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Eating crab in Kep: The crab shack face-off

Posted on February 5, 2014 by Lina Goldberg

Five or so years ago there were a handful of small, family-run restaurants lined up next to Kep’s Crab Market, and there was little to nothing to differentiate one from the next. Then Lonely Planet anointed Kimly the best of the bunch, and it quickly became the most popular place on the strip. Many expats won’t eat anywhere else and others refuse to eat there because they claim a Lonely Planet recommendation is the kiss of death. Over the last few days we at Move to Cambodia decided to eat as much crab as possible and see which of the Kep crab shacks came out on top.

It isn’t easy deciding where to eat on Kep’s Crab Row. We’re here to help.

Kimly Restaurant

We stopped by Kimly on the last day of Chinese New Year and the place was packed to the rafters with both tourists and local families gorging themselves on seafood. The crab dishes are undeniably tasty, especially the stir-fried crab with green pepper. Kimly has a “secret sauce” for their seafood dishes, a sort of sweet Cambodian curry that they only slightly alter for their various dishes. It’s tasty, but it masks the flavors of the Kampot pepper, which should be the star of the meal. Moreover, when you get a few of their dishes and they come out with a very similar version of the sweet curry it does get repetitive. The crab dishes cost $7.25 for a small plate that consists of two crabs.

Kimly’s green pepper crab in their signature sweet, spicy sauce.

We ordered the crab with green pepper (really good), prawns with fresh coconut milk (pretty good) and Chinese kale (inedible). We sent the Chinese kale back because it was so overcooked that the only person who would have enjoyed it was a teething baby or geriatric. They brought another one out that appeared to be the same dish we had sent back, just chopped up into smaller pieces. It was so mushy that we didn’t eat it and I’m confident that no Cambodian–even the chef that prepared it–would have eaten it either. Service was awful, but that could have been because the place was packed for Chinese New Year. On the plus side, they sell Beer Lao in the big bottles, which aren’t easy to find in Cambodia. Overall, not as good as I remembered from several years ago and certainly not as good as their reputation.

Crab Market, Kep
T: 089 822 866

Srey Pov Restaurant

After lunch at Kimly, we waited until we weren’t uncomfortably full and headed to Srey Pov for dinner. In the interest of fairness, we ordered crab with green pepper here as well, and were very happy with the results. The sauce wasn’t sweet, which was a relief. Clusters of green pepper adorned the dish and the pepper flavor was more prominent. If the goal was to try Kampot green pepper, this is a better option because the spicy, peppery flavor is more prominent in Srey Pov’s version. We also ordered squid “with the hot oil” which turned out the be deep-fried squid served with freshly-made sweet chili sauce. Finally, we got stir-fried mixed vegetables, which were the same as any other mixed vegetables in Cambodia but decidedly better than Kimly’s veggie offerings. Srey Pov is the favorite of one of my long-term expat friends, who says the food is marginally better than Kimly and is much cheaper–a small crab dish costs $5. Overall, I thought Srey Pov was a better option and very good value.

Crab Market, Kep
T: 012 604 206

So Kheang Restaurant

We stumbled into So Kheang after a few sunset drinks at La Baraka. The place was empty and we were slightly apprehensive as the staff seemed unsure of whether or not they were open and once they decided that they were, whether or not they had the ingredients to make any of the dishes on their menu. We ordered the crab with green pepper to see how it would hold up to the other restaurants’, and our waiter promptly hopped off the deck into the nighttime water and retrieved two live crabs out of the restaurant’s crab traps. This, we felt, bode well for the meal and we were not wrong. The crab with green pepper was the pepperiest of them all–the flavors of the crab and the pepper were the true stars of the dish, perfectly complimenting each other and unmarred by any competing flavors. Perhaps it was the sunset cocktails talking, but to my palate this was the best of all of the crab shacks and it was also just $5. Prices at So Kheang were very affordable and the service, although shy at first, was really friendly. Recommended.

