Pages

Monday, April 21, 2008

Kep Lodge's Chicken Noodle Soup

Still about Kep...

While in Kep, we stayed at our friend's newly opened guesthouse. Called the Kep Lodge, it offers six charming bungalows with a great view of the Gulf of Thailand and Bokor mountain. We stayed there for one week, waking up late, having breakfast at the restaurant enjoying the view. Breakfast is served free at the restaurant. Although the choices are very limited for the free breakfast, however, the restaurant offers a variety of international menu for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The bar might be small but you would be amazed at how many drinks they can mix for you! But I digress now.

Rob and I loved this simple chicken noodle soup prepared by the local staff for breakfast. Steaming and tasty, with generous amount of chicken and vegetables sprinkled with freshly ground pepper, a bowl of this was a great way to start our day.

chicken noodle soup


Kep Lodge is owned by Dan and Chheang Kreis and is located at the foot of Kep National Park. For more information, just click the link above and it will lead you to their website.

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Reaj's Burger House, Kampot

I recently arrived in the country for an emergency and boy, I tell you, it is great to be back home! I was greeted at the airport by my parents and my niece and nephew. And when in my hometown of Roxas, I am looking forward to having delicious homecooked meals,- especially seafoods of which Roxas City is so known for.

Before I left Phnom Penh, my husband and I retreated to the coastal town of Kep, about 170kms away from the capital of Phnom Penh. Surrounded by the Gulf of Thailand, Kep was, in its heydeys, a tourist town of the wealthy and elite French and Khmers. Now, only the abandoned villas speak of that golden years. We go back to Kep not only because of the fresh seafood it offers but also because despite the recent appearance of new hotels, restaurants and bars, it remains quiet and still has a remote jungle feel to it.

Kep used to be part of Kampot province, and a visit to Kep is never complete without a visit to Kampot. Driving around the town, you see the old colonial buildings, some needing repairs, while others were newly painted in bright, gaudy colors.

We stopped by Reaj's Burger House along the riverfront. Reaj's was our favorite place for home-made pizzas and burgers. During our visit we found out more food in their menu and decided to give it a try.

So this is what he had for lunch:

Buffalo Chicken Roll
buffalo chicken roll
Yummy spicy chicken pieces topped with crumbled blue cheese. $3.50


Spinach Cream Enchiladas
spinachcreamenchiladas

spinachcreamenchiladas2
Fresh spinach, chopped, cooked and mixed with garlic, mushrooms and cheese, wrapped in home-made tortilla, and topped with cilantro sour-cream sauce. $5


Spanish Ham and Cheese Panini
spanishhampanini
Good quality ham layered with parmesan and mozarella cheeses in home-made ciabata, spread with olive oil, diced red-pepper and olives, and grilled panini style. $3.50

My husband and I shared the meal and downed it with an ice-cold beer (him) and Sprite (me). The Spanish ham and cheese panini was a disappointment. It tasted like talcum powder and the ham is dry but the buffalo chicken roll and spinach enchiladas are superb and definitely worth coming back to! Reaj's Burger House can be found along the riverfront, just past the old Kampot market.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Wordless Wednesday #4: Ouzi Zamak

ouzisamak

My husband's favorite, ouzi samak is one of the many offerings at Le Cedre restaurant that opened not too long ago. It is a kind of pastry filled with spicy fish flakes (it's not that spicy), rice, pine nuts and other spices.

I had my first taste of Lebanese food when I was in Kuala Lumpur with my Japanese friend Yumiko. We ordered mezzes and kebabs and I loved it so much that when I heard that a Lebanese restaurant opened here my husband and I had to try it at once. And we were not disappointed. Le Cedre is one of the recent and welcome addition to Phnom Penh's growing list of international restaurants that offer authentic international cuisines. Set in a leafy location, the restaurant diners can choose to eat al fresco or in an airconditioned setting.

Le Cedre Restaurant
#1, St. 360
Phnom Penh

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Wordless Wednesday #3: Bangkhea chaa mareth

bangkhea chaa mareth
Fried shrimp with Kampot pepper, Crab Market in Kep, Cambodia

For more wordless, go to Wordless Wednesday.

Monday, April 7, 2008

Delicious meal at the local wat

As posted here, my husband and I are currently in Kep for a 4day-getaway.

Kep is a coastal municipality some 170kms away from the capital of Phnom Penh. Kep town was, in another era, a tourist centre for the wealthy from Phnom Penh, who enjoyed its beaches, fish and sea breezes. Now the municipality as a whole is impoverished and relies on inshore fishing and small-scale agriculture. There are a couple of family-run fish sauce factories, and about 1,000 hectares of salt basins providing employment for about twenty family enterprises and seasonable employment for perhaps sixty more.


We visited the monks yesterday and delivered a brand new computer set with sound system and a copier-printer-scanner machine to the monks of Wat Kampong Tralach where my husband volunteered to teach English when I was assigned to work here in 2006. The money used to purchase all of these was collected from the sales of the Cambodia Maps CD, plus, the donation from his family in memory of his deceased grandmother and grandfather. Everyone - monks and children alike - was excited about the new computer set! Now the monks can design and print their lessons - and almost anything they like - in Khmer and in English. Plus, the students at the wat will have the opportunity to learn how to use a computer.

The monks wouldn't let us leave without having lunch at the wat. They prepared a lavish meal for us:

For a starter, beef and vegetable broth:

beef and vegetable broth

Followed by...

pork and tomatoes

Pork and vegetable stir-fry


Every Cambodian meal is not without a dip – we were served these with a chili-dip:

chili dip
Fresh chili, lemon juice, a little bit of sugar and fish sauce and voila – it’s an all-around seasoning.

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Wordless Wednesday #2: Hoto

hoto

The story about hoto here. For more Wordless, click here.