Eat: Best breakfast ever at Epic Arts Cafe, Kampot

I know what you're thinking. "Those are some good-looking eggs"  It's what I thought too.  

Not too long ago we were in Kampot.  I'd wanted to try Cafe Espresso. But they were shut.  So we headed round the corner to Epic Arts Cafe.  I'm so glad we did. This is a social enterprise and many of the staff are deaf. But they've done a great job of setting up the place so communication isn't a problem at all.

We've be on the hunt for good eggs benedict for quite some time. And let me tell you, they're not easy to find. And if we're being pedantic, these aren't really eggs benedict, but actually eggs florentine (spinach rather than ham). But I'm willing to overlook the misleading name because these were by far the best attempt at either eggs benedict or floretine we've had in Cambodia, and would rival many I've had at home. The bread is homemade Kampot Pepper bread, even if you don't have eggs, you have to try this bread - it's so good!

My companion had an omelette and we washed it all down with their house-blend coffee, which as it happens is from Cafe Espresso.

There's also a little boutique to have a look while you're waiting for your order. I loved this place so much I was back the next morning for exactly the same breakfast. If you're in Kampot, check it out.

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Eat: Feeding my addiction at Chocolate by the Shop

I used to be a chocoholic. I didn't eat it every day, nor did I eat a lot of it, but we always had chocolate in the house.  I just needed to know it was there when I needed it, y'know.

Then we moved to Cambodia. Although we brought a stash with us, I was worried about what we would find (or more importantly, wouldn't be able to find) in Phnom Penh. Fortunately my fears that Phnom Penh would be a desolate wasteland as far as chocolate was concerned were totally unfounded. It's quite easy to source good quality chocolate here. But my favourite place to get a 'fix' is here:

I actually stumbled on Chocolate by The Shop (yes, the same crew responsible for my favourite lunchtime haunt) just after they opened on my first visit to Phnom Penh.  They were at the old shop a few doors down from The Shop on Street 240.  The Belgian girl behind the counter eagerly showed us the chocolate making equipment, explained where the ingredients were sourced and about the chocolate maker.

The chocolate factory is still on display at the new store on Street 63.  The new store is gorgeous, but the most beautiful part is the single display cabinet, packed with chocolates of every variety imaginable. All as attractive sounding and looking as each other.

Choosing my spoils is almost as much fun as eating them. Bars are sold for around $3 (my favourite is the Praline), and the individual chocolates and truffles are about $6/100g (try the Kampong Speu caramel and the passionfruit), making them an affordable treat.

The only challenge is getting them home in the heat without having them turn into a soggy (but very tasty) mess.

If you get a craving, you can find Chocolate by The Shop on Street 63 (between Streets 322 and 334) in BKK.

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Eat: USA Donuts...and Burgers

I've been going to USA donuts for years (well, more accurately, I've been trying to stay away from USA donuts for years).  Donuts are one of my weaknesses and USA donuts has a pretty good selection, especially if, like me, you like the glazed variety.  

But, it was only recently that I noticed the burger menu and decided to try them out one lunchtime.  This place isn't going to win any awards for ambience, but I do kind of like the retro styled orange chairs.

 

The larger than life owner greeted me at the door and was very keen to show me what was on offer.  The menu has a wide range of burger options, starting from just a few dollars up to whopper burgers.  I went mid-range with a Bacon Cheeseburger with onion rings.

The burger was a good old-fashioned burger - nothing fancy but it tasted good.  The onion rings, on the other hand, were a little disappointing.

The burger left me far too full to consider indulging in a donut... so I had no choice but to take them home for later.

After being squished into my bag and bounced home, they looked a bit worse for wear, but they sure tasted good.

USA Donuts also houses quite a good little convenience store, especially if you're after American products, candy, snacks or toiletetries.

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Eat: Vego Salad Bar's newer, bigger shop

Just a quick one today guys, you all know I love the Vego Salad Bar.  Well, they've opened a second shop and it's even more convenient for me, yay!  Plus they have a more extensive menu here including noodles.

The new(ish) location is on No 21B on Street 294.

(But I still think the salads are better at the original location...)

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Lunchtime Vacation

All this writing about holidays on my blog has made me feel in desperate need of a vacation. So I came up with the perfect solution, I took a lunchtime vacation.  And it was the Best Lunchtime Ever.

The Boy and I decided to take advantage of my lovely long lunch break and headed to Villa Langka for an hour's holiday.  A sneaky swim and drinks by the pool anyone?

Aren't these the coolest outdoor cushions you've seen.  Made out of recycled plastic bags they're good for the
environment too!

Non-guests are only allowed to use the pool at Villa Langka during the week and you must spend $5 on food, which is not difficult.  We grabbed some fresh spring rolls and a club sandwich.

These avocado and prawn fresh spring rolls were as fresh and delicious as they look.

We also grabbed a passionfruit pannacotta for dessert.  After all, we were on a vacation (of sorts)!
It was good, but not quite as good as the one at Aria D'Italia.

After our swim and lunch, I flaked out on the sun bed for a while.

It was glorious.  The only problem was at 1.30, when I had to head back to the real world and felt insanely jealous of all the other people who really were on holiday and could relax on those sunloungers for the rest of the afternoon.  Oh, and the fact that there was nowhere for me to wash my hair, so I had to head back to the office smelling of chlorine.