Crab Market, Kep
T: 092 254 683; 097 253 9186

The best value for money can be bought directly from Kep’s crab fishers.

Crab Market

Finally we decided to skip the crab shacks altogether and head to the Crab Market to buy our crabs direct from the source. This turned out to have the best results–at Kimly two crabs cost $7.25. For the same price we got seven crabs at the Crab Market that were twice the size. We paid an extra 3,000 riel ($0.75) to have them killed and cooked. Easily the best value and most enjoyable option available. If you’re nervous about trying this method we’ve got a post on how to buy crabs at the Kep Crab Market, down to the last excruciating detail.

Want more? Check out part two, Eating crab in Kep: Crab shack face-off, Redux and Crab shack face-off, Part 3.

Review: Mie Cafe, Siem Reap

Posted on January 31, 2014 by Steven Halcrow

Located in a beautiful Khmer wooden house with a large garden area at the front where they grow fresh herbs, Mie Cafe is a small restaurant on a quiet street on the road to Angkor Wat, just five or ten minutes from the center of Siem Reap.

Tuna tartare with fresh mango at Siem Reap’s Mie Cafe.

When we visited last week, we were only looking for a light lunch so we focused on the soups and starters (and skipped the page of the featuring the Western dishes,including fish and chips, crusted salmon and the reportedly very good BBQ pork ribs). We ordered two types of tasty tartare — tuna and salmon — which were excellent. Both were very fresh and prepared with obvious care and attention to flavor and presentation. The crab chowder and wonton soup were also incredibly tasty and seasoned perfectly. We liked them so much, in fact, that we ended up passing them around the table so everyone could get a taste. I also had the beef lok lak, which was a more refined version than the typical fast food standard. It was good, but not as exciting as everything else we ordered.

Mie Cafe is located in a traditional Cambodia wooden house with a lovely garden.

The service was friendly and attentive without being overbearing. On the whole, I have found service in Cambodia to be very good despite being fairly relaxed (unlike neighboring Laos where you have to phone a week in advance just to get the bill). I like the laissez-faire attitude that Khmers have to food service, but I still appreciate when a place goes that little bit further to ensure customer satisfaction and Mie Cafe got it just right.

Chef Pola Siv came out to our table after we had finished to see that we had enjoyed our meal. His manner was incredibly humble and made me like the place even more. He gave the impression of a man who genuinely cared about the happiness of his guests — he wasn’t fishing for compliments, just checking that we had enjoyed our lunch. He has a definite creative edge and said that he regularly makes changes here and there on the menu, including overhauling a dish to suit the season, or just refining something slightly to satiate his creative urge.

I discovered after leaving and doing a bit of research that he has travelled far and wide and gained a very wide range of experience from Bahrain to the Caymen Islands, and two years working in Geneva at the two Michelin-starred Domain De Chateauvieux. This experience is very evident in the food that Pola serves. The flavors are very good and well-balanced and the presentation sets Mie Cafe apart from many of the other restaurants in Siem Reap. Even though Mie Cafe is a great place to eat right now, over time, I think it will only get better.

Mie Cafe
#0085, Phum Treng Khum Slorgram, Siem Reap (On the road to the temples, turn right after the Sofitel Hotel)
T: 012 791 371
miecafe-siemreap.com

Expat kid Q&A: Life is easy here, and so is raising kids

Posted on January 28, 2014 by Lina Goldberg

In this expat series about raising kids in Cambodia, we talk to parents about the finer points of child rearing in the Kingdom of Wonder.

Greg Bloom birdwatching with his daughter at Prek Toal Bird Sanctuary.

American expat Greg Bloom has been living in Phnom Penh since 2008, where he writes for Lonely Planet and other travel publications. He’s also the father of an adventurous 7-year-old daughter who often accompanies him on his research trips around the country. I asked Greg a few questions about raising kids in Cambodia.

What’s the best part about raising kids in Phnom Penh?

