About Me

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An occasionally belligerent mother of five and an autism parent / advocate who believes that traveling, good food and good company are vital to keep one sane. I've worked as a news writer/newscaster, a quality systems auditor, a ISO9001 consultant, an FM radio DJ, a Filipino tutor, TOEFL reviewer and have gone into the food industry both as an entrepreneur and as a mommy chef, giving a sponsored demo on healthy cooking in a mall and on local TV. My favorite job however, is being a mom and a wife.

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Monday, September 8, 2014

Siem Reap's Red Crab Seafood Place



Nothing says fresh seafood than having it alive one minute and served on your table, cooked and delicious, a few minutes later.


We were happy to find one such place 5 minutes from our hotel, The Royal Empire in Siem Reap.
The restaurant we went to was none other than the Red Crab Seafood Restaurant. They’re located at National Road No. 6 Phum Krous Sangkat Svay Dangkum Siem Reap Road Cambodia, Siem Reap 9999999, Cambodia.
 
 
We were lucky to get a table when we arrived there for dinner on a weekday. Bus loads (yep, BUS loads) of foreign tourists were brought to the place as a perfect end to their day in Siem Reap.
 
 
The place in itself is quite spacious, and the staff, fast and efficient. If you’re coming as a big group, do make reservations. Never come in hungry, unless you ordered ahead.
 


 
More than a dozen aquariums dot the outside wall of Red Crab, near its entrance. You can either choose which among these sea critters you will be having, as well as the manner you would want it prepared.
 
 
If you don’t want to deal with this, you can always pick your dishes from the extensive menu that Red Crab offers.  Here's what's on the menu: RED CRAB SIEM REAP MENU.      
 
Here’s what we got:
 


 
Service was so-so, but we kind of understood, given the bus load of people that seemed to have 8 dishes per table. The place was quite clean and brightly lit inside, and the AC, real cold.
 
 
Food was delicious, and the food presentation plus condiments, complete. Things were a bit pricey though, as expected.
 
 
Overall, it was a great meal.
 
 
For more information about Red Crab, you may visit their Facebook page at this link: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Red-Crab-Seafood/699129863454195

From TMW, may all your wanderings be better than ours!

Monday, September 1, 2014

Japanese Pizza Yes, Siem Reap: A Restaurant Review




Siem Reap Cambodia, based on our week long stay, was anything but lacking. This was definitely true when it came to the availability of various cuisines. Being a tourist destination, they had most cultures covered. Among them was Japanese food. 


For this edition of The Mediocre Wanderer, we’d like to show you a place we favored while we were in Siem Reap : Japanese Pizza Yes!



 
With a few reviews in Trip Advisor, we were curious to see what this quaint restaurant had to offer, as it was a less than 5 minute tuktuk ride from our hotel. Sold on that one review that said it had the best okonomiyaki outside Tokyo, we figured, “Why not?!” and went there one lunch time.



Getting down from the tuktuk on to JPY (Japanese Pizza Yes)’s parking lot, we were welcomed by the sight of a sloping bamboo roof and an elevated deck as the restaurant’s porch/open air dining area. As it was warm that afternoon, we were quite relieved to find out that there was a whole air conditioned structure beyond the deck. 

waiting for our food

The deck isn’t strollers and wheelchair friendly, as you have to take 2 steps up the deck. It is pretty though, with its straw and bamboo structure.

outdoor seating/cooking area

At the deck, a trio of fry cooks was manning the griddle/grill/stove at the open air cooking area.
The interiors of JPY seems to either advocate minimalism or still needs some finishing work done, given its less than a year existence. 

loved the straw chandeliers
Simple lines, wooden furniture, small green plants and straw/hay chandeliers made up the overall deco of the place.


The servers were friendly and understood English without difficulty. 


The menu was simple and straightforward, with promos for set meals. This was probably the most inexpensive yet satisfying place we ate at in Siem Reap.

hamburg steak with onion sauce

All the food ordered in the 2 times we visited was quite delicious and freshly made. Serving time was fast during the lunch hour and slower during the dinner rush.


miso soup

 Here’s a look at the other stuff what we ordered:


curry burg

seafood okonomiyaki

seafood fried rice, topped with dried bonito

hot spicy okonomiyaki
If you’re heading to that area anytime soon, here’s a look at their menu: JAPANESE PIZZA YES MENU
  
YAYs and NAYS: 
Yay - good flavors, friendly staff, reasonable prices, clean facilities, free wifi and a chill ambiance
Nay - While servce was fast during the slow lunch hour, dinner was a different story

Planning on a visit? You may find them at this address: National Route 6 (Airport Road), Krong Siem Reap, Cambodia. Phone# +855 89 684 704 or visit their website at: http://yes-restaurant.main.jp/

From TMW, may all your wanderings be better than ours!