Ranked #1 out of 537 restaurants in the capital, Friends is a must-eat-at sort of place for three very good reasons: the food, the service and the project. Walk in and admire the ambient greenery, the art-decorated walls and the jazzy atmosphere. Continue with the reassurance that ‘Our ice water is pure, our raw veggies are safe to eat and all our food is MSG free.’ Check out the menu.
The tapas rate highly. Chip lovers can tuck into the crispy zucchini and cheddar fritters ($4). How about the crispy shrimp wontons with sweet chili and lime dip ($5.25) or the stir fried chicken with mango and cashew nuts ($4)? Two fairly hungry people can expect to pack away three dishes.
For fresh-food types there’s lentil-and-roast-vegetable salad with goat’s cheese, tossed with Dijon vinaigrette ($4). Try the breaded fish burger with tartar sauce ($6.75). For the heartily hungry there is the 200g prime buffalo steak with all the trimmings ($15). If it’s too early for a frozen daiquiri, order a custard apple and coconut smoothie ($3).
The t-shirt clad wait staff are never far away. Face on it’s difficult to tell who’s who, but when they turn around the categories are ‘student’ or ‘teacher’. Fifteen-year-olds who want to work in the restaurant industry start off at the canteen out back, where the kids-in-residence are fed. There they learn basic kitchen skills and the importance of hygiene. The next rung up the ladder is to progress to Romdeng’s, a sister operation that serves Khmer food. Graduates move on to the international level at Friends. And by the time they get there, they have the necessary F&B industry skills in place. Foreigners who whine about the lack of service in Cambodia need to eat at Friends.
The young people working at Friends are part of Mith Samlanh, an organisation that works with former street children and marginalised youth. Offering food, clothing, shelter, education and medical treatment to more than 1,500 homeless children is no easy task. The kids in the programme range from newborn babies to 24-year-olds. In the early days, informal education is central. When they start school, students are outfitted with uniforms, bags and books. At 15 they have the option to pursue vocational training in cooking, welding, hairdressing, mechanics or electricity.
After your meal, stroll over to Friends ‘N’ Stuff next door. Shop for gifts made from recycled materials by the students’ families. Purchases help support the people who most need it, so buy generously and consider getting a manicure from the young trainees. Everywhere, there are smiles – which might explain why Mith Samlanh was voted one of the top 100 NGOs in 2013. To do your bit, eat there often and take plenty of your own friends along with you.
Friends, #215 Street 13 (near the National Museum).