AsiaLIFE

“The Summers in the south of Norway are the best on earth,” says Velkommen Inn’s Edvin Engeland. Unfortunately they don’t tend to last very long in that part of the world, which may explain why he ended up here.

Having travelled around Asia for 25 years, the now 43 year-old Norwegian first came to in Cambodia in 1999. From that moment he wanted to have a year off in Cambodia – why not? He finally managed to put words into action once his daughter was old enough to be left behind in cold Norway.

“I had no fixed plans when I came here,” he explains. “I just wandered past that ‘For Rent’ sign in the street, walked in, and ten minutes later we had a deal.” The Velkommen Inn thereby became the fourth non-girlie bar in popular Street 104. Those not-so-fixed plans became a little more fixed when Edvin became engaged with a Cambodian, and the Velkommen has since built up a nice crowd of regulars and passers-by alike. Every Friday the auspiciously named The Hellhounds create a great buzz with their blues, cajun and zydeco live tunes. When the band is not playing, Edvin avoids music. “I want to create more scope for talking and human interaction,” he says. It seems to work as the Velkommen has that inviting friendliness that draws people in.

The bar also hides a not-so-secret secret – its food. Their US$5.50 pan-fried fish fillet with capers, boiled potatoes and vegetables is an absolute hit with all the Vikings in town, but the menu doesn’t stop there. Salads, burgers, steaks, fish, chicken, pasta and Asian dishes compete for your attention. And there is a wide range of spirits sitting on the shelves waiting to be poured for those wishing to make a night of it.

The inn wouldn’t be an inn without rooms – six of them. Ranging from US$20 to US$40, they offer great value for money – witness the raving reviews of customers on Tripadvisor. If you need to give your partner a valid excuse to hang out at the bar, the Velkommen also doubles up as The Hash House Harriers’ headquarters, that self-proclaimed ‘drinking club for people with a running problem’. Quite nice black and white pictures of their exploits in Cambodia decorate the Velkommen’s walls – just in case you need that extra proof.

Velkommen Inn, 23 Street 104, Tel: 092 177 710 / 720. Serves breakfasts from 7am and stays open till late at night.