Life is easy in Phnom Penh, and that extends to raising kids. Housing and and help are both cheap. Not that this should be a reason to ignore your parental duties, but in Phnom Penh it’s more realistic to have a life outside of parenting than in, say, the US, where a live-in nanny might cost most if not all of your own salary. Leisure activities like tennis and football are also very affordable here, so parents have an opportunity to get their young ones started with a variety of sports at a young age. It’s also nice to be relatively close to the ocean, which is just 3-4 hours from Phnom Penh depending on where you go. Of course, it would be nice to be closer. In short, Phnom Penh is just a very pleasant place to live, kids or no kids.

There are also, for whatever reason, a remarkable number of kids here, especially of elementary age, so there are plenty of playmates for your rug rats. Healthy competition to provide an education to all of those kids has resulted in some excellent international schools. And of course those kids come from all over the world. This multinational exposure is something you can’t put a price on, and you can’t teach at home. Exposure to a foreign culture in the form Cambodia has to offer is another horizon-broadening benefit.

What’s the worst part about raising kids in Cambodia?

Lack of parks and open-air recreational spaces, and it’s often too hot to enjoy the few parks that exist. Outdoor activities that you might enjoy at home — like camping, hiking, river rafting, biking – are not so viable here either because it’s too damn hot or they just aren’t accessible. Those aforementioned beaches are just a little too far away to enjoy on a regular basis. The traffic and bustle of the city also won’t appeal to all.

What are your favorite activities for kids in Cambodia?

Phnom Penh & around (viable day trips):

Seeing a movie in an air-conditioned theater
Browsing books at Monument Books
Taking the Naga World ferry over the Mekong and biking the rural roads and trails on the other side
Strolling the riverfront promenade or Wat Botum Park at dusk
Kid’s City/Monkey Business
Get-togethers at restaurants like Le Jardin that have space for kids to play while the adults socialize; these places rarely exist back home.
Temple hopping at Oudong or in Takeo: Phnom Chisor, Phnom Da, Phnom Bayong

Weekend breaks:

Kayaking and swimming at the Kampot River. (Les Manguiers is arguably the most kid-friendly resort in the country.
Escape the heat at Kirirom National Park and hike or bike amid alpine pine forests, plus there is decent accommodation.
Kep for a host of good resorts and pleasant seaside beach, although beaches are disappointing here.
Sihanoukville (Otres Beach) and Cambodia islands (Koh Rong, Koh Rong Samloem) for beaches and snorkeling.

Longer trips:

Siem Reap/Angkor Wat for temples. Kids really love temples once they reach six years old or so!
Chi Phat ecotourism program in Koh Rong for birdwatching (my daughter loves it), biking, hiking, kayaking.
Stung Treng/Laos border for kayaking with Irrawaddy dolphins.
Kratie has a nice island resort and more dolphins (unfortunately in motorized boats, not kayaks).
Ratanakiri for waterfalls, elephant rides, lake swimming, gibbon spotting deep in forest for older kids and decent accommodation with pool at Terres Rouges.
Preah Vihear for Preah Vihear Temple. Preah Vihear Boutique Hotel in Sra Em has a pool.
Mondulkiri for Elephant Valley Project (mostly an option for older kids) and birdwatching.

If you could give one piece of advice to new expat parents in Phnom Penh, what would it be?

Cambodia is fun, don’t be scared to move here. Just do it. No place is ever as dangerous as you might assume. Relax and enjoy all Phnom Penh has to offer!

Review: Angkor Muscle Gym, Siem Reap

Posted on January 24, 2014 by Steven Halcrow

Angkor Muscle Gym is a cheap, local gym that sit on the banks of the Siem Reap River. At $1 for entry (including locker and towel) this is remarkable value for money. Even though the locals only pay 2000 riel, I still find it hard to complain. It may not come with the luxuries of a more upscale gym like air-conditioning or sauna, but the range and abundance of equipment more than makes up for this. That and the flexing.

Where Siem Reap’s muscle go to work out.

