March 25th, 2006 | The lowdown by Gordon Candelin

Teuki Bar - Chazillin' a la Francaise

My first night in Phnom Penh I went to the Teukei Bar for a quick dinner before heading back home to recover from my 22 hour trip from Los Angeles. That was the plan, anyway.

In the end it entailed drinking copious amounts of Ti' Punch (rum, cane sugar and lime on ice), meeting some of the more interesting locals, and zoning out to great music, from subtle mood-enhancing electronica to Marley, which seemed appropriate given the amount of ganja smoke wafting over from where the DJ was mixing. I was hooked.

I've always liked Teukei. Far from the riverside and the usual tourist crowds, the main clientele are expat French, but occasionally herds of young backpackers will show up. There is an atmosphere of relaxation that a lot of bars in Phnom Penh try hard to match, but just don't seem to be able to manage. A large part of this is thanks to bar owner/dj/designer Philippe, who is continuously at his stereo making sure the music is just right.

Teukei has a small but very good menu, with the best steak I've had in Phnom Penh - the Sweety Fillet - and the fish is excellent. The drinks are good and cheap, and it's a great place to chill.