Real Phnom Penh expats know their way around the markets. And we’re not talking about Lucky Supermarket and Thai Huot. The panoply of local markets and specialty “areas” within each market requires both finesse and organization to ensure that you don’t waste time going from Kandal Market down to Russian Market and then back up to Central Market just to tick everything off your shopping list.
If you stay in Cambodia long enough, you will have your favorite vendors and suppliers at each market, and know what time of day to get the freshest fish from Psar Chas and where to buy fabric for button-down “work” shirts just outside of Olympic Market. But for the newbies, keeping the specialties of each market straight can be a challenge. Personally, we would never confuse Russian Market (Psar Toul Tom Pong) with Orussey Market, but we’ve heard that it happens (you know who you are). Take this quiz and see how well you know the difference…
What’s the signature scent of Orussey Market?
When you see this sign, what’s the first smell that springs to mind?
Roasting coffee!
What’s the overwhelming smell of Russian Market?
Ah…I love the smell of a wet market in the morning!
Wet market! Mmm!
Where should you go to buy a traditional outfit for a Khmer wedding?
Head up these stairs to get fitted out for a Cambodian wedding.
Psar Orussey, second floor!
Where can you find cool silk lamps and shades?
Find lighting on the cheap at this market…
Russian Market!
Which of the markets has one of the facing streets with a KFC and a bunch of export shops?
Export stores offer some of the best shopping in town…but where are they?
Russian Market!
Which market has a facing street where you can buy a bicycle?
Where to find your chariot?
Orussey Market!
Which market has t-shirts with hand-drawn designs?
Original designs, or at last, hand-drawn.
Russian Market!
Where to buy seeds to grow a garden?
Get all of your gardening supplies here!
Orussey Market!
Where should you go to get your fortune told?
How long will I live in Cambodia? Only the fortune teller knows!
Orussey Market!
Where should you go to a buy a fake Northface backpack?
Is it real or is it fake? Probably fake, but where can I get one?
Russian Market!
Which market has the best Khmer Iced Coffee guy?
Where can you find the best Cambodia iced coffee? Or at least, the guy that says he sells the best iced coffee?
Russian Market!
Which one can you finish your errands by paying your bills by Wing right inside the market?
Gotta pay your bills? There’s a Wing stand conveniently inside this market.
Orussey Market!
Thanks for taking our market quiz? How did you do? Stay tuned for our next installment: Who’s more annoying, American or French expats?
Looking for fabric to make a quilt. Cottons with plain colors, little patterns, some children’s prints, etc. Also maybe buy a small sewing machine and fabric paint. Should I go to Orussey market?
I’m looking for large rolls of canvas material to use as a backdrop for photography shoots. Could I find this in Orussey?
All the clothes sold in the Russian market(some “outlet” store) are fake, aren’t they?
It’s questionable. Some are clearly fake. Others are factory seconds (ie. a stitch might be out of place and as such, rejected by the company for sale) others are overruns. Overruns are when a garment factory have a contract to make a certain number of items of clothing, say, 3,000 shirts. They make 3,500 to make sure that they have at least 3,000 that meet quality control. They end up with 3,300 shirts that are perfect, and sell the 3,000 to the company. That leaves 300 shirts that end up at Russian Market or wherever. If you are familiar with the brand, it’s pretty easy to tell which are real and which are fake.