Not a single one of us living in the city of Phnom Penh has come here sans motive. Some of us have come in search of grand adventures; others simply for a job; others come for sex and drugs and rock ‘n’ roll. All of us come marching to the same battle cry: seeking a change in the trajectory of life, but as we build our lives here, the ‘same same’ of life still catches up with us with the same dogged determination that we tried to leave it behind. The mundane, even in the midst of all the newness, comes at some point to bear its full weight on the grand ideas that brought us to this place. The thing is, in a clichéd manner, dreams take a hell of a lot of hard work and letting go of thoughts of grandness. As one lets go of the best-case scenarios, the heart of what motivated us in the first place to undertake any sort of task comes to play. This is where grandness becomes heartfelt elegance.
On Street 294, in a small, white house adorned with robin’s-egg-blue-lit bird cages is a small café run by a gentleman from Toronto, via Malaysia, who warmly welcomes all into his world. The garden in the evening is adorned with twinkling lights; beer comes chilled in ice-filled aluminum pails. The soundtrack is late ‘80s Madonna, and the newly added atrium adds a sense of homely panache. The fare is elegant Asian. Beef in betel nut; ginger grilled chicken; very good quality rice and, on special nights, Malaysian-style curry. Another highlight is the refreshing juice combinations: sugar cane and water chestnut is both cooling and challenging. The grilled fish is a delicate treat and, due to proper cooking. easily eaten and a pleasant introduction to fish for the unaccustomed.
The owner, Peter, is an effervescent man who lights up the place and brings a feeling like he is throwing one of the best dinner parties in Phnom Penh, even if you drop in for just a beer and some salt-and-sesame edamame. Outgoing and truly an asset to a BKK1 that is ever evolving into an upper-class mini-America Whitman’s Sampler, Mok Mony is the sort of spot many envision when they come to Phnom Penh to open a ‘small place’. Watching Peter meet the needs of his clientele while adapting his restaurant space into something comfortable has been a pleasure. What started as a vision for a garden café has evolved into a cosy dining solarium where each table is adorned with a fresh flower and a shiny silver universal plug, inviting the diner – be it a small group of lunchers or evening mealers – to watch the rain or get out of the heat or eat outside in the cool of the night. Mok Mony is Southeast Asian cuisine at its most honest: it is earnest and a most welcome voice in a neighbourhood drowning in its own coffee.
Mok Mony, #63 Street 294; 093 696799.