Another breakfast in Cambodia

For my first two weeks in Cambodia I ate rice every day for breakfast. I didn't have eyes for noodle soup, I was too busy feasting on random meats and rice and pickled cucumbers. There's no other way to slice it, this is a wonderful way to wake up. Especially for just $1.

Since that time I have tried to restrain myself, as I figure I have two other meals a day to eat rice. I don't understand how people here metabolize 5-10 cups of rice a day, but I commend them for it.

Meal above from the infamous noodle shop on the corner of Street 5 and Street 136, Phnom Penh.

Breakfast in Cambodia: Khmer noodles

One of my favorite traditional breakfasts in Cambodia is nom banh chok, or Khmer noodles. A heaping bowl of noodles, gravy and vegetables served with a few chilis on the side. Like most food in Cambodia, it's served at room temperature, and often in a plastic bag.

There are usually two kinds of gravy, one that is made with fish sauce, lemongrass, garlic, salt, sugar and fish of some sort. My cultural ambassador (read: my co-worker) started to get flustered when I was grilling her around this so what I am telling you may be completely incorrect. The other gravy choice is called green curry, so I'm going to assume it's probably a green curry.

The noodles are made from rice--Eating Asia has a really interesting post on how they make the noodles for nom banh chok. Cambodians are serious about their nom bahn chok noodles. I have been told several times that Khmers invented these noodles and that many other countries have stolen the idea. I've met a few noodle makers and it's not particularly lucrative and very physically demanding. I don't envy them the job, but I'm eternally grateful that they do it.

The dish is served with shredded cucumber, banana flowers, water lily stem, long beans, lime wedges and a pile of vegetable leaves that I cannot identify.

Living in Asia has given me a new freedom with breakfast. Cereal, phhhht. I'd rather eat nom banh chok.

Eating North Korean in Cambodia

Anyone who has had to stomach my presence for more than a few hours doubtlessly knows about my interest in the politics of the Korean peninsula and North Korean specifically. I've ruled out going to the mass games (check the video) for political reasons but have been happy to discover that I can explore North Korea in Phnom Penh.

Due to Cambodia's habit of embracing the most corrupt world leaders, they have a long and close relationship with North Korea. We've got an embassy here,there are diplomatic missions, they sell North Korean kimchi at the grocery store and perhaps most importantly, I've got a window into North Korean cuisine.

I had long speculated that North Korean food was the more pure version of Korean food--what Korean cuisine was before it was tainted by imperialism, capitalism and mayonnaise.


The menu at Pyongyang Restaurant

I had the opportunity to find out when I visited Pyongyang Restaurant in Phnom Penh recently. The restaurant is allegedly run by the North Korean government as a place to launder money and funnel cash to the DPRK. The waitresses are all North Korean citizens as well. They're good-looking, play traditional Korean instruments and are dedicated to the cause.



Unfortunately there are no photos allowed in the place, so I didn't get any pictures of the food or floor show, but here's what I learned. North Korean food is not as spicy as south Korean food and there's much more focus on noodle dishes. There were a few banchan, but far less than any self-respecting South Korean joint would serve. The dishes were not nearly as complex or interesting as the Korean food I am used to. I'd use the word "rustic" to describe it. Everything was cut roughly and the bulgogi which is usually cut very thin was thick and tough. It was sort of like what your (Korean) grandma would make once she stopped giving a damn.

However, the floor show of six North Korean women singing, dancing and playing traditional instruments as well as the excellent decor highlighted by the bright fluorescent lighting made the experience of contributing ten bucks to the axis of evil well worth it.

Pyongyang Restaurant
400 Monivong Blvd(between Mao Tse Tung and Street 392)
Phnom Penh, Cambodia

How we celebrate a new office

The organization I am working for recently opened a new service office in Kandal province. To inaugurate the place some of the staff and most of the management headed over in the large trucks and SUVs that are strangely popular among the Khmer riche.



When we arrived they busted out coolers and bags from the truck and started putting it all out on plates and setting up the Buddhist altar that is found in just about every office, restaurant and home in Cambodia. Everyone was very busy but someone managed to throw some incense into my hands and push me towards the altar to pray awkwardly. This may have been in large part due to my rumbling stomach--the five feet in from the altar was covered in various foodstuffs that I was having a hard time ignoring.



I definitely suffered for a while thinking all of this food was getting wasted on the gods and spirits of the place (and I was told that the extra table set up outside was for the angel) . But it turns out that Buddhism is a very sensible religion in that once all the praying and incense burning was done, we got to bring it all back to the office to share with the staff for lunch.



Our celebratory lunch. I sat next to the COO who kept adding spoonfuls of crab and other goodies to my plate. The crab had a variety of "sauces" to go with it. The ubiquitous fish sauce with chilis and another nice one of green beans cut very small, fish sauce and very hot chilis.

Twice the chicken we get in the west.

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Cakes with coconut milk and a little bit of incense ash.


One of my best meals so far in Cambodia, both for the camaraderie and the food. Thanks, angels!