Angkor Muscle Gym is primarily a body building gym where the emphasis is on free weights and other forms of resistance training. This is made apparent by the fact that there are only a handful of cardio machines, all of which are in perfect working order, probably due to the fact that no one seems to use them very much. (And if you do want to use the Life Fitness treadmill, it costs an additional $1 for every 20 minutes.)

There are a load of dumbbells, several benches (decline, incline and flat) Smith machine, two cable machines, lat pull down, squat rack, dipping stations and pretty much every other type of bench or machine that you could want. This abundance of equipment is great for an efficient workout as even if someone is using the thing you want to use, there will be something else you can use instead that will do the same thing.

There is also a reasonably sized studio area at the back for more aerobic-based workouts and plenty of mats for stretching or pilates/yoga-type exercises.

Some of the equipment is old, some of the equipment is new, but everyone is flexing.

Every time I visited there were at least a couple other foreigners there. Not that the locals would care–they all seem far more interested in checking themselves out in the mirror to worry about what some barang might be doing. Their perpetual flexing meant that at some points it felt as though I was not, in fact, in a gym at all, and instead had wandered into some weird human peacock farm. 99% of the clientele are Cambodian, a further 99% of them are topless and 75% of them spend their rest periods between sets flexing. At any gym I have visited in the UK this would be seen as unbearably vain (most of the people I know will wait until they are in the confines of their bedroom before beginning the gun show), but at Angkor Muscle Gym they are proud to show off their hard work. Some might think that such a concentration of testosterone would have a negative effect on anyone not participating in the flex-a-thon but everyone is having fun and smiling, which in my opinion helps to create a very enjoyable and fun environment in which to work out.

It is a growing scene in Siem Reap and the posters on the wall of the more successful patrons of the gym competing in bodybuilding competitions is testament to the hard work that goes into the place, which is the home of ABBA, the Angkor Body Building Association. Personal training is also available with the same guys that are on the posters and the price I was quoted was a paltry $5 an hour, although I would anticipate a few language barriers.

For women looking for a good gym to use, I would recommend Angkor Muscle Gym but be prepared as the testosterone shot is pretty intense. This actually made my female friend a bit uncomfortable, purely because she was not ready for it. If you are looking for a cardio-machine based workout then this may not be the place. But if you are willing to give it a shot, it will help you relax if you have an idea of what you are doing workout-wise before you go in. Once you start, though, you will realize that the locals care more about their muscles than you.

To find Angkor Muscle Gym, from the Old Market area, cross the Old Market Bridge and make an immediate right and walk along directly by the river until you see it. It’s less than a 10 minute walk from the Old Market. (See it on Google Maps here.)

Angkor Muscle Gym
Open 5 a.m. to 9 p.m.
House #0471, Watdamnak Village, Salakomreuk Commune, Siem Reap
T: 012 970 443
facebook.com/Angkor-Muscle-Gym

Expat kid Q&A: It makes a difference

Posted on January 13, 2014 by Lina Goldberg

This is the first of a new expat series about raising kids in Cambodia, where we talk to parents about the finer points of child rearing in the Kingdom of Wonder.

Family life in Siem Reap.

Narisara Murray has been living in Siem Reap with her husband John McDermott for a decade now. They have a four-year-old son and recently became parents to a baby girl. I asked Narisara a few questions about raising kids in Cambodia.

What’s the best part about raising kids in Cambodia?

The supportive environment and help with childcare. By and large, Cambodians are warm and friendly to kids and it makes a difference to feel welcomed into a restaurant or shop, where staff might play with your child, giving you a little more time to enjoy your meal or make your choices. About childcare, I find that my friends in my home country (the US), especially the families with two working parents, often have to wrestle tough choices about childcare, which is usually pretty expensive. My husband and I both work at home and we’re lucky that we can afford a wonderful nanny at home, so that we can participate in our son’s day and see how he’s doing, but get our work done at the same time.

What’s the worst part about raising kids in Cambodia?

A higher risk level than I’m used to in my home country. Poisonous snakes have been sighted in our garden, including cobras and green tree pit vipers. Dengue is always a concern, especially during rainy season.

