Khmer Diary

[Faidenk]

Originally Posted by jimmycool

Yo Bro, welcome back, It is great to know that you are well and still 'strong'
We miss your gracious company and happy personality mak mak. Hope we can catch up soon. Btw, I am back in Singapore now and will pm you my mobile. Warmest regards always from jimmycool.

Will be back in SG some time mid Dec, will call you to catch up.




Bro Sailsingapore, already PM you.

[boysaigon]

Originally Posted by Faidenk

Will be back in SG some time mid Dec, will call you to catch up.




Bro Sailsingapore, already PM you.

Hi Bro Faidenk,

surely you are not short of good company when you are back here. I will be very happy to buy my faraway friend a drink if you allow me..

[Johns]

Bro, your postings are very interesting!

PM for your contacts...hope to see you in PP when I drop by next month...

[KonKam]

have a read thru your khmer diary.
interesting to the last.

Hey Faidenk ,

why you sold off your chicken rice and bak kut teh restaurant?


cheer mate

[Faidenk]

Originally Posted by KonKam

have a read thru your khmer diary.
interesting to the last.

Hey Faidenk ,

why you sold off your chicken rice and bak kut teh restaurant?


cheer mate

Hate to say this but I didn't really understand the market too well and didn't put too much effort into it.

I really had only 3 things going for the restaurant

- the chicken rice which many say is the best in PP

- the BKT is the only Singaporean one in PP, with lots of garlic and pepper, served with tang or, yew char gui and even chye buay (made in restaurant)

- Pork knuckles braised in black soy sauce with all the trimmings - dried shitake mushrooms, bean skin, pork stomach, intestines. Lots of stalls sell these here in PP but they tend to be very sweet and the gravy is thin and with excessive MSG, which I use to the bare minimum, if at all



- the fish ball noodles is not too bad but a pale comparison to SG's, and the margin for this is thin due to having procure the fish balls from Klang Boy (best in PP and made with yellow tail rather than the local river fish)

- the curry chicken, although IMO is good, is not a best seller and if kept frozen more than 3 days, tend to deteriorate in quality

Others I rather not talk about but not something I do very well

Then, there is the problem of parking. The people here tend to park where they stop, even the expats. We have only enough space for 1 car out front.

Dishonest staff. I am not saying all the locals are like that but this is a common complaint amongst business owners.

But I think if one wants to really run a restaurant successfully, nothing beats hands-on approach, and this is where I lack. I taught the kitchen staff to do everything and concentrated on the front end. I even let a staff sleep in the restaurant because he has no place other than the temple to sleep at, but sometimes, kindness is taken as weakness and they party every night drinking my beer and raiding my fridge. It's become so demoralising till I finally throw in the towel.

Sorry for the rant. Anyway it's over and a good lesson learnt.

[Faidenk]

Originally Posted by boysaigon

Hi Bro Faidenk,

surely you are not short of good company when you are back here. I will be very happy to buy my faraway friend a drink if you allow me..

Bro Boysaigon & Jimmycool, I was back in SG on the 30th, then went to Mumbai on a company's retreat on the 5th, back to SG on the 10th and came back to PP on the 17th.

Spent a lot of time with my son, went out with a few close friends twice for a drink. The prices in SG does quite agree with me any more, and can you blame me when I am used to buying a 1L bottle of Green Label for USD36.00, USD5.00 for a carton of Winston Lights, USD1.50 for a mug of draught (Happy Hour less than USD1.00 or 1 for 1), ladies' drinks at USD3.00? USD11.50 for a 24-can carton of Anchor Beer? I don't think so.

Lots of others that are way, way cheaper than SG. Maybe I'll post a price comparison some other time.

So, please forgive me for not calling.

[Faidenk]

Correction: should be not agree

Originally Posted by Faidenk

The prices in SG does NOT quite agree with me any more, and can you blame me when I am used to buying a 1L bottle of Green Label for USD36.00, USD5.00 for a carton of Winston Lights, USD1.50 for a mug of draught (Happy Hour less than USD1.00 or 1 for 1), ladies' drinks at USD3.00? USD11.50 for a 24-can carton of Anchor Beer? I don't think so.

[SEAJ]

Originally Posted by Faidenk

Correction: should be not agree

My hat's off to you bro!

I really appreciate your diary and musings - have been reading it all the past couple nights.

Only been to Cambodia once but your writings brought all my memories back in focus.

Thank you

SEAJ

[humtra]

Yes, totally agreed a fantastic writing!

I can read it a few times and still don't feel bored..and camping for more haha

Cheers Bro Faidenk

[warwick 88]

Great read, Faidenk!

I will be making my way to Phnom Penh on 16 Jan till around 20 Jan.

Any chance of meeting up to show a newbie around town?

Cheers,

Warwick

[jimmycool]

Originally Posted by Faidenk

Bro Boysaigon & Jimmycool, I was back in SG on the 30th, then went to Mumbai on a company's retreat on the 5th, back to SG on the 10th and came back to PP on the 17th.

Spent a lot of time with my son, went out with a few close friends twice for a drink. The prices in SG does quite agree with me any more, and can you blame me when I am used to buying a 1L bottle of Green Label for USD36.00, USD5.00 for a carton of Winston Lights, USD1.50 for a mug of draught (Happy Hour less than USD1.00 or 1 for 1), ladies' drinks at USD3.00? USD11.50 for a 24-can carton of Anchor Beer? I don't think so.

Lots of others that are way, way cheaper than SG. Maybe I'll post a price comparison some other time.

So, please forgive me for not calling.

Yo Br FaidenK, no worries; I understand and there is always another time. Take care in PP and best wishes to you for a wonderful 2013!
Warm regards always from your friend jimmycool.

[Faidenk]

Originally Posted by warwick 88

Great read, Faidenk!

I will be making my way to Phnom Penh on 16 Jan till around 20 Jan.

Any chance of meeting up to show a newbie around town?

Cheers,

Warwick

I will be busy during that week arranging a series of meetings for a friend here. And my principle a week before. So sorry, bad timing.

[Faidenk]

Originally Posted by jimmycool

Yo Br FaidenK, no worries; I understand and there is always another time. Take care in PP and best wishes to you for a wonderful 2013!
Warm regards always from your friend jimmycool.

Thanks for understanding. Looking forward to meeting again. Happy New Year, now that we find ourselves still alive after all that Mayan bullshit. LOL

[boysaigon]

Originally Posted by Faidenk

Thanks for understanding. Looking forward to meeting again. Happy New Year, now that we find ourselves still alive after all that Mayan bullshit. LOL

Well, am glad to know that you had your share of good time here with your family.

Too bad, the Mayans were wrong..and we have to suffer the consequences as believers who spent all our $$ before the 21st...sigh

ok, I cheated, I still have some scraps left for another trip to PP.

I am one of the fortunate guys who has tasted the food at Bro Faidenk's place. I must say...better than MOST BKT places in sg.

I will try organise a trip there...hope to meet up again.

Cheers,
boy

[Faidenk]

Thank you for that.

One of the tricks I used for the BKT was mashing garlic, lots of it in the soup, in addition to whole garlic, to bring out that heavenly garlicky flavour. Although the soup will not be clear like those in SG, the garlic usually settled in the bottom of the bowl but nobody has ever raised any objection to that, I guess the taste overwrites all else.

Another was to rub salt on the ribs for an hour or so, and rinse the excess salt off before putting it into the soup. I simmer the ribs for about 30 minutes, not longer as I like some 'bite' on the ribs. I detest the 'fall-off-the-bone' texture, the meat thus cooked, although tender, lacks taste and 'bite'. Finally a few pieces of dang gui for that hint of sweetness, no sugar for me.

Once the pot is ready I switch off the heat. When ordered, the portion is individually heated again.

Originally Posted by boysaigon

Well, am glad to know that you had your share of good time here with your family.

Too bad, the Mayans were wrong..and we have to suffer the consequences as believers who spent all our $$ before the 21st...sigh

ok, I cheated, I still have some scraps left for another trip to PP.

I am one of the fortunate guys who has tasted the food at Bro Faidenk's place. I must say...better than MOST BKT places in sg.

I will try organise a trip there...hope to meet up again.

Cheers,
boy