The Blue Pumpkin @ Siem Reap, Cambodia

Almost everyone who has visited Siem Reap gave rave reviews of an upmarket cafe called The Blue Pumpkin. When LB and I arrived in Siem Reap, this was the first place that we headed to for breakfast immediately after checking into our hotel. We had taken a 6 am flight from Singapore and were pretty hungry by the time we touched down.

When we got there, we understood what the fuss was all about. In the midst of all the old shophouses and worn storefronts that didn't look too appealing, the pristine white decor of the cafe stood out & beckoned like an oasis in a desert.

They have a great selection of freshly baked pastries and breads. As all unsold baked goods are donated to charity at the end of each day, one can be sure to get a fresh batch daily.

The dessert display was very alluring but I didn't get a chance to try any because I was too full from eating savoury snacks...plus, dessert isn't one of my favourite courses in a meal.

The staff are very warm and friendly, which makes one feel right at home. Its also great that the service includes cold, wet towels for cleaning your hands ahead of the meal. Considering how warm and humid the weather is, a cold towel is a welcome reprieve from the oppressive heat.

The prices above are in US Dollars. Though the items on the menu are a little pricey for Cambodia, you'll find that it was actually well worth the expense because you would have had a satisfying meal.

LB ordered "The Siem Reap" @ USD 2.75, which consists of a glass of Orange Juice/Lemon Juice, a cup of coffee/tea, 2 slices of bread, a donut/croissant and butter & jam. LB loves to eat bread, thus she thoroughly enjoyed the slices of freshly baked bread with jam. The jam was made of papaya and was not excessively sweet. She had also read alot about the croissants at Blue Pumpkin. Apparently, the croissants here are hailed as the best outside of Paris (btw, we're only talking about the better patisseries at that). I stole a little bite of her croissant and it totally blew me out of the water! Man, with croissants like these I wished there was a branch in Singapore!

I started the trip by telling LB that I wanted to eat healthily. After all, Indochina is known for healthy food, right? I ordered a Fresh Spring Roll @ USD 1.50 with shrimps, pork, lettuce & herbs.

It was absolutely divine! I'm beginning to love this place! The spring rolls were very refreshing in the hot and humid weather. The lettuce leaves were fresh and crunchy and the filling of prawns and pork were very well-seasoned. The spring rolls went perfectly with the dip (which was not too sweet). This is a MUST-TRY!

Unfortunately, the package at our hotel included quite a few meals and coupled with the rainy weather in the evenings, we didn't have a chance to return until the day of our departure. We wanted to get our croissant fix before leaving Siem Reap. Croissants cost USD 0.50 each and if you need jam/butter with that, it would cost USD 0.25 for each item. If you're dining in, the staff will serve you warm croissants.

The crust of the croissant here was perfectly crisp and crumbly. It enclosed a soft & fluffy interior which felt like cotton candy. Health fanatics, do be forewarned that the croissants here are very buttery. Butter, I love butter and all dishes that are made with it. I can totally understand why the secret to French cooking is butter, butter & more butter. Pile it on, man...wait! I was supposed to eat healthy...hmm...butter is healthy since it is a natural, yummy substance that lifts you to heights of gastronomic pleasure?...so its got *ahem* some fat in it...ok, so its pure fat...but we DO need some fat intake for a balanced diet, eh? Fat aside, this is definitely a MUST-TRY if you visit Siem Reap.

To balance my semi-healthy meals at the Blue Pumpkin, I sacrificed my daily coffee for a health drink called Lolita...why it's called Lolita, I'll never figure it out. I think it must be because of the WILD honey...how totally natural & filled with goodness...like butter. :)

It's a refreshing blend of apple, ginger, lemon grass and wild honey. If you love juices, especially healthy blends, this is definitely a Must-Try!

The Blue Pumpkin 365 Mondol 1 Svay Dang Kum Siem Reap Cambodia

Tel: (855) 063 963 574

*PS: When you get there, sit upstairs as they have fab daybed cum sofas for lounging on. I wish I knew that prior to my visit as I would have preferred to lounge instead of sitting on a regular chair. Yeah, I'm a lounge cat....check out their website's home page for a peek at the seats. Thanks, SA for telling me...I'll definitely be back for great food, drinks & a daybed to laze a hot afternoon away on! :)