Little Japan

It felt as though I was walking the back streets of Osaka, when really I was smack dab in the centre of Street 63. Dim lighting. Traditional Japanese exteriors. From the street, their names were almost obscured; what they served, a complete mystery. One curious day, we pushed open one of those heavy doors. We asked for the menu, had a seat, a first taste and never looked back. Then we went to the other Japanese restaurant next door, and to the one next door to that, and now I can’t wait to go back for more.

Sumibi Yokochou Japanese BBQ
#81 Street 63; 098 699291
It was almost surreal, stumbling upon this modest dive whose name we only discovered through their business card – and is still a challenge to remember – but the entire experience was more like a meal in Osaka than any other we have had in Phnom Penh. Osaka’s specialty is tabletop charcoal barbecued meat, and at Sumibi Yokochou we were transported even at first glance.

It’s a little joint, with space for just six tables, a pot of coals on each, exhaust tubes hanging from the ceiling to diminish the intense aroma of smoke. Vintage Japanese posters adorn the walls, lifting the restaurant’s status from a bare-bones kind of joint to quite shabbily stylish.

You barely notice this once the food arrives. Choose from a vast array of beef – cheek, rib fingers, loin – and pork, pair it with some Korean Kimchi, and it’s an entirely satisfying meal. Servings are small and the marbling isn’t of the highest quality, but they are marinated well in Japanese seasonings and are scrumptious after they’ve been kissed by the coals. Order the rib fingers, chill to Japanese beats, and it’s easily the cheapest ticket to a night (or a nightcap) in Osaka.

Yakitori Jidaiya
#79a Street 63; 097 2306301
The façade almost fades into the background scenes on Street 63, with its plain exteriors and earthy tones. What a delightful surprise it is then to enter Yakitori Jidaiya and discover a modern and spacious dining area, in a distinctive Japanese design.

Yakitori Jidaiya is one of this restaurant’s two branches (the other is on Street 178): the newer, cleaner, far more exciting of the two, though it never opens for lunch. It offers a fantastic assortment of yakitori (seasoned grilled meats on skewers).

The menu is extensive but you can’t go wrong. There’s the classic style: grilled chicken, meat and seafood with just salt or soy sauce, a novel marinade of Cambodian peppers and an even more interesting surprise flavour of miso paste, Jidaiya’s specialty. Sample a bit of everything in every flavour; every little stick is a winner.

Fuwari
#79b Street 63; 023 6655989
It’s a serendipitous feeling, coming upon Fuwari – a cake shop and café – after a meal at neighbouring Yakitori Jidaiya or Sumibi Yokochou, almost as if you can’t believe your luck. Fuwari, which opened in December, is a well-lit cosy café, with a couple of tables and a few settings on tatami mats built into the floor, Japanese-style. There is coffee, there are floats, there are cakes, there are crepes, there are little Japanese treats like those special air-light cream puffs you might find on any street in Tokyo.

I had the mattya, a heavenly green-tea-flavored panna cotta, with bits of red bean sprinkled on top. The cheesecake was just as light, subtly sweet, the best we have tried in Phnom Penh. I adored the crepes, filled with a light cream and fresh strawberries, and the delightful strawberry cake. It was as if the pastry chef had the hands of an angel. Find it, discover it, indulge in it. There isn’t a sweeter spot on Street 63.