Cafes and Brunch

3748 days ago
RELAX
221 Views

Phnom Penh is full of secret places — alleys and entrances and little squares that you’re unlikely to ever notice. Most tourists never take the risk of getting lost wandering in this hidden side of the city. But if you venture down a typical alleyway on well-known Street 240 and turn the corner, you’ll find ARTillery Cafebursting out in blue and white Mediterranean loveliness and incongruity.

Yep, all that down this little alley

ARTillery is the first of several businesses planning to create Street 240 1/2, a slightly Harry Potter reference that has me furtively looking around for men with long white hair or strange nostrils. None appear, but there is a twinklingly bright cafe with packing case tables laid out under a blue awning, a little bit of magic all by itself.

The owners are determined to cram as much as possible into this small space — there’s the cafe, a clothes shop, gallery space and a cushion lounge. But rather than feeling busy and cluttered, the pure white walls and cool interior mean the place oozes calm. The location adds to this hidden-away sense, with an accessories shop and second-hand Japanese furniture store the only other businesses currently in this residential alley.

Yes, this is still Phnom Penh!

ARTillery Cafe’s focus is tasty food that’s good for you. There’s an emphasis on freshness and quality organic produce, and there’s definitely no MSG sprinkled on top. It’s a lovely quiet place to start the day with a breakfast of scrambled eggs, served with a big sprig of basil and doorsteps of homemade toast (US$3). Wash it down with a pot of Yorkshire Tea (“like tea used to be”) or fair-trade coffee (US$2). For lunchtimes, salads and sandwiches are staple choices — the goat’s cheese is so tasty you may be able to distract hardened carnivores from noticing that the menu is meat-free. If they do demand their pound of flesh, The Shop — a two-minute walk away on Street 240 proper — offers similar fare with some meat dishes.

Opened early in 2012, ARTillery is already popular with lunching ladies taking a break from Street 240?s boutiques, as well as vegetarians and health foodies. It’s ideal if you want to sidestep the city for a while and enjoy a plate of something familiar, tasty and wholesome.

Contact details

Street 240 1/2 (off Street 240)
T: (078) 985 530

Botanico Gastrobar

Shady spot for a lazy lunch

What we say:

Tucked away in Phnom Penh’s Tonle Bassac area, five minutes’ walk from the Independence Monument, Botanico Gastro Bar is a hidden jungle refuge in the city. In a city lacking in parks, it’s a cool shady spot for a long and lazy brunch or a relaxed dinner after a day of hitting the markets. There’s an extensive coffee menu, intimate seating, a fish pond and 2,000 different plants (apparently, we didn’t count them).

Take a seat in the jungle.

From the street, Botanico is difficult to spot — just a small gate with a few plants and a discreet sign to let you know you’re in the right place. The path leads to a garden bursting with tropical plants, obscuring tucked-away comfy sofas designed for lounging. Each alcove is provided with fans and repellant to keep you cool and bug-free while perusing the menu. Staff are quick to provide you with iced water on arrival, and the service is politely relaxed.

The food is a mix of Asian fusion, burgers, salads, tapas and inventive breakfast choices, with a whole sheet dedicated to coffee that should satisfy any caffeine connoisseur. It’s also favoured by those in the know for early evening happy hour cocktails. Prices are at the higher end for Phnom Penh cafe dining, somewhat explained by the quality of the ingredients, so this isn’t the place for a cheap bite. The relaxed vibe does mean that you don’t feel forced to rush off after eating, so you can get your money’s worth unwinding in the garden.

Tarzan outfit optional.

The staff are kid-friendly and the elevated fish pond and resident butterflies will help to keep little ones occupied while you sink into the sofa. Botanico is equally popular with couples and groups of friends enjoying tapas behind the privacy of those big ferns.

Around the same area, Vego on Street 294 serves up reasonably priced salads and freshly cooked Asian cuisine in welcome air-con and Java Cafe‘s balcony is another time-stealer, where hours can pass over coffee and scrumptious monthly specials.

Contact details

9b Street 29, Tonle Bassac
T: (017) 873 101

http://www.facebook.com/gastrobarbotanico

Open: Open Tue to Sun, 8:00-21:30

About the author Abigail Gilbert
Abigail has been stoned by villagers in India, become an honorary Kenyan tribeswoman, sweet talked border guards and had close encounters with black mambas. Her motto is: “Live to tell the tale.”

