Posts made in January 2025

Expats may experience occasional cravings for comfort food from their home country. Cakes + Crafts will satisfy your taste buds, so stop searching. It brings back memories of Johnny Rockets, Fat Burger, Sonic Burger, Coney Island, In-and-Out Burger, and Smash Burger.

A motley crew of Khmericans and Cambodians owns and operates this cantina, which is infused with emerging artists and skateboard enthusiasts. Most of their ingredients and condiments, such as hot sauce, are obtained from local suppliers by the establishment. They also offer Heinz ketchup and French’s yellow mustard. The chicken is seasoned and battered using a family recipe to make it extra crispy (they use eggs). The hot dogs and smoked bacon are produced by local vendors instead of being processed, and the buns come from a resident baker who makes them in-house. The reason to visit are the home-cut fries alone. Your chili palate will be easily satisfied by homemade hot sauces. Their on-site mixologist easily creates a Long Island or a simple two-part cocktail. Chang Beer is available on draft (from Thailand), Cambodian beer is available in cans, and Jagermeister shots. Their Happy Hour and menu items are always changing, so be sure to check their websites for real-time amendments.

This place is a great place to visit due to its excellent service, trendy atmosphere, and delicious food. Generally speaking, the freshest foods tend to taste best when made on-site. Alternatively, you can order through Nahm24/Food Panda for delivery or use Grab Express for pickup.

Lastly, Cakes + Craft hosts birthday gatherings and viewing parties for UFC fights as well as soccer matches.

*Hours of operation: 11 am to 11 pm daily. Closed Tuesdays.

Cakes & Craft Phnom Penh captured by Vaughn Lowery for 360 MAGAZINE.

Doechii – New Vid + Livestream

Three-time GRAMMY nominee Doechii views the last few years of her life through the lens of classic sitcoms like “Family Matters” in the official video for “DENIAL IS A RIVER.” View HERE. Directed by Carlos Acosta and James Mackel, the high-energy video features cameos by Zack Fox, ScHoolboy Q, Rickey Thompson, Teezo Touchdown, Earl Sweatshirt, SiR, Baby Tate and DJ Miss Milan.

When the trailer for the video – inspired by the title sequence of “Family Matters,” complete with theme song “As Days Go By” – dropped last week, it elicited a barrage of comments from fans and fellow artists, including SZA, GloRilla, Hayley Williams and Willow Smith. Doechii also shared two skits to accompany the video – “Doechii Slaps Brad Pitt” (view HERE) and “LA ROSA DE DOECHII” (view HERE). Comedy Central posted a third skit, “Can I Hit THat” with ScHoolboy Q (view HERE).

Watch Doechii’s livestream – “Denial is A Stream” – at 3:00 PM PT today, January 2, on her YouTube channel. Doechii and Issa Rae recently took the Genius Open Mic stage over for a very special rendition of “DENIAL IS A RIVER.” View HERE.

“DENIAL IS A RIVER” is from her acclaimed mixtape Alligator Bites Never Heal, which received a GRAMMY nomination for Best Rap Album while the single “NISSAN ALTIMA” received a nod for Best Rap Performance and Doechii was nominated for Best New Artist. The track has entered the top 100 on the U.S. Spotify charts.

Alligator Bites Never Heal came in at No. 1 on Rolling Stone’s list of “The 20 Best Hip-Hop Albums of 2024” and placed in the top 10 of their overall “Best Albums of 2024” tally. Critics at NPR, Paste, Consequence of Sound, Stereogum and UPROXX also hailed Alligator Bites Never Heal as one of 2024’s best albums. Listen HERE.

After wrapping up the sold-out Alligator Bites Never Heal The Tour, which brought her to the U.S., Europe, and the UK, Doechii closed out 2024 with a blitz of special appearances. She performed “DENIAL IS A RIVER” and “BOILED PEANUTS” on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” did a Tiny Desk Concert on NPR Music, accepted the Hip-Hop Disrupter award at Variety’s eighth annual Hitmakers celebration and visited the GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles for a discussion of Alligator Bites Never Heal and a special performance. As he introduced Doechii at the museum, Killer Mike hailed her as “an artist who I feel is the present, the future – and who’s going to change music forever.”

Doechii Photo Credit: John Jay

Instagram | X | TikTok | Website

Hometown Hangout Phnom Penh

Hometown Hangout, established in 2017, is helmed by a dynamic duo: a French professor, Pierre, and Turkish hotelier, Tolga. Both understand the world of hospitality and the importance of communication. Combining an educational career with food and beverage is a home run.

Nestled in the heart of TTP, in close proximity to Kon Bar and Cakes & Craft, adorned with floor-to-ceiling glass, with an accessible staff in tow, they have some of the best beers on top. The group is composed of both Cambodians and expats. Each night has a distinct promotion. Be sure to check their Facebook for listings. Various days see live bands perform, with karaoke mixed in. What makes this place so different is the ambiance. It is in rugby red with black accent walls, coupled with wood tabletops and tufted benches. Despite the absence of food or a kitchen on-site, you can still order delivery.

Amenities include: a pool table, a foosball, a PlayStation gaming area, and a performance stage. With a state-of-the-art audio system, they play an array of eclectic music–afrobeats, EDM, rap, pop, and rock.

The icing on the cake is not only the accessible management but also the patrons. Moreover, if a dewy-eyed, 14-month-old Rottweiler, the bar’s mascot doesn’t make you melt, the overall patronage will.

If you’re searching for a memorable moment, check it out. You’ll be transported into a realm that will soon rival BKK and Bassac Lane.

*Be sure to ask for local Cambodian promoter Jono.

**This bar is located within walking distance to Zando, a beauty bar, local ABA branch, and a barbershop.