It’s very challenging to visit Phnom Penh’s Tuol Sleng Prison and the Killing Fields and to think about the suffering and grief endured both then and now. But the warmth and kindness of the Cambodian people seems all the greater for understanding even a little of their pain and of all there is to forgive.
Romdeng is one of the two sister restaurants in Phnom Penh that belong to six Friends International restaurants across Cambodia and Laos, that train former street kids in hospitality skills.
Service is professional, friendly and efficient and it’s fun to interact with students and help them in their learning.
Like Makphet in Vientianne, Romdeng food mixes local regional dishes with western preferences in interesting and fresh beautifully presented recipes mirroring those featured in their cookbooks.
Flavours are a all delight, you can’t make a bad choice. It would be wonderful to work through the whole menu.
Romdeng also has a lovely pool that guests of the restaurant can use.
Best to go in the afternoon when it’s quite and enjoy an early cocktail or ice cream, but also lovely in the evening.
Entree
Crispy Tarantulas with Black Pepper and Lime Sauce $4.25 US
Mains
Grilled fish fillet with young tamarind and green mango relish $7 US
Five spice pork belly stir fried with Kampot Green Peppercorn and Pickled cabbage $6 US
Char grilled eggplant with pork and coriander $6.50 US
Stir fried tree ants with beef fillet and holy basil $7.50 US
Romdeng’s famous chicken and vegetable curry served with baguette (which went amazingly well with it) $6.50 US
Crispy rice noodles with Tofu salad with Potato coriander Spring rolls $6.25 US
The cocktails are amazing….
Frozen lime and black pepper daiquiri $4.50 US & Frozen mango and lime daiquiri $4.50 US
Candied ginger and pineapple margarita with Chilli $4.50 US
Fresh lime and black pepper icecream and coconut sorbet $3, amazing!
The local restaurant at the first French built school in Phnom Penh, now Sisovath High School, is a good spot to try some of the more challenging Cambodian snack foods.
Deep fried frog ( lots of small bones to navigate)
Duck eggs ( with baby duck cooked inside!) like leathery boiled egg, good with the dipping sauce.
Meatballs with dipping sauce Egg dish cooking
Located on the corner of Norodom Road and 174 Street, between 178 and 174 Streets on opposite side to the river.
Great idea from Fran!
What better view of Canberra’s iconic Black Mountain Tower (or Telstra Tower to us oldies) could there be? I’m standing out the front of the Canberra Southern Cross Club’s reinvention of the Fish n Chip cafe/kiosk at the Yacht Club. And my thoughts on Canberra’s newest Fish and Chippery, Snapper? Fan-fishin-tastic. I don’t know what I like more about the place? The location – watching the yachts and Canberra’s dragon boats gliding across the still, blue waters of Lake Burley Griffin, with the sun shining down, and a warm breeze making the water lap at the edges of the green, green grass?
View original post 388 more words
A late afternoon- evening cyclo tour is a very good way to enjoy the best of Phnom Pehn.
Some ‘don’t miss’ highlights include:
Central market
Lady Ping memorial
Riverfront at sunset past the Foreign Correspondents’ Club
Royal Palace especially the Sunday evening picnicers eating Phnom Penh style in front of Palace (this happens every Sunday evening, but the extra lights are especially for the water festival coming up).
Independence memorial
Finishing with Cambodian delicacies like deep battered fried frog (watch the bones) and duck egg with embryo, at a local restaurant at first French built school in Phnom Penh now Sisovath High School.
With its bounty of fresh seafood and its myriad influences through the centuries, the current state of tourist Goa is akin to that of a burgeoning food paradise.
To the uninitiated, Vindaloo and Fish Curry are be all and end all of Goan cuisine.
Here, it is necessary for one to understand this, there are two indigenous forms of Goan cuisine and the types of meat/fish that are prominent in each:
[1]Goan CatholicChristian | [2]Goan SaraswatHindu |
| shark lobster chicken pork beef | bombay duck surmai (seer) kokum bamboo shoot various dried fish |
| Pomfret, prawns, crabs, squid, mussels, mackerel are popular in both |
Besides these two local cuisines, there are a few other cuisines and, let’s say, styles that have made Goa their home over the last three or four decades and have come to define the Goa experience in their own ways.
View original post 2,019 more words
The Cardamom Hotel in Phnom Penh is centrally located near the central markets and opposite the wonderful Romdeng Hotel. The Deluxe double room number 609 (see below) is an excellent at $78 US a night.
It offers a room safe, fridge and tea making facilities. It also generally caters for groups.
A standard room (like 605 below) is $58US.
Breakfast is a buffet, offering a good range of options….
…including a combination of traditions such asFrench baguette, Khmer soup, tropical fruit and sweet sticky rice.
Overall it’s a good business hotel with free wifi and pretty good breakfast, a cafe and a handy location.
A good way to kickstart a food themed trip to Cambodia, is to use the Intrepid 8 day Real Food Adventure to get your bearings.
Priced at around $1000 per person (less if you sign up for the email newsletter and make use of the frequent discounts, or use the $100 discount link), it’s good value.
Accommodation is quite good and usually includes a pool. It includes an excellent cooking class, a street food tour, a great cycle tour of Phnom Penh, the chance to try many ‘delicacies’, a bike tour of Battambang cottage food industries, the highlights of Cambodia like Angkor Wat, local village life and the opportunity to ride on the Bamboo train and enjoy a home cooked meal.
Well worth a visit, particularly for the colourful and lively fresh food section (still operating in the late afternoon). More open and airy than the Russian Market.
Fine Eating 