What are your favorite activities for kids in Cambodia?

My four year old loves to go for “nature walks” — from Siem Reap, we can drive a couple miles into the countryside and find places with plenty of nature for a four year old to explore, or go to the Angkor archeological zone and wander around paths through forested areas there.

If you could give one piece of advice to new expat parents in Cambodia, what would it be?

Don’t worry. Siem Reap is a wonderful place for a child to grow up: compared to a major city, there is so much access to nature and natural life. People here are used to raising kids without iPads, iPods, TVs, etc. It’s easier to unplug here. I don’t want to be hypocritical — our son loves his iPad, but he’d also just as soon go play in the garden, look for tadpoles and lizards, make a play building out of fallen bamboo twigs (nature’s Tinker Toys), or watch the cows amble down the road. I hope these are things he’ll always remember about his childhood.

Is it safe to visit Cambodia right now?

Posted on January 7, 2014 by Lina Goldberg

If you’ve been following the news, you might be worried about visiting Cambodia right now. Protests by the opposition party (CNRP) have been going on since the August election that left the ruling party (CPP) with a thin margin of votes, a thin margin that the CNRP says they didn’t actually receive. Over the last week, though, garment factory strikes turned into violent demonstrations, and the government used force to clear Phnom Penh’s Freedom Park of protesters. So, what does this mean for you, you might wonder?

Phnom Penh is in a state of alert, but a drowsy sort of alert.

Very little. While this may seem like the end of days for those reading the long-term expat Ken Cramer, who has seen this sort of thing before.

While the protests in Phnom Penh’s Freedom Park were going on over the last few days, I walked around the riverside, the city’s main tourist area. Had I not known about the protests, I would not have realized anything was out of the ordinary–everything in Phnom Penh is completely business as usual. Restaurants, bars and movie theaters are open and tourist attractions are not currently affected.

It’s important to note that while some of the protests have turned violent, no tourists or expats have been targeted. Both the CPP and CNRP are well aware that tourism drives Cambodia’s economy and no one wants to do anything to endanger those tourist dollars. So even when protests are happening at Freedom Park, the tourism industry has been entirely unaffected. The garment factory demonstrations have been the most violent, with several strikers being killed, but this took place outside of central Phnom Penh, in an area no tourist would ever find himself.

The best advice we can give is that visitors should avoid the protest areas and if they see anything that looks like a demonstration, protest or large group of people, it’s best to avoid the scene. Yesterday the protests were banned, and citizens are not allowed to gather in groups larger than ten people, but it remains to be seen if these rules will be followed. If you do see a protest, going to take photos, watching or getting involved is not advised, because when billy clubs start swinging they’re just as likely to crack your melon as anyone else’s.

Right now all of the protests are happening in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, Kampot, Kep, and Sihanoukville are entirely unaffected. In Phnom Penh the worst that tourists may experience is some slight traffic delays when there are marches happening, but even those are fairly minor.

It’s likely going to be several weeks before the next stage of Cambodia’s political future becomes clear. If the situation does escalate, we’ll revise our advice at that time, but for now, don’t worry about coming to Cambodia.

What Americans need to know about paying taxes in Cambodia

Posted on January 6, 2014 by Lina Goldberg

In today’s post, Move to Cambodia talks to David McKeegan, the co-founder of Greenback Taxes, a firm that specializes in preparing US tax returns for American expats. I’ve personally used Greenback since I moved to Cambodia and have been very happy with the work they have done and most importantly, their level of responsiveness. If you’ve used bigger firms for your taxes, you’ll know how much that means (PwC I’m looking at you). Greenback Taxes is the first Move to Cambodia advertiser–but only after I had already been a happy customer for my last two tax returns.

If you’re an American in Cambodia or an American planning on moving to Cambodia, listen up. David has answered all of your tax-related questions here (and if you have more, please feel free to leave them in the comments).

As an American expat in Cambodia, what are my responsibilities in regard to paying taxes?

“Americans living in Cambodia are required to file a US tax return each year. The US taxes its citizens on worldwide income, so any income you earn in Cambodia is subject to US taxes. Fortunately, those that qualify as a resident of another country (through the Physical Presence test or the Bona Fide Residence test) can utilize several deductions and exclusions to offset their tax liability:

The Foreign Earned Income Exclusion – This allows you to exclude up to $97,600USD of yearly income
The Foreign Tax Credit – This is a dollar for dollar credit for the taxes you pay in Cambodia.
The Foreign Housing Exclusion – This allows you to deduct a certain amount of your housing expenses to offset the cost of living abroad.

In addition to US tax obligations, Cambodian residents are subject to Cambodian taxes on their worldwide income; non-residents are taxed on their Cambodian-sourced income only. For tax purposes, a resident is someone who has their principal abode in Cambodia or is present for more than 182 days in any period of 12 months ending in the current tax year.

Both residents and non-residents are subject to Cambodian Taxes on Salary (ToS). ToS includes salary, remuneration, wages, bonus, overtime, compensation and fringe benefits as part of your taxable income. Taxes are withheld by your employer so you do not need to file a Cambodian tax return. However, self-employed individuals must file a yearly tax return.”

I’ve heard that if I don’t make that much money in a year, I don’t have to pay taxes. Is that true?

“US citizens must file a tax return if their income is above a certain threshold, even if there is no tax liability. It is indeed possible, and likely, that you won’t pay any US taxes while living abroad.

It is also possible you won’t pay any Cambodia taxes if you make a small amount of money. Cambodian residents earning 500,000 KHR or less per month, pay a Cambodian tax rate of 0% and do not owe taxes on salary. But from there, tax rates are progressive depending on your income, ranging from 5% to 20%. It’s important to note that a flat tax rate of 20% applies to non-residents.”

What if I’m self-employed?

“For self-employment or investment income, 6,000,000KHR or less per year is exempt from tax. Above this threshold the rates are progressive, ranging from 5% to 20%.

For those who are self-employed, it is important to note that even if you don’t owe taxes to Cambodia, your income must be reported on your US tax return. This may result in taxes being owed to the US. Self-employment tax, for example, is assessed based on your gross income before you apply the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion or other deductions.”

If I don’t owe any taxes, why should I file a tax return?

“Americans living abroad whose income is above a certain threshold are required to file a US tax return each year, regardless of whether or not they will owe American taxes. Currently the thresholds are:

Single with income over $9,350
Married filing jointly with income over $18,700
Married filing separately with income over $3,650

In addition, it’s important to note that you may need to file a state tax return, depending on the state you resided in prior to your move overseas.”

What is FBAR (Foreign Bank Account Report) and how does it affect expats in Cambodia?

“All US citizens are subject to FBAR filing if certain thresholds are met. Any US taxpayer with $10,000 or more in foreign bank accounts at any point in the tax year must disclose this money through an FBAR form. This is a cumulative account total, so if you have 3 different accounts that total $10,000 or more, you will be required to file. As of September 2013, all FBAR forms must be filed electronically–no paper filings will be accepted. Penalties for failing to file FBAR when required are steep, so it is important to disclose your account balances if you meet the threshold.”

If I haven’t filed a tax return in several years, what should I do? Will I get in trouble?

“If you haven’t filed US taxes in several years, it is important to get caught up as soon as possible. While you may not actually owe taxes to the US, you still have filing requirements. It is especially important to get current if you are subject to FBAR filing, as the penalties for failing to do so can be steep. If you are behind in FBAR filings or believe you owe taxes to the US, there are two programs available to help you.

The Streamlined Program is for low-risk taxpayers who do not owe more than $1500 in taxes for any tax year. The Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program (OVDP) is suitable for those who owe a greater amount of taxes or are significantly behind in FBAR filings. While acceptance to this program comes with hefty penalties on balances owed, you will likely avoid any criminal prosecution that may result from your delinquency.

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