Ice-cream artisans

Bubbles is not what you expect. Not really. The name conjures ideas of saccharine spaces decorated for aspiring 20-somethings, places with 37 varieties of just-add-water powdered teas. Not this Bubbles (although there’s a jar or two of the powdered stuff laying around if you really want it). This Bubbles specialises in small-batch artisanal teas made from fresh local fruits and Asian spices. The signature cups include tamarind mojito (a not-so-sweet blend made with homemade tamarind syrup), classic ginger, blueberry rose lemongrass and lychee basil lime. Bubbles also does small-scale creamy homemade ice cream, one pan at a time. Try the salted caramel.

Bubbles, #70 Street 113.

 

Oh, you teas!

Soul Tease is the antithesis of manicured Street 240 style. Hidden at the top end of a narrow, black-and-white spiral staircase, the place feels like the accidentally cool apartment of DIY artists who took over the flat next door. A makeshift Buddhist shrine decorates the living room. Secondhand fashions hang from a clothes bar. Outside, a quiet, second-storey terrace peers into the Street 240 treetops as dreamcatchers rock in the afternoon breeze. The shop specialises in home-scale, hand-blended teas and the menu reflects the shop’s carefree style with concoctions such as Zoe’s Pheromone (a mix of Thai tea, ginger, lime, green and chrysanthemum), Bed of Roses (ginger, rose, green, lemongrass and lime) and Emma’s Blood Boiler (turmeric, chilli, lemongrass and ginger). There’s a small vegetarian menu that includes hummus and a short but eclectic smoothie list, too. Teas and smoothies are $2, the food just a dollar or two more. Soul Tease, #55e Street 240.

 

Drinks at 11

The higher the altitude, the better the wine tastes. It’s something about the breeze, maybe, or the penthouse vibe that comes with relaxing high on a rooftop terrace. Kolab Sor Sky Bar (at the hotel of the same name) sits atop the 11th floor, a wood-and-clay-tile sky garden overlooking the capital’s rapidly changing skyline. A mix of potted plants, small trees and shrubbery stamps a friendly, backyard character on the space. To the east you can just see the Tonle Sap river. A full menu is available from the restaurant downstairs. And the bartender remembers your name.

Kolab Sor Sky Bar, #436 Street 310.