AsiaLIFE

Kate Liana discovers there is more than meets the eye to this side street tucked into the popular Bong Keng Kang neighbourhood.

From Norodom Blvd. to Street 51

Gleaming white and frosty cold on the junction with Norodom Blvd., you'll feel as if you stepped into a space lab on some remote planet as you enter Derma-Care. In addition to waxing, facials, and nail care, this top end skin clinic offers advanced procedures. Live like a Palo Alto trophy wife and indulge in botox, lip plumpers, and chemical peels or splash out on anti-oxidant boosters, and anti-ageing treatment. Priced steeper than the average local spa, look out for package deals and various discounts. Hair loss treatment is also available for men.

Further along the block sits Living Room, office-away-from-office to consultants and freelancers. The leafy front yard and downstairs have a large seating area with couches and a playroom for children. Upstairs has more seating, a breezy terrace, and two private meeting rooms. Rotating art exhibits adorn the walls, and they occasionally host films and lectures in the evenings. The newest addition is a small clothing boutique on the second floor selling the Things of Substance line from an Australian designer who lives in Hanoi. Cute, work and play-friendly frocks, trousers and blouses are made from linen, cotton jersey and silk in a variety of colours.

Stylish, gorgeous tables, chairs, sofas, and cushions galore are offered at Beyond Interiors. Check out the ceramic, eggshell blue vases at US$25. Funky glass bowls tinted a lovely green bottle-glass shade run for US$97, and an ornately carved wooden mirror frame is US$2,300. Karma candles using all natural soy wax are US$12 and burn for 46 hours. Both outdoor and indoor furniture can be ordered, and the knowledgeable, helpful staff can help you create an entire ensemble.

If it's home cooking you crave, you're on the right block. You'll feel like mama's taking care of you as the staff at Cucina Filipina fill your plate with fresh, hearty food. Aubergine salad, sweet and sour pork, tofu in oyster sauce, and pumpkin in coconut milk were all part of a recent lunchtime feast. From US$1.50 for a basic plate to US$3 for more, this is a true bargain and worth every riel.  

Whether you're on break from work or taking a long, leisurely dinner, there's no lovelier place than Safran. Serving Khmer and French food, like lotus salad, fried prawns in pepper, filet mignon, and Quiche Lorraine, this hidden gem is a favourite amongst residents. The airy outdoor patio and cool indoor seating area are both decorated in low-key elegance, using sparse, modern designs with a touch of Asian spice. Foreign papers and magazines make it an appealing spot for solo dining as well. Closed Mondays.

Situated in a large, wooden villa, the BKK U&Me offers the same quality, affordable services as their Riverside outposts. Massages, facials, waxing, nail care, and skin treatments are all available from 10am to 10pm. The hand and foot spa with paraffin treatment for US$14 is a particularly good deal. Housed in the same complex is Bare Necessities, stocking bras from Australia and New Zealand in cup sizes A to J (egad). Exquisite designs are available, along with plain, soft cotton types for less flashy occasions. Black lace nursing bras will rekindle any romance that got buried under a heap of nappies, and sheer nighties will help things along if you have yet to get knocked up. This is the spot for those esoteric items women can't live without and men have never heard of, like nipple covers, clips to keep straps in place, and adhesive strips that lift, pull and shape in gravity-defying ways. Most are re-usable up to 20 times, so make sure he's worth it before applying.

If you're looking for excellent coffee, the BKK outpost of Cafe Fresco fuels NGO staff, consultants and trailing spouses with Illy products. The pretty white building has a roof terrace, but the cool aircon interior is hard to leave. Comfortable leather chairs, WiFi, and good lighting make it a popular favourite. Serving a wide array of pastries and baked goods, heartier food includes excellent, fresh sandwiches and salads. Pick your own ingredients and bread for a made-to-order delicacy.

Street 51 to Monivong Blvd.

A large, local elementary school teeming with lively children on the next block is a welcome sight after so many commercial enterprises. After that is Shiatsu-ya. This traditional Japanese massage style uses pressure points along the body's meridian lines. In addition to improving circulation and lowering blood pressure, it purports to treat headaches, stress, body toxins, and anxiety. One hour with the Japanese Shiatsu master is US$20, certainly worth a try if the local stuff doesn't do it for you anymore.

If Dermalogica's giant billboard of models with white cream smeared on their faces doesn't put you off, check out this skin care spa. They offer a five-minute analysis of your skin (termed "face mapping") that can diagnose any skin problem. Offering personalised skin care, they sell and use the highly regarded Dermalogica products in their treatments. And they don't come cheap. Intense Moisturising Masque is US$68 for 75ml, MAP-15 regenerative cream is US$1538 for grams. Men's soothing shaving cream fares better at US$34 for 180 ml. Special promotions and deals run frequently, which makes ponying up the cash a bit less painful.

Next door, the Tea Club will transport you back to bygone days in their elegant, refined dining room decorated with red walls, wood carvings and antique Chinese beauty product ads. Affordable Malaysian Chinese food includes curry laksa, hotpots, tofu, seafood and noodle dishes, along with oolong and chrysanthemum tea. Open until 3pm weekdays, and 7pm on weekends, a good choice for something new.  

Tumble out onto Monivong Boulevard and sprint across to Chinese Noodle Restaurant. Lunchtime finds every table in the joint packed with locals and foreigners feasting on cheap, popular noodle soups and dumplings. The fresh, handmade noodles are slapped and stretched on a table right outside, so you can watch your lunch and eat it too.