Aeon Mall 1 Phnom Penh Discoveries
Oh yes there are Aeon Malls in Phnom Penh! The original branch was near my hotel. It was my go-to place (~600 meters away) when I needed anything while in this city.
This was nearest to me during this stay, though I saw that other establishments are coming up soon on this riverside strip alone. Yep, Phnom Penh is modernizing, fast!
In fact, while walkable (for me), Toyoko Inn has a regularly scheduled free shuttle to and from Aeon Mall - very safe & convenient when returning to the hotel late nights.
Not that the area/vicinity is unsafe security-wise. But lately, this stretch of riverbank here, teems with simultaneous high-rise developments. Lots of construction debris.
They have longer mall hours here. Most shops are open 9AM until 10PM, while the GF supermarket/foodcourt opens at 8AM. Bowling and Cinemas are until midnight.
Why was I all-of-a-sudden interested in malls? Uhh, while I'd rather go to museums, plazas, churches, beaches or mountains than a mall big or small, I have exceptions!
This situation was one of them: I couldn't see any nearby restaurants or eateries!
Fact: on my first visit to this Aeon Mall, it was for a much-needed dinner. This:
Ang bad trip lang (usual yan di ba?), wala silang Coke! Kaso gutom na ako eh. GOra!
I noticed too, their drinks (parang sa America they call it "soda", not "softdrink" - siguro kasi mahirap bigkasin) are all 'large'. Wala nang upsize-upsize, magpaka-lunod ka pa!
Tingin ko mas maliit ang manok nila, compared to KLIA2, pero mas maputla parang doon sa KFC sa Robinsons Place Tacloban. I noticed just now, I did not have gravy?!
Eh, that's my only favorite at KFC! Ah I don't know, I was probably too hungry to look or crave for it that time. Maybe because I did not have a full meal yet since Danang.
I must have been starving that time, because I usually don't, but I even ordered this:
And there was a fun twist when I ordered that. I said please add one "large fries"; the clerk asked okay, add one "ektalyte"? I said no no, "French Fries" emphasizing F and R!
She laughed, we both laughed, and she said okay, one "lart fly". I nodded!
Did you notice it came in a saucer? It came later. It was 'to follow', and I was given a number - like they do everywhere else, right? However, the server brought it in a tray, (which is also common), but the 'box', as you can see, was placed in a saucer. Why?
My guess, it would be the Cambodian culture, learned from their colonizers, France. Bonnes manières à table and Etiquette still linger in Cambodia, even at the fastfoods.
But I wouldn't be surprised if saucers start disappearing - along with the silverware. KFC is American Fastfood in the first place! It'll start with "an earth-friendly narrative".
You wanna bet? I can already foresee, they'll 'position' that as something like kesyo water is scarce, earth is suffering, washing utensils is waste of water ganun-ganun, so plastic o palo-tsina nalang ang kubiertos na gagamitin. Done na sa Pinas yan di ba?
At least ke McDo at Jollibee, totally. Disposable na lahat. Mas mura kasi yan!
So, in the near future, my 'extra' large-fries won't anymore be served on a platter like that. Baka parang sa atin na rin, iniitsa na lang with a singsong "your large fries sir"!
Hahaha! What... ever! I still like KFC (pag wala si bubuyog). Sana Coke na rin sila!
Oy, before I leave this fastfood topic, I just remembered, kahit tayo we had to adapt, adjust and eventually adopt some of the American fastfood eating ways. Example?
Aw, an example I know, that many of you my readers (including me) cannot yet fully accept the American way, is how we use ketchup (catsup) with/for french fries. Da!
Oo, pupusta ako, marami sa inyo (if not all?) naiilang pa, nag-aalangan pa, na ilagay ang ketchup na yan sa paper liner ng fastfood tray nyo. Korek? Damak-damak 'no?!
Example sa atin yan, that we (especially the younger ones) are already copying the yucky American-way hehe! Sa Cambodia di pa nila atim ilagay si box ng fries sa tray!
Naka-platito pa talaga. Na ceramic! But we all know, mawawala din yan.
A reversion to crude habits, thanks to American-style fastfood. Money over manners.
Kung hindi man yan mangyari sa Cambodia, eh di wow!
Teka.., tama na yan. We're talking about Aeon Mall. Madami pang ibang sightings!
Aw, eto last na on KFC. They gave me a mug. Christmas Giveaway daw nila!
I forgot to ask what 2011 means. Because, KFC started 2008 in Phnom Penh, while this Aeon Mall started in 2014. If this branch was their 10th, ano ang 2011? Ambot!
It was actually a good kind of mug. I wanted to bring it home. Kakaiba eh, unusual.
Unfortunately, during packing, it would not fit in any of my bags. It had a big box. If I removed it from its box mababasag lang. Ang ending, I gave it to Toyoko front desk!
At least me picture ako sa kanya. Binitbit ko pa yan from mall to hotel. Hmp!
Okay. I next strolled into the supermarket area and found this interesting display:
What's interesting? Oh not the Angkor Beer, that's common in Cambodia, kanila yan. The most interesting (for me at least) are: 1) the blue-and-gray box at the top; 2) the price tag in the middle; and 3) that leftmost bottlecap at the bottom. Yes, they have!
I said: mamaya ka, I will not get out of this place without you, pramis!
Let's translate that, as I did during this 'discovery': San Miguel Light Pack means the six-pack box (6 bottles in a cute carrying cardboard box). Wala yata ganyan sa atin.
It is USD9.60 per pack. At today's (26DEC2018) exchange rate (PHP52.76 to a dollar), ang 6-pack na yan was worth PHP506.50, so mga P80 isang bote. Pwede na, di ba?
Pwede! Kasi sa mga resto natin, P70+ yan. Eh nasa Cambodia ka. Blessing na yan!
Onwards more, as I roamed the supermarket of this mall, I stumbled upon this...
In my mind, all I could say was "OMG, I can live here"! Comes out as P77 isang bote!
And then I had to suppress laughing out loud when I read the name of this store:
I've seen that name in some Pinoy FB pages. I think it's a Thai store/brand. I also do know it as a cocktail drink name. But, natatawa ako dahil nasasagwaan ako hehehe!
Maryusep, what else will I encounter in my travels? Sa Brazil me nabasa ako, ito.
Ah, I hope the others have too, but I liked finding this kind of store inside Aeon Mall.
It's a privately owned souvenir shop (unlike your usual government-owned OTOP store or kung anu-anong pasalubong stall). All items they sell are true Cambodian products.
I didn't buy any, but made butingting many things. All are export-quality products.
And still inside this mall, there's a sand art stall with the artist doing his job on site.
He is not Khmer. English pa lang halata nang of western origins sya. But amazing to watch him do his meticulous laborious craft - lalo na the landscapes in little bottles.
I guess I haven't seen something like that in our inang bayan! Ang galing, ang husay!
On other window-shopping visits, I always enjoyed eating at this very familiar brand.
Do not wonder why many brands in this mall are of the Japanese kind. Look back at the previous picture: Daiso, Jaikon, Owndays - all them are from Japan. そうそう！
Aeon Mall nga eh. As said earlier, Aeon is a Jap company. Paging Henