It's one of Phnom Penh's most visible architectural relics: a prime project for preservation and a developer's dream. It's known as simply the "Old French Mansion," and now it has a new owner, and a bright future.
After years of interest and negotiations, the FCC Phnom Penh and its parent company Indochina Assets Limited recently obtained the title for the ornate colonial-era villa across from the National Museum at 32 Sothearos Boulevard.
Freebird is an old name in Phnom Penh. If you can get a copy of an old guide book, it will probably be described as "American-style bar with large injections of Australia and New Zealand." Or something very similar. Since its "re-launch" on Independence Day, 2005, the reviews tend to emphasise the "American-ness".
In 2005 the Freebird Bar and Grill was awarded "Best Restaurant" in Phnom Penh. A year later, after the categories were modified to separate bars and restaurants, Freebird was awarded "Best Value for Money".
The diversity and quality of the international cuisine available in Phnom Penh is a constant source of surprise and excitement to me, however cuisine from the Middle East has been notably under-represented.
Needing some sort of pick-up after the aftermath of a rowdy Friday night, I was glad to be going to the opening of Phnom Penh's new Lebanese restaurant, Le Cedre. Greeted by the owners in the stylish front garden, I was quickly ushered to the outdoor dining section, and poured a sharp, but very drinkable red from Lebanon.
More photos of Le Cedre are available in the EAS Photo Gallery.
Billy Haynes lists musicians like Lou Rawls and Tina Turner on his CV. He played in the Middle East just months after 9/11 in an attempt to soothe tensions with his music. And now he is in Cambodia looking to overhaul the live music scene.
Billy Haynes is one of the top Rhythm and Blues artists to ever come out of Los Angeles.
"Well, it's a challenge - I mean, this is not a music town," he says of Phnom Penh. "But that's the great thing about it. In LA, London, Amsterdam, if you try to do this, there are already people doing it. This is a one-horse town."
A tough crowd greeted special guest speaker at last week's British Business Association of Cambodia (BBAC), Aaron Bornstein. The Chief of Party for the Mainstreaming Anti-Corruption for Equity (MAE) Project, which is overseen by the anti-corruption non-government organization Pact Cambodia, was there to introduce the 'Clean Hands - Clean Business' project to BBAC members.
Cambodian anti-trafficking police have appealed to Interpol for more information on a man believed to have preyed on at least a dozen children here and in Vietnam and posted graphic photographic evidence of his crimes on the internet.
Anti-trafficking police chief for the Ministry of Interior, Bith Kim Hong, said he has requested Interpol forward him details of the case as police were keen to investigate.
You don't meet a "founding father" everyday - but I got lucky, and met one from Phnom Penh's nascent restaurant industry. Determined to make Metro Café a success, Aussie owner - Tom - is golden. Recognizing a void of restaurants outside backpacker joints or traditional Khmer, the former chef has identified a niche.
Metro's swanky yet hospitable atmosphere allows an eclectic crowd to enjoy one thing they share - a taste for modern cosmopolitan class. If trends exist for imitation, I hope Metro is no exception.
We were both under the weather. We had packed the kids off to stay with friends and my Cambodian partner had decided to celebrate moving house by spending the night trawling bars, thoughtfully taking my keys with him and leaving me outside with the guard until the small hours of the morning. A whole dead chicken complete with head and legs on the doorstep was the last thing I needed, but there it was. Roasted, Chinese style, its eyes staring and looking a little rancid already in the morning heat and no more attractive for the fact it was reclining on a bed of fruit.
As the Year of the Golden Pig draws to a close I thought some photos of the celebrations that kicked off the year would be in order. I see on western websites this year referred to as The Year of the Boar. In China, it is simply pig, nothing politically correct.
On the streets of Phnom Penh, John Weeks - 012 425 706 encounters some surreal traffic situations. Simply navigating around makes one yearn for a GPS tracking unit. Street names and numbers may be unlabelled; house numbers obey no rhyme or reason...