Phnom Penh, Cambodia - Le Jardin Restaurant and Sisowath Quay

After a depressing first half of the day spent at the Killing Fields and S-21 Prison, it was time for lunch. Included in my itinerary was Le Jardin Restaurant - mainly because of the good reviews it received on being kids-friendly.

The restaurant/cafe was located in a courtyard garden shaded by jackfruit trees. I can't emphasize enough how great this place was in terms of having a long and leisurely lunch with young children, especially when you had just spent a few hours looking at skulls and gruesome photos. There was a big sandpit (with toys to play in it) and a playhouse with a slide.

We spent quite some time there lazing on the comfy seats, gorging on grilled fish and pasta, sipping passionfruit smoothie while Snufkin ran wild in the sandpit and playhouse. And if that was not enough, there was ice-cream to please the little ones further.


 



Le Jardin - Good food, good ambience, free creche

In the evening, we went to Sisowath Quay, the riverside along the junction of the Mekong and Tonle Sap rivers. The Quay area is as touristy as you could get in Phnom Penh - bars, restarants and hotels lined the riverside. The tuk-uk driver dropped us near the Foreign Correspondents' Club ("FCC').  I wanted to have coffee and snacks at FCC (apparently the most iconic Phnom Penh experience) but it looked too crowded and until now I still feel a twinge of regret of not doing so.

From there, we strolled along the riverside with no specific destination. The wide pavement and the old colonial buildings that lined Sisowath Boulevard somewhat reminded me of South of France. There was a a lot of things going on: families taking a stroll, aerobic sessions (though none was at the scale that we saw in Vientiane), kids cycling and even men grouping together leering at sexy ladies. Another differentiating factor from Vientiane's riverside was the number of poor Cambodian children that kept approaching us trying to sell us bracelets for one dollar or even just to beg. They looked unkempt and rough and their eyes were dead. Most were undoubtedly homeless and probably orphaned. I told Snufkin who was playing with the bubbles that we bought at the Royal Palace yesterday how unfortunate these children were for having no parents to look after them and no place to call home.

I was also more cautious as there seemed to be many dodgy people and I had also read on scammers and muggers doing their thing in the vicinity of Sisowath Quay.

Blowing bubbles by the Tonle Sap

In the waning light, we decided to look for dinner and I was adamant that it had to be Khmer food. Options were aplenty but many looked like restaurants doubling up as bars and in that window of happy hours I did not think that it would be appropriate for Snufkin. We settled for Karma Restaurant which looked decent and not too crowded.  I ordered fishcake for Snufkin and fish amok for myself. The amok looked like something that a cat spews on the floor but the taste was not bad at all. And after all, you gotta try the local dish.

Fish amok

Outside along the corridor, more children were plying their wares with the requisite "One dollar, one dollar". Some were also seen setting up their "home" in front of shops that were already closed. These scenes were a reminder of how poor Cambodia is.

Once dinner was done, we took one of the many waiting tuk-tuks parked on the kerb along Sisowath Boulevard, back to the hotel for an early night before our onward journey to Seam Reap tomorrow.

Note:-
Le Jardin Restaurant: 16 Street 360, Phnom Penh. Open 7.30am to 10pm, closed Mondays.

Karma Restaurant: 273c Sisowath Quay | (The Riverside), Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Open daily 7am to 11pm.