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Malis

Before visiting Cambodia, I had never tasted Khmer food. For that reason, I was grateful to Toe and her husband, D, for taking Padma and me to dinner at one of the more popular Khmer restaurants in Phnom Penh called Malis (the Khmer name for Jasmine flower).

The ambiance of Malis is similar to that of any stereotypical fine dining restaurant where the tables are covered with crisp white table clothes, the chairs are comfortable, and although there is background music, the place is quiet enough for the diners to hear each other and not hear the conversation going on at the next table. There is, however, a distinctly Khmer feel to the place. Outside the restaurant are a Buddha and a lotus pond. Inside, the restaurant is dotted with Buddha heads, the walls are painted red and the windows are rectangular-shaped.

Despite the great ambiance at Malis, it was the food that took most of my attention. The food not only looked appetizing and beautiful, it tasted wonderful as well.

The first dish was an appetizer of diced stir-fried scallop with bunches of fresh green Kampot pepper served on scallop shells. The taste of the sweet and tender scallops combined with the fresh, spicy and crisp peppers was explosive. As this dish was novel, I have come to associate it with distinctly Khmer cuisine.

For our main meal, we had pork ribs, kangkong (this is a green leafy vegetable that grows in water but I do not know how it is called in English) and prawns. Those dishes tasted similar to Thai or Chinese dishes but were delicious nonetheless. The pork ribs were deep-fried and basted with a salty-sweet glaze. The pork was succulent and its oiliness tempered by the glaze. The kangkong was sauteed in garlic. Simple but good. The prawns were my favorite. They were fresh, sweet and as huge as a child’s fist. The prawns were decapitated, shelled, dipped in a light gossamer-like batter, deep-fried and served to us with a sweet chili sauce. In the customary Filipino fashion, we ate these dishes with moist piping hot steamed rice.

For dessert, we shared the pumpkin crème brulee. It was slightly thicker and had more texture than a regular brulee. It did not have a pumpkin or custard taste. It was not too sweet or too bland either. The taste was rather unique and I loved it.

Malis is definitely one of the places you should not miss when visiting Phnom Penh.

Reality Check No. 4: The Toul Sleng Genocide Museum

From the time Toe and D found out that we wanted to go to the Toul Sleng Genocide Museum, they kept asking us if we were certain we wanted to go. Padma knew that it would be an upsetting experience but she was determined to learn more about the Cambodian people. While I doubted whether I could stomach the experience, my curiosity got the better of me and I decided to go Toul Sleng with Padma. My only condition was that no guide should accompany us. I did not want to hear anecdotes of the Khmer Rouge atrocities from the guide.

Despite all mental and emotional preparation for the visit to the museum, what I saw and experienced in Toul Sleng greatly disturbs me until today. I ask myself whether human beings are capable of such evil. (more…)

Reality Check No. 2: The Cambodian Royal Palace

The Cambodian Royal Palace is a huge complex with several buildings.  One of the more popular buildings is the Silver Pagoda, which is tiled with 5000 silver tiles weighing one kilo each. The Silver Pagoda houses a number of national treasures most of which were displayed in the open or in simple glass cases. (more…)

Reality Check No. 1: Gem Shopping

After looking at stone temples and stone carvings for several days, I decided to look at other stones. That is, gem stones.

While waiting for Padma’s plane to arrive, Toe took me to the Russian Market. According to Toe, tourists and foreigners living in Phnom Penh shop at the Russian Market because the vendors speak English. Other than gem stones, export overruns clothing, silverworks, wood carvings and other Khmer products are also sold in the Russian Market.

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Toe and her husband, D, are diplomats who, at the time we visited Cambodia, were assigned in Phnom Penh. You can read more about Toe, her Cambodian experience, her kuro-kuro at iba pa by clicking on this. 

When Toe found out we were going to Cambodia, she and D graciously extended us an invitation to stay at their place.  I wanted to get Toe and D something special. As I was not quite sure of what they needed, I e-mailed Toe to get a sense of what she wanted. Of course, Toe asked for the impossible. She wanted Kentucky Fried Chicken!  Since Siem Reap was our first stop, I could not conceive of a way of keeping fried chicken edible until we get to Phnom Penh. It therefore came as a relief when Toe later told me to bring Purefoods Corned Beef instead. Apparently, this is D’s favorite. So I arrived in Phnom Penh with my overnight bag stuffed with several cans of Purefoods Corned Beef and my special surprise for Toe and D – Poppycock and chocolate covered potato chips. (more…)

Tip No. 11: Get medical insurance for the trip.

Cambodia is just in the process of picking itself up from the aftermath of the reign of the Khmer Rouge, which was responsible for slaughtering intellectuals many of whom were doctors. For this reason, there are very few hospitals in Cambodia. Toe advised us to get medical insurance for the trip in the event that we would need to be flown out of Cambodia to receive medical treatment in a neighboring country.  Of  course, Padma and I are stingy like living on the edge.  So, we did not get any medical insurance.

Tip No. 12: Wear a hat and comfortable footwear.  I wore slippers (flip-flops).

Tip No. 13: Bring Off Lotion (mosquito repellant).

Tip No. 14: Do not fret over forgetting to bring a toothbrush or shampoo. Siem Reap convenient stores are well stocked with basic necessities and even wonderful treats.  Most convenient stores in Siem Reap cater to tourists, and for that reason, their shelves are stocked with toothbrushes, toothpaste, soaps, shampoos and batteries. More than that, those stores sell, imported cereals like Frosties, Huggies diapers, French wine, all sorts of cheeses and imported ice cream.

Tip No. 10: Splurge on food and sample some street food avoid street food.

Siem Reap offers a wide range of food choices.  There is the authentic Khmer food such as beef Loklak and chicken or fish Amok.  As Cambodia was once a French protectorate, many restaurants serve French food. Thai and Vietnamese cuisine are also available because, at one point or another, the Thais and Vietnamese tried to invade Cambodia.  For the less adventurous, pizza, pasta, deli sandwiches from the Blue Pumpkin and other more familiar food are available at restaurants that cater to foreigners.  So, you should not miss the opportunity to sample the different cuisine available in Siem Reap.

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Tip No. 8:  Chose your temples and avoid getting “Templed Out”.

There is much to learn from every temple.  Alas, there are more than 1,000 temples in Cambodia and it is impossible to visit all those temples in a couple of days (and I suspect even during a lifetime).  I find that the best way to enjoy the temples is to select only a few to visit and explore them at a leisurely pace. Two temples a day is my quota. Otherwise, my mind cannot absorb all the information about the temples, I would get overwhelmed and would  have no time to get a feel of their magic and mystic. Also, try to do other things like going to the Silk Farm or shopping in between temple visits to avoid getting “Templed Out”.

Between our temple visits, Padma and I visited the Silk Farm and went shopping at Artisan D’ Angkor and the Old Market.

From the Silk Farm or Artisan D’ Angkor, you could buy premium quality raw silk fabric and other items made of silk like bags, clothes, bed covers, table napkins and runners. From the Old Market you can buy Kramas or cotton scaves (just make sure you get the good kind by feeling the fabric to make sure it is 100% cotton), Kampot pepper (they say that no self respecting French restaurant would use pepper other than Kampot pepper, which is grown in Cambodia), silverworks (make sure you get the items that have 92.5% silver content), amber (cheap), and semi-precious stones. According to my friend, Toe, all stones that are mined in Cambodia like topaz are cheap but those which are not mined there like rubies and sapphires are expensive. The stones they sell are real but I suspect that not all are of the highest quality. Unless you know what you are buying, I suggest you just buy those that are less than $5 a carat and do not forget to haggle.