AsiaLIFE

With street names like Silver and Topaz, the modern residential neighbourhood around Sovanna Mall seems built for opulence. Though the recession has left it rather empty of inhabitants, Nora Lindstrom finds the area is not without treats.

Opened around a year ago, Sovanna Mall is by far the most interesting shopping centre in town, and slowly increasing in reputation. Well worth a visit if only to marvel at its air-conditioned grandeur and one of the Penh’s few glass-panelled lifts, it also acts as a safe haven from the city’s hectic and dirty streets. Located off Street 271 next to Kossamak Hospital, the area can also be accessed by taking Street 199 from Mao Tse Tung Boulevard. The mall offers ample parking space. The ground floor is dedicated to fast food and cosmetics, including branches of Café Sentiment (offering free WiFi) and Lucky Supermarket. The former is small compared to other branches. The latter makes for a quick shop as the supermarket is spacious and the customers are few, however the range of products is not as wide as in the branch on Sihanouk Boulevard.

One of the more interesting establishments on the ground floor is Juice It! As the name suggests it serves a variety of delicious and healthy juices and smoothies, from US$1.70. The drinks contain no added sugar, and are made from fresh fruits and vegetables, though dairy products are added to some of the smoothies. Wheatgrass shots, should be available in the near future. Another place worth a visit is Sacu Sushi Japanese Buffet Restaurant, which features potentially the Kingdom’s only food conveyor belt. Small plates with sushi rolls as well as suki soup ingredients roll by as you sit on a barstool in front of your very own pot. From there on it’s simply a case of grabbing what you like from the passing mix of noodles, vegetables, meat, fish, egg and sushi. The fun – ideal for kids – will set you back US$9.60. This includes fried rice, a choice of soft drinks, ice cream and fresh fruit.

Onwards and Upwards

The first floor hosts a large number of clothes shops, some of which sell surprisingly appealing tops and dresses for US$5 and up. A branch of sports shop CityMart is also located on this floor, which like its sister establishment in Sorya Mall sells sports clothes and equipment, as well as some utterly unrelated bits and pieces, like flatscreen TVs and office desks.

A further flight up you will find heaven for shoe-fanatics, as well as a cheap, coupon-based food court, while the third floor is where DVDs, CDs and console games live. Zebra Shop, selling Thai stainless steel pots and pans as well as a good selection of Penguin knives is also located on this floor. Finally the top floor offers some rather unappealing furniture in a strange hangar-like setting. Give this a miss, unless you take the lift all the way up for kicks. The mall is open from 8am to 9pm, though some stores may open and close at different hours.

Streets of Gold

Outside the mall a few establishments stand out from the usual mix of mobile phone shops, beauty salons and clothes shops. Opposite the main entrance of the mall is Snow Yoghurt. This sells frozen yoghurt in various flavours and with different condiments from US$1.25. Given the amount of sugar in the yoghurt it’s hard to call it healthy, but it is definitely very tasty and certainly worth a visit. It’s open from 11am to 9pm. Next door is a conspicuous branch of the KFC fast-food chain which is rapidly spreading across the capital like bird flu. The menu comprises all the usual suspects. It’s open from 10am to 9pm.

Etude cosmetics shop on the south side of the mall, is a little gem. Bedecked in pink and white it makes you feel like you are in Marie Antoinette’s boudoir. Products on sale include everything from cleansers, through facial masks, to make-up and nail polish in a large variety of attractive colours and lush scents. The decorative packaging adds to their appeal. Etude is a Korean cosmetics brand especially popular with younger consumers, though there’s no reason why women of all ages can’t enjoy these good quality and moderately-priced products. It’s open from 10am to 8.30pm. 

For something a bit out of the ordinary on the beauty front, head to Monorom Massage on Street 199 for the infamous ‘fish massages’. For US$5 you get the privilege of lying in a pool whilst being nibbled at by hungry tiddlers. The treatment is good for exfoliating the skin, but is rather an acquired taste. For something more mainstream, opt for a traditional foot massage (US$7), which also includes a foot soak and leaves your legs feeling light and bouncy. Body massages (US$8) and facials (US$15) are also available, and the establishment has a sauna. It’s open from 10am to 11pm. Finally, Korean-run Cha Seok Hwan beauty parlour at the end of Silver Street is another good find, tucked away among the empty buildings. The small salon is impeccably clean and the products are of a high standard. The Korean hairdresser speaks very limited English, but the Khmer staff can translate. A professional hair cut with shampoo and basic styling is yours for US$8. Cha Seok Hwan opens around 9am.