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Published: February 8th 2012
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Cambodia.
Damn these mosquito bites !
Oh, they're not mosquito bites, they're my nipples !
Damn these nipples !
Phnom Penh - capital city of Cambodia. This is a bit different. After a 6 hour drive from Siem Reap (mostly by road) we arrived at our hotel on the river front, right next to Wat Ounalom.
Wat Ounalom?
That Ounalom.
Hotel is nice (prounounce "nice" starting high pitched, then going low, then back up to middle) apart from the all-pervading old-people's home smell. (I hope that doesn't mean they'll be round at 8:00pm every night to change our diapers. I hate that). Room is spacious, colonial-style (wood floors) with a balcony overlooking Wat Ounalom (that Ounalom).
So, had quick wander round the local vicinity, a delicious lunch of Dim Sum (apart from the cockerel combs which we left) for only $12 then back to the hotel.
Talking of food, for our last night in Siem Reap last night, we decided we should totally immerse ourselves in Khmer cuisine. I'd been holding off for a while (viz a viz stool reports), but we noticed an ad that said for the definitive, complete Khmer
cuisine experience, we should go to this particular restaurant, a sort of Heathcotes of Siem Reap, how could we refuse ?
There was a seven course taster menu of gourmet Khmer delights as follows:
1 Pounded Ambarella with Dried Snake
2 Prawn and Eggplant Salad
3 Pan Fried "Pro-Mar" Fish with Roasted Tomato Sauce
4 Chicken and Grilled Garlic Sour Soup
5 Stir Fried Pork with Braised Ginger
6 Stewed Prawn with Luffa and Lemon Basil
7 Assorted Khmer Sweets
Well, you know, you just got to roll with these things, when in Rome and all that, two please.
I was always taught as a child that I had to finish whatever was on my plate (because of all the starving kids in Biafra), and so I dutifully finished all the courses. Moi didn't finish any of the courses. After the meal, I described it as "interesting", Moi described it as "challenging".
Now, don't get me wrong. The presentation was delightful. The food came in a variety of containers including coconut shell, banana leaves and tubes of bamboo. As for the food itself, well, I think the best way
to get across the flavours and textures would be to translate the menu into something more familiar.
So, here goes:
1 Small strips of salty shoe leather served on a bed of toothpicks, drizzled with aniseed.
2 Wierd prawns in warm tasty slime and crushed peanuts
3 Tasty fish with tomatoes poached in a reduction of stale urine
4 Chicken and random bits off the floor braised in man sweat
5 Stir Fried Pork with Braised Ginger
6 Two Stewed Prawns in warm dishwater with pieces of melon and one other unidentified veg
7 Cubes of deliciousnous (tapioca, banana cake, and something else) served with palm sugar accompanied with sweet coconut yoghurt containing bits of boiled potato.
I don't wish to denegrate the Cambodian culture here, I think that perhaps these dishes were a little too alien for our delicate Western palettes. Up until now, the food has been delicious, we just went a step too far. (Moi doesn't even like thinking about the meal as it makes her feel nausious). For the record, the stir fried pork with braised ginger and the deserts were delicious (except for the lumps of
potato in the yoghurt).
Anyway, we have a tour round Phnom Penh tomorrow. Already had a quick peek and looks like it will a bit of an adventure. Will report back when we can.
Severe Stool Warning TORNADO ALERT STOP FUNNEL ON THE GROUND NOW STOP IF INDOORS GET INTO A CUPBOARD IMMEDIATELY STOP
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