The patio where I am sitting right now is the perfect place to do what I came here to do. It is decorated very much like a Zen garden, with tiny stone fountains, Buddha statues and flower pots scattered around the floor, creating a peaceful vibe that is conducive for good work. Inside the restaurant, watercolour images of daily village life decorate the white, tall walls. Pop classics in the form of Heal the World and With or Without You, play in the background, and help me get into the right state of mind.
I have been sitting here all morning, plotting, scheming my next move, trying to come up with the ultimate plan to rid myself of what has become an unbearable annoyance.
The bulk of Domrei’s handsome and colourful menu consists of easily recognisable Khmer items, but you can also find some Chinese dishes (like orange chicken, $4.50) and a few Western plates (like chicken wings, $5.45). It is not a big menu, with about five appetizers and 15 entrees.
I order coconut rice cakes ($1.60) as appetizer, and then a pineapple soup ($4.20) and hot chili chicken ($4.50). The rice cakes are impeccable: tasty and very sticky. The soup is sweet, tangy, and has a limy flavour to it. It comes with a big portion of rice.
The hot chili chicken ($4.50) is a refreshing and delightful dish. The small pieces of quality stir-fried chicken are cooked with lemongrass, noni leaves, basil and other Khmer herbs, making it as delicious as it is aromatic. Khmer cuisine at its best.
Check out Domrei if you haven’t already. It feels like your typical Khmer upscale restaurant, with an exquisite atmosphere and excellent food. The difference, however, lays in the pricing, as Domrei is significantly cheaper than similar options. Delectable fish amok for just $4.50 is hard to come by. The selection of cocktails, shots and spirits is considerable and reasonably priced, with most cocktails selling for less than $3.50. Other small details, like beautiful lotus-shaped bowls for the water, make Domrei a superior restaurant and a great addition to the Phnom Penh culinary scene.
I finish my last piece of chicken and get back to my plotting. Phnom Penh is too small for both Lucio and I. One of us has to go. And soon. But how to make him leave? There is only one way: I need to make him fall into eternal disgrace. I need to smear his name until his shame is so great that it compels him to leave the country and never come back.
To be continued…
Domrei Kitchen
#29A, St. 288, BKK1