. Its production fell by the wayside during the Khmer Rouge era but it’s now undergoing a renaissance as Cambodians, expats and tourists alike re-discover its highly fragrant and delicious taste (it really is better than ‘ordinary’ pepper!).

The geniuses at Chocolate by The Shop have mixed crushed Kampot peppercorns with quality Belgian chocolate to create a taste sensation with serious bite. Fellow chocoholics and pepper fiends should definitely give it a try!

Shoptalk: Kravan House

Liz / / No Comments
My latest purchase from Kravan House – a king size silk bedspread

 

Silk shops can be found on almost every corner in Phnom Penh with most carrying similar wares, some slightly more tasteful than others. A small silk shop called Kraven House manages to combine taste with reasonable prices (and it’s also run by an NGO as an added bonus).

It stocks a mixture of ubiquitous silk bags and scarves with some more unique items. I particularly covet their coin purses and jewellery rolls with a funky Indian-style print and beaded embroidery. They also stock stripey cotton scarves which are well worth checking out.

The shop is so small and unassuming that I hardly even remember its name and mostly just refer to it as ‘Favourite Shop’. It also seems to be a favourite with buyers for western retailers. A friend has seen people from shops like Cambodia House in Sydney’s Woollahra stocking up on wholesale orders here, which they can then make quite the profit on in a world where silk and anything with a ‘Made in Cambodia’ tag is a bit more precious and rare.

Kravan House, 13 Street 178, Phnom Penh

A new place for a dim sum fix

Liz / / No Comments

On the weekend I tried out the dim sum at the newly opened Yi Sang restaurant at Almond Hotel, another Luu Meng venture (the guy behind Malis, Topaz, Cafe Sentiment and more). Compared to the city’s only other dim sum restaurant (that I know of, and not counting the InterCon) – Sam Doo – the restaurant looked more like a ‘real’ dim sum place yet sadly, minus the trolleys.

The dishes were really cheap (between US$2 and US$3 a basket) and the barbeque pork buns and prawn dumplings definitely hit the spot. Unfortunately though a few things we tried to order (like the barbeque pork in rice noodle rolls) were greeted with the dreaded ‘no have’. We also ordered some sesame balls which strangely didn’t appear though the waitress kept saying they were five minutes away. In the end we just cancelled them.

With the bill for seven of us working out at less than US$6 a head for a dim sum feast and copious amounts of Chinese green tea in a clean, spanking new setting, it now makes me question why we spend so much more in some of Phnom Penh’s grottier old Chinese diners!

Image via Almond H0tel