Sunny Up with V!: KAIFUN: cool hangout spot

Hi All,

I’m back from my hiatus! Please look forward to more reviews - no matter how sporadic they’ll may be. I have soooo much to update like places to go, where to sleep and things to eat in Hong Kong and Korea bbbuuuuuuuuttttttttt I’ve honestly been a bum. #sloth #deadlysin

Overthinking as to how much should I really eat???

I tried out newly minted KAIFUN in Phnom Penh. It’s located in BKK1 near Burger King. KAIFUN calls themselves “a casual eatery of small plates ranging from tacos, pizza, burgers, curry rices, kimchi to BBQ beef.” I agree with their statement. They had small plates of food where it’s kinda wanna-be tapas but they’re not Spanish so they can’t be called tapas sort of place.

A/C cottage that seats about 20

Street parking is limited. Spaces for motos are plenty. Wide open courtyard in the front reminisce American’s summer days where you relax to a BBQ. A bbq cart, antique VW minivan for cooking, and a fire pit for pizza. Back lot is the small shop for probably 20 people. Really felt like I was at a friend’s countryhouse.

VW minibus serving up $1.50 delicacies.

The owner didn’t interact with me as he attempt to make his first paella. From the oohs and ahhs of the big party, you’d think it was spectacular. However, I’ve been to Barcelona, Spain and that’s not a paella. No, no, no.

Loved the atmosphere. It’s a cozy warmth feeling where you can chitchat with your friends and enjoy the night. Light snacks with one or two cocktails = PLEASANT evening. I went on a weekday so don’t know the weekend crowd. Presumably the same unpretentious vibe.

peekaboo boo

What’s enticing is the big signs and simple menu that states practically EVERYTHING is $1.50. But when you start ordering a lot, those $1.50 plates add up. Especially if you add drinks.

Let’s countdown to my favorite from KAIFUN:

#5 Coconut Salad: it sounds more exotic than the actual taste. It’s package cutely. A handful of sald is placed in a hard-shell cracker. I’m not sure where the coconut was, maybe it was suppose to be toasted coconut topping. The coconut was underwhelmed by the strong dressing.

beautiful but not lasting

#4 Clams: from an accountant’s point of view, 100g of these white claims for $1,50 is overpriced what’s selling at the local market. However, because it’s in a resturant, it’s a great deal. I think it’s cheaper than Lobster Bay prices. I also realised that these imported clams are becoming popular in Cambodia.

satisfying clams

#3 Mini Burger: it’s a mini burger and tastes what a burger is suppose to taste like. I actually assumed it was a beef burger - because most burgers are beef UNLESS specified otherwise. Think again my friends. Middle of the line, safe bet.

mini chicken burger

#2 Cuban Sandwich: I was probably expecting too much because I was thinking of Portos (SoCal love) and the cuban resturant where I use to live. I was disappointed because this was not the Cubana I was eagerly waiting for. Maybe I was wrong to judge. It said Cuban not Cubana. But still, where are my plaintain bananas? I do love the cheese in this sandwich but would love it more if it had more meat.

Cuban or Cubana: is there a difference?

#1 Hawaiian Pizza: My favorite for the night. It was just so small and CUTE. I may be bias because of my penchant for pizza though. Carbs (dough), Diary (cheese), little bit of Meat (ham) and a touch of Fruit (pineapple). Almost a homerun if they added some sort of veggie on it. But seriously, why would you want to add veggies to my hawaiian pizza? 4 out of 5 ain’t bad my friend.

pizza!

Bonus Drink: Passionfruit tea. This was probably the best I’ve ever had. If they added liquor in, it would be the best passionfruit mojito in the world. Lots of passionfruit pulp and mint. [I forgot to take a picture because it was PHAT good]

Maybe KAIFUN does have something going on. It’s cheap so you can share and enjoy a variety of items from the menu. It’s bite-size so you get just a taste. Everything’s better when you’ve only had a little. Enjoy the weekends~