An excerpt from Fah Thai. Download the complete pdf version (575k).
Rob Savage reveals Cambodia's restaurant revolution and the Pocket Guide's pick of the top 10 openings
(1) An interior of hammered copper, stained glass and original artwork by Asian-based artist Jerry Swaffield; lovely romantic viewsof Phnom Penh's Royal Palace and the Mekong; and the Spanish Pacharan liquor theme, all come together to make Pacharan one of the most popular new restaurants in the capital -- and perhaps the region as well.
"It's all about Barcelona -- tapas, sharing and passing time with friends," explains co-founder and president of Cambodia's long-established Foreign Correspondents Club, Steve Haywood.
The classic tapas -- marinated Catalonian anchovies and savoury meatballs, for example -- and mains that include roast suckling pig, draw in a discerning crowd. Reservations are recommended for dinner.
Andres Arias, former manager for Robert De Niro's Nobu, and Barcelonan head chef Fernando Ballesteros labour together to make this as close to an experience of being transported to a summer evening in the Catalan capital as you could hope to find in Asia. Pacharan's reputation is so good that it even sees staff carrying platters across the park to the nearby Royal Palace.