Java Cafe and Gallery

Popular and long running

What we say:

Showing plenty of foresight, Java Cafe and Gallery has been open since 2000, well ahead of the curve which has seen a new coffee shop open almost every week in Phnom Penh recently. Java is centrally located just two minutes’ walk from the Independence Monument, with views over Sihanouk Boulevard park. We love the mid-price tasty beverages and food, the competent service and the different seating areas which double as exhibition spaces.

Shoot me the pot and I'll pour me a shot

Java is frequented by a mixture of middle-class Khmers, creative types, tourists and freelancers tapping away on laptops. You may have to navigate some of the clientele’s parked SUVs to access the downstairs air-con lounge, popular for its minimalist decor, sofa seating and WiFi. Bakery products are arranged temptingly on racks designed for impulse purchases.

Java has clearly given thought to its different customers — you’ll find a children’s playroom and baby-changing facilities by the community noticeboard. The first floor space is accessed by a staircase around the side, leading to an airy fan-cooled terrace overlooking the park. Further cushioned chairs and tables are laid out in the recently renovated wooden floored interior. It’s not difficult to see why this is a favourite place for long Sunday breakfasts, working lunches and extended coffee breaks.

The Java jive

The coffee menu offers a good selection, and we applaud the inclusion of locally grown Mondulkiri coffee — sadly lacking from many of the newer coffee shops which only use imported beans. The frozen blends and smoothies seem designed to make you feel clean and healthy inside. Aside from the baked on-site cookies, breads and pastries, there’s a choice of healthy salads, generous sandwiches, quiche of the day, burgers, soup and pasta, with monthly specials created by staff members.

Slip me a slug from that wonderful mug

A stalwart of the Phnom Penh cultural scene, Java Cafe serves up art alongside the caffeine, with rolling exhibitionsfeaturing Khmer artists and international guests. The shows are facilitated by JavaArts, a cultural enterprise supported by the cafe’s sales. Look out for the regular evening events, including exhibition openings, poetry readings and musical performances.

Contact details

56 Sihanouk Boulevard
T: (023) 987 420

http://javacafeandgallery.com

Open: Open daily 07:00-22:00

Alma Cafe

Relaxed Mexican

What we say:

If you’re feeling peckish in the vicinity of the Russian Market, Alma Cafe is worth hunting out. A Khmer house might not be the obvious location for yummy, good value Mexican food, but the colourful poncho hanging outside shows you’re in the right place.

Seems Jose hasn't eaten enough breakfasts.

Alma has two tables under large umbrellas on the front terrace behind a green fence, with a further eight tables inside surrounded by black and white prints of cacti and south of the border scenes. Owned by a Mexican and staffed by enthusiastic Khmer waiters, there’s a friendly, communal feel, and kids are welcome.

Mind the moustache.

Most people go to Alma for breakfast, which is generously served until 14:00, allowing stragglers with hangovers to get their fix. The fixed $4 menu offers huevos rancheros, chorizo hash, a breakfast burrito or chilaquiles, served with juice and unlimited coffee. This is no Tex-Mex fakery but honest-to-goodness Mexican mamma cooking, and you can taste the love in each dish. It’s all in the detail — tortillas are homemade not out of a packet, the salsa is created with specially roasted tomatoes and the bacon is crispy not soggy.

Room for a couple more.

Lunch is served between 11:00 and 14:00 and options change daily, depending on what inspiration strikes at the market each morning. Recent specials have included Tostadas de Tinga de Pollo (shredded chicken in a tomato sauce served on hand-pressed corn tortillas), Quesadillas de Chorizo and Pollo Veracruzano (slow braised chicken with olives and vegetables in a tomato broth). Save some space for $2 homemade cakes — one serving of bread pudding with rum sauce or Kahlua chocolate cake is never enough.

Moustache smuggling is a popular past time at Alma.

Immensely popular with expats living in the area, as well as those who cross town for a brunch fix, Alma is worth locating. Despite the small size and the popularity, customers are never rushed while they chat over a third refill coffee. After all, it takes a while to make room for a second helping of dessert!

