AsiaLIFE

Located in a renovated French colonial building set back from the cheerful cacophony of Phnom Penh’s Street 240, The Shop has garnered the loyalty of lunching locals for 10 years. Ben Woods takes a look at The Shop’s past and present. Photography by Conor Wall.

Former patternmaker Griet Lorré was unemployed when she moved to Phnom Penh in 1998. Yet a job opportunity soon presented itself when she enrolled her two children at Northbridge International School. “At the beginning stage of the school, they didn’t have a proper lunch programme,” Lorré recalls.

A food enthusiast and avid collector of cookbooks back in her native Belgium, Lorré proposed building a small kitchen so as to provide fresh, healthy lunches and snacks to the students. Her request was granted, and her bread produced for Northbridge became popular throughout the city. As Lorré began delivering to other restaurants, the school’s location on the outskirts of Phnom Penh became a burden. She decided to open a café. “I thought if I had a place to deliver from, to dispatch from, I could deliver one time a day and people could come and get it from that place,” explains Lorré.

Now one of Phnom Penh’s most popular spots, The Shop opened on Nov. 1, 2001. Asked why the café has enjoyed such  success since its inception, Lorré doesn’t hesitate to reply. “A combination of three [things]—the environment, good quality for your money and the staff.”

The Shop’s décor is harmonious and tasteful. Contemporary art adorns cream-coloured walls, while wooden tables and chairs accommodate a steady stream of customers. The partially open kitchen—clean and airy—contributes a charming clatter as fans whir overhead. Towards the back, the restaurant’s wooden floor gives way to the terracotta tiling of the intimate back patio, where natural light spills through abundant greenery.

“It’s warm because of the wood, the colonial style,” says Lorré, looking around the café’s interior. “But I still think it’s a Cambodian place.”

Bookshelves inside and out—stocked with a selection of magazines, newspapers and pamphlets—invite extended stays, which are common according to Ros, The Shop’s supervisor. He has been working with Lorré for more than 12 years, beginning as one of her cooking assistants at Northbridge. “Sometimes [customers] stay for three, four hours,” says Ros.

In contrast to most cafés in the city, The Shop intentionally does not offer WiFi between 7am and 2.30pm. Asked whether this creates a different kind of atmosphere, Lorré nods. “Definitely, it’s much more talkative, much more a meeting point,” she says. “You don’t have the look of people behind a computer.”

Another feature that stands out at The Shop is the quality of ingredients used for both food and drinks. The Mediterranean-inspired menu changes weekly in order to keep repeat customers interested and ensure regular turnover of meat and vegetables. Lorré says, “It’s about freshness and pure ingredients. Everything is made by us. We even make our own cheese.”

For those who wish to enjoy The Shop’s fare from afar, the café’s “cycling team” delivers orders by bicycle, foregoing some speed for environmental responsibility. “It’s fun,” says Lorré with a smile. “I’m a cyclist myself. I think it’s necessary to reduce the exhaust in town.” In addition to rain-adverse expats hungry for the quiche of the week, the nearby Royal Palace counts itself among The Shop’s devoted delivery clients.

The Shop’s reputation for stellar service is well earned. Ros contends that the friendly nature of the waiters is the first thing that new customers notice. The geniality of the staff members—many of whom Lorré has known for eight or nine years—is a reflection of the owner’s management style.

“I try to get into service or cooking or even cleaning every day, so I see the small things,” says Lorré. Confident that frequent interaction between herself, customers and employees makes for a pleasant environment, Lorré used a recent renovation as an opportunity to build a new window between the kitchen and back patio.

Since opening its doors a decade ago, The Shop—with the exception of minor interior renovations—has remained largely the same “There was this concept from day one, a menu that changes every week and healthy food,” says Lorré. “That was my focus.”

The Shop’s 10th birthday celebration will take place on the weekend of Nov. 18 to 20, including an outdoor party on Street 240.

The Shop, 39 Street 240, Tel: 092 986 964 / 092 955 963, Open daily from 7am to 7pm. A second location, The Shop Too, is located at 38 Street 337, Tel: 012 952 839.