Crazy Katsu

Crunchy or crispy?

            One Saturday morning, my friends and I had a very spontaneous day in the metro. Plans were thrown out the car window and whims are welcomed with open arms. Our only indicator as to where to go is away from the Katipunan traffic.

            By impulse, we decided to have a detour to Moonleaf Tea Shop Maginhawa (my favorite branch) to buy ourselves milk teas. Since we were in Teacher’s Village already, we decided to drive around and look for a place to have lunch.

from Crazy Katsu's facebook page

My friend suggested Pino Resto Bar and I was thinking of BRGR Project, but then, the Crazy Katsu sign in front of us seems to charm all 8 eyes in the car. So Crazy Katsu it is, no contentions.

Cambodia: Frizz Restaurant

Traditional Khmer food

            Street 240 is the bohemian boutique street in Phnom Penh. It is adorned with colonial-style boutique shops and few cafes and restaurants owned mostly by expats. It’s a shopping haven, as well as funky place to chill, away from the noise and the crowd.

            There are a lot of acclaimed restaurants in this street and one of them is Frizz Restaurant.

Cambodia: Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda

Phnom Penh's shimmering skyline

            Located in Sothearos Boulevard is Phnom Penh’s landmark, The Royal Palace and The Silver Pagoda. 

            The complex was first established by King Norodom in 1886. The structures were not constructed simultaneously, that it took 7 decades to complete to complex. The architecture combines Khmer with European elements.

            The landmark is divided into two areas. First is the Royal Palace, the official venue for court ceremonies and the abode of the royal family. Second is the Silver Pagoda, which houses the official temple of the king and the stupas (tombs or shrines) of the royal family.

Cambodia: Khmer Surin Restaurant

The best fish amok in town!

            Cambodia is truly a kingdom of wonder. Not only are the views magnificent, but also the food.

            Prior to my visit in Cambodia, I’ve read a lot of reviews saying that Cambodian or Khmer cuisine is not interesting and that it’s boring. Contrary to what they say, I found Khmer cuisine really charming!

Kampot Pepper

            Khmer cuisine is sooo fragrant to the point that it’s stimulating! Like the pungent Kampot pepper coupled with lime juice; or the combination of Kaffir leaves, lemongrass and turmeric; or the fusion of tamarind’s tang with coriander, turmeric and lemon basil. Just thinking about these makes me real hungry!

Cambodia: Kingdom of Wonder

10 things I found extraordinary in my 8-day Cambodia experience.

1.      Angkor Wat

Angkor Archaeological Park is a 400 km² complex which holds the legacy of the Khmer Empire civilization in the 9^th to 15^th century. There are numerous temples in Angkor, which some are being restored while some are left in rubbles. The most important and the most famous is the Angkor Wat.

Angkor Wat or “Temple City” is the largest temple complex in the world. It was built by King Suryavarman II in the early 12^th century as a temple dedicated to the god Vishnu, the preserver.

Angkor Wat was hailed as a classic perfection because of the balance, unity and proportional design in a grand monumental scale.

Other notable temples in the Archaeological Park are The Bayon, Baphuon in Angkor Thom, Ta Prohm, Pre Rup Banteay Kdei, Banteay Srei and East Mebon.

Presently, Cambodia is almost synonymous with the famous Angkor Wat that it’s even depicted in the country’s national flag. It’s the top attraction of the country and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

2.      US Dollar

1 USD = 4000 Riel

US Dollar is predominantly used throughout the country because Cambodians preferred foreign currency. However, Cambodia’s Riel is also used but only for the fractional currency (or amount less than a dollar) because they don’t have US coins.