Sisters All Day Breakfast Shop

Honest-to-goodness value for money

What we say:

Phsar Toul Toum Poung (aka Russian Market) in Phnom Penh is a sweaty heaving church of consumerism where the most devout can spend hours walking in circles and haggling for bargains. But even dedicated shoppers need time off for good behaviour, which is where the Sisters All Day Bakery Shop comes into its own. Despite the name, this little cafe is not run by nuns, but it is located down a side street full of religious statue stalls.

Egg-stemely good value.

Sisters is not pretentious or a place to be seen, it’s just honest-to-goodness value for money food, prepared with care. Eagle-eyed readers will guess that Sisters serve breakfast all day. The Khmer coffee is strong and sweet, just as it should be. Praying for pancakes? Ask and you shall receive, starting at $2 with a choice of plain, chocolate, banana or pumpkin and spice (highly recommended). There’s omelettes and sandwiches, but the big draw is the cakes and pies, freshly baked and smelling good — perfect when you need a sugar hit mid-shop at the market.

Chocolate fudge, apple and lemon meringue pies at $1.25 per generous slice, brownies and carrot cake for $1. It’s difficult to choose, but at those prices, the converted can have one now and take one (or two) for later enjoyment. A limited lunch menu serves those on their second meal of the day. Service is friendly but not fast — this is a place to slow down the pace (and use the free WiFi) while your breakfast is created.

Sisters are doing it for themselves.

The cafe’s design could be described as minimalist — most of the attention goes on food preparation, not ambiance. There are just two tables in the covered outside section, next to a veritable dealership of parked motos belonging to staff and customers. Decoration stops with a couple of rows of real and plastic plants to brighten things up. Inside, six more tables have the benefit of fans and tablecloths, with handmade quilts hanging on the walls (and yes, you can buy them). The interior is cool and dim, and the cafe looks out onto the quiet side street, where fish drying in the sun and a vendor selling roast sweet potatoes is as hectic as it gets.

Not technically a drive-thru ...

Sisters is popular with hungry market-goers of all ages, and it has a faithful following from Phnom Penh expats living nearby. Kids are welcome, and the food tends to satisfy even the pickiest eater. If you’re after more swish surrounds in which to have your cake and eat it, try Aquarius a few blocks north, away from the market.

Contact details

26B Street 446, Phsar Toul Tom Poung
T: (012) 918 244

The Shop

A touch of healthy decadence

What we say:

Slap in the middle of Phnom Penh’s spending spree-inducing Street 240, The Shop is a great choice for a pre-retail breakfast or a post-Palace coffee. Serving up fresh and tasty food since 2001, this Belgian-owned place is a bit of an institution among expats, who gather in swarms for long weekend brunches.

Don't look at the cake cabinet!

Seating is at friendly wooden benches lining the walls of the colonial-era house. Savvy snackers nab the two tables out front on the terracotta tiles — the perfect spot to watch the street and check out incoming customers. The covered patio out the back is smoker-friendly, and inside, tables are positioned for a view of tempting cake displays and bakery shelves.

Best seats in the house.

The Shop’s ethos is quality food and good service with green values (they deliver by bicycle anywhere in central Phnom Penh). After all those banana pancakes and 75 cent beers, your inner nutritionist will be doing cartwheels at the menu’s healthy mix of salads, soups, pies, breakfast items and sandwiches with a choice of freshly baked bread. A large blackboard menu changes weekly, with plenty of vegetarian options and in-season fruit smoothies. Food is prepared in full view of customers (always a sign of confidence) and served up promptly.

Resistance is futile ... but sharing means you can't count the calories.

Although cheaper breakfasts are available in Phnom Penh, The Shop’s prices are reasonable, with coffees starting at $1.75 and breakfast and lunch items from around $3.00. Throw in free WiFi, newspapers and entertaining overheard conversations (those expat brunchers again!) and it’s reasonable value for money. Despite The Shop’s popularity, customers are never rushed — there’s free top-ups of icy water while you peruse the menu or chat over the dregs of a coffee.

Look out for the brunch bunch.

Despite the delicious food, you may just want to leave a little belly room for a visit next door. Chocolate by The Shop does exactly what you’d hope: decadent Belgian chocolates, hand-made on the premises. Distinctly Cambodian taste sensations, such as chocolate laced with Kampot pepper and ginger pralines, appear alongside saliva-inducing old favourites like truffles. The price-tags will likely prevent you from buying up the whole shop, but even a few of these heavenly treats will make a cacao lover’s day.