Anyway, I still think it's just about the best thing you can do with a lunch break. I just might have to take little lunchtime vacations on  a regular basis.

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Eat: The FCC, Same Same but Different

Last weekend I was in bad mood.  You know those days when you just wake up cranky (or does that only happen to me?).  I struggled through the day, but everything drove me nuts. The crazy driving. The heat. The dust. The humidity.  At 5pm I told the Boy that he had to take me out.  I needed a pick me up.

We decided on drinks and dinner at the FCC on the river front.

I love going to the FCC, even though it really is a tourist haunt.  Something about being surrounded by people on holidays makes me very happy.  It's as if that relaxed, on-vacation vibe is contagious.  But I have to say, recently the FCC has undergone some changes, and not necessarily for the better.

Of course, the best thing about the FCC is the location and ambiance and that's as wonderful as ever.

I never get bored of looking down at the buzzing river front.  The great thing about the FCC is you can peacefully enjoy your drinks above the hustle and bustle.  Or curl up in one of their super comfy armchairs.

Unfortunately though, the service is not as good as it used to be.  The staff are friendly as always, but obviously rushed off their feet and unable to deliver the service we've been used to.  And while the menu is largely the same, the drinks in particular were not the same quality as before.

It seems my photographs were also lacking quality - oops!

The food at FCC has never been cheap but the portions seem to have shrunk.  That being said, my pasta was absolutely delicious and the Boy's beef cheek simply fell apart.  I don't think he even bothered to use his knife.

We headed downstairs to Fresco cafe for dessert and a bit more peace and quiet.  And it  certainly was quiet!  But again, the quality isn't what it used to be and our cakes, while very cheap (50% off in the evenings) tasted a bit old and stale.

While I still think happy hour at the FCC (from 5pm - 7pm) is a must do for visitors to Phnom Penh, I hope that the service and quality will go back to how I remember.

So in short, FCC, I still love you... just not as much as I used to.

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Go: An afternoon in Hanoi

After spending the morning in Hanoi wandering, people watching, and drinking coffee, I decided I should do something at least a little cultural in the afternoon.  So I headed for one of the historic houses.  I chose Ngoi Nha Disan on Ma May Street.

For a small entry fee you can wander this vestige of old Hanoi.  To be fair, the house comes across more like a souvenir shop than a museum.  However, it is beautiful and there are some interesting displays of traditional handicrafts, along with some explanations (in English) of both the traditional houses and the handicrafts.  I would recommend a visit.

The famous water puppets!

In the evening, we  headed off to see those little water puppets in action. 

If you want to see a water puppet show, buy your tickets early, as the popular timeslots sell out.  We got our hotel to organise the tickets and paid the face value of VND100,000 (or US$5).  There are cheaper tickets available if you don't mind sitting further back.  To be honest, I wasn't that impressed with the show but I did enjoy seeing traditional musical instruments played.

What I liked best though, was wandering through the city and around the lake, soaking up our last evening in Hanoi.

For anyone that's interested, we stayed at the auspiciously named Pearl Suites Grand Hotel in Hanoi.  We booked through Agoda which offered a much better rate than that offered directly by the hotel. Contrary to what the name might suggest, the hotel is very compact, but the rooms are spacious.  The location is good, down a little street off the busy Ma May Street and walking to distance to everywhere we wanted to go.  The staff were beyond helpful and the transfer from the airport to the hotel was smooth and efficient.  When we left, the staff readily provided accurate information on all our transport options (not just the ones provided by the hotel), including the bus.

The breakfast was great.  A small but ample buffet and a wide range of hot food made to order, including the best french toast I've had in Asia.

Our "view"

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Sleep: At the atmospheric Governor's House

A while back the Boy and I decided to check out The Governor's House hotel, here in Phnom Penh.  Being nosy like I am, I had had a bit of a look around shortly after the hotel opened.  The Belgian owner had shown me the rooms, the beautiful furniture and the obvious care and passion that had gone into some of the fittings.  So we thought we'd check it out properly.

The building itself is beautiful and filled with antiques that the owner has acquired from around the world.  If he ever has a garage sale, I'm going to be the first in line!

I love that there are plenty of quiet corners where you can sit and chat, read or even play scrabble (which is what we did).

Another thing that I really loved about this hotel was that wherever you went there was unobtrusive background music which gave it a great atmosphere, like you were in a home, rather than a hotel.

We stayed in one of the tiny cosy attic rooms.  Which was aptly called 'Le Petit Reporter'.  It was small but comfortable.  However, if you are staying at the Governor's House for any length of time, go for one of the bigger rooms.

The complimentary Cambodian sweets served in our room with our tea were a nice touch.  The sweets were delicious, kind of like Cambodian Turkish Delight!

We had our breakfast by the pool (which was sadly not in use that day); it was lovely.

The breakfast selection was simple but good and covered all tastes.  We opted for an American Breakfast, served with juice, fruit and very good coffee.

The location of the hotel is quite good, half way between Toul Tom Poung (the Russian Market) and the Riverfront.  But there aren't many spots to walk to, so you'll find yourself using a lot of tuk-tuks from here.  (Although Gasolina is close by.)  However, if you are looking for a quiet and atmospheric hotel, not to mention the friendly staff and good breakfast, this might be the one for you.

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