Strolling By The Cafes

I love the freshly baked bread and cups of strong cappuccino (i.e. little milk) in this city. I’d be very happy to stay in Phnom Penh for an extended period of time with no issues about food and entertainment.

The man is amazed at how easily good coffee is obtainable in Phnom Penh. He doesn’t know what to expect of the city, except vague impressions gleaned from photos and travellers’ tales. So now, he’s very intrigued with Phnom Penh. Let’s see how he feels when he has to roll up his pants and sink into heavy lifting work in the villages further north which don’t just involve teaching English.

There’re many cafes dotting the developed south of the city, be it in the residential areas or the touristy Sisowath Quay and its adjacent streets. I’m quite sure these cafes don’t exactly stay at the same address for a long time. Some weird thing to do with leasing rules and land laws. They pop up and they close, or they move to a new location.

My lunch time follows the Cambodian habits. Lunch break lasts a good 2.5 hours from 11.30am to 2pm. I blinked a little at that. It's lengthy- I can do so many things in that 2.5 hours that won't involve napping. I can saunter over to a cafe to sit and chill, or have lunch with the friends. As a foreigner here, I like this practice. But to have it ingrained as a way of life, I'm not so sure I'd like that.

Currently, one of my favorite venues for a coffee is ‘The Shop’. The vibe and offerings are about as European as it gets. There’re plenty of sandwiches and wraps available on the menu for a light lunch, an array of desserts (not that fabulous), smoothies, juices and coffee. They do a thick aromatic brew of cappuccino dry. It's not air-conditioned, but the fans keep it cool. A pity there isn't wifi as of now. A good strategy I suppose. This cafe is rather busy and can't have customers staying all day!

The Shop
No.39 Street 240, Phnom Penh
(near the National Museum)