AsiaLIFE

Carwash
Corner of Street 19 and Street 214
Efficient, cheap and accessible, this city-centre carwash is in high demand, particularly during the rainy season. With motos brought back to sparkle for a mere 2,000 riel, and cars cleaned both inside and out for 10,000 riel, you simply can’t go wrong. Hand your wheels over to the boys, sit in the fanned waiting area, and finally drive off with your car or moto shining just like when you bought it. It’s as simple as that.

Khmer BBQ
Street 214, opposite carwash
In the evenings a row of Khmer BBQs opens up just opposite the carwash. In this thoroughly authentic setting you can get everything from beef to squid to eel and prawns barbequed for you on your very own charcoal fire. The meat is tender and the seafood delectable, and with fairy lights and melodious Khmer music the place verges on romantic. Watch out for the beer girls though, as they will keep your glasses filled practically unnoticed. Get there between 7pm and 9pm, and expect to pay US$15 to US$20 for an all-you-can-eat meal for two.

Paragon Mall
12 Street 214
Paragon Mall dominates Street 214 east of Norodom Blvd. This modern-looking mall has a desolate air both weekdays and weekends, as though shopkeepers are waiting for masses of customers that never arrive. Don’t be deterred by this, as the emptiness makes for a pleasant shopping experience in the spacious, air-conditioned building. Set on three floors, the ground floor houses some stalls with beauty products, mostly of Asian origin. There is also a beauty salon, with treatments starting from US$9, using Pan Cosmetic + and Elysees products. Black Canyon Coffee, the Thai chain, also has its only outlet in Cambodia here. Decked with chandeliers, this place has a modern retro look and serves various coffee creations for around US$2. An extensive food menu is also available. Next door is My Bakery, selling fresh bread and pastries from 2,000 riel. At the back, Market Place has everything from fresh food to toilet brushes – a good city-centre alternative to Luckys.

 

The first floor is devoted to women’s clothes, in a boutique set-up. This is the place to go for some proper old-school retail therapy. While prices may be well above average – even t-shirts can stretch to US$25 – these shops are worth a closer look. Many have a good range of clothes in western tastes and sizes. One recommendation is Bona, which has clothes imported from Singapore. It has many cool and funky numbers in the US$25 to US$100. Make sure you get the 15 percent discount. Finish the first floor off with a visit to Mandy Fu’s nail boutique – acrylic nails will set you back US$15, while all sorts of nail art is yours for US$2.50. Manager Yen speaks English and can accommodate almost all your nail-related wishes. Four electronics and furniture shop dominates the top floor. Here you will find first-class home and entertainment electronics – everything from plasma screens, through sound systems, to wine coolers and washer-dryers. It’s not cheap, but it’s definitely quality. Half the space is devoted to furniture – dining tables, beds, and massive office desks. On the second floor you can also get your very own Asian-style frilly photo taken. If all this shopping becomes a bit too much, grab some sushi at Alko Japanese Restaurant. Though not the best Japanese food in town, it’s clean, the décor is comforting and the prices are keen. Open from 8am to 9pm.

Pencil Supercentre
15 Street 214
Across Norodom, although it doesn’t look all that super from the outside, Pencil Supercentre has certain noteworthy features. The perfume section features all the usual suspects from an airport duty free, with prices from US$50. The selection of wines certainly beats the choice on offer in many other supermarkets. There are also more staff than customers, allowing you to browse virtually undisturbed. Set on three floors, the two floors above the food section are reminiscent of a discount store with potentially the most ugly artwork in the kingdom, featuring motives from Christian mythology on a raised background. The shop also sells baby clothes and buggies. In the book section you can find Point de Vue magazines from the early 90s (US$3.50), as well as a hilarious booklet entitled English Khmer Love Letters (US$1). Open from 7am to 9.30pm.

La Residence
22/24 Street 214 Tel: 023 224 582
On the opposite side of the street from Pencil, French restaurant La Residence hides a world of private luxury behind its the massive wooden gate fronting. Make sure to dress up or the waitresses will outshine you. Enjoy the foie gras ravioli (US$19) or try the beef or lamb (from US$28), which La Residence prides itself in. The menu is inventive and sophisticated, with all the food prepared using only the best ingredients. An evening here can cost anything from US$20 to US$1,000, depending on whether you opt for that $900 bottle of wine or not. Open for lunch (12pm to 2pm) and dinner (from 6pm) weekdays, and for dinner only at weekends.

MW Furniture
53 Street 214
This furniture shop on multiple floors has regular, if expensive, furniture for the newly arrived expat, as well as more interesting options for those looking for added flare. With all items imported from Hong Kong, and home delivery included, MW’s has everything from shoe racks to beds, all with price tags of hundreds if not thousands. Items can be ordered too, with a month and a half delivery time. The further up you go in this furniture emporium, the more remarkable it gets. The top floor’s “Italianized Lifestyle Section” is simply the bomb – think Scarface meets baroque. Apparently this kind of oversized, heavy wooden furniture is all the rage among the Khmer nouveau riche. Open from 8am to 7pm.

Edison Electric Cambodia
14 Street 214
Think that your flat or villa needs a little sparkle; look no further than Edison Electric, just across the street from MW. Chandeliers, from the gaudy to the modern, fill the shop. You can’t help but wish you had that extra US$500 to spare to buy one. Walking around, you yearn to be in IKEA – some of the chandeliers and lampshades are fabulous – unfortunately the prices are equally make believe. If you have the money to spend on lighting, this is the place to go. They even offer free installation. Open 8am to 7pm.

Dan Meats
51A Street 214
Rolf Lanzinger is proud of his butchery, and not without reason. Established in 1995, the oldest butchers in town has had this German at its helm for close to 10 successful years. His 16 types of sausages, beef and pork fillets and numerous other meat products are served at most bars, hotels and restaurants in Phnom Penh and beyond, as well as in both Khmer and expat homes. The key to Dan Meats is quality and excellence in service, with all products made on site from Cambodian meat, without chemicals or preservatives. This is carnivore heaven, where sausages sell for US$9/kg. Open from 8am to 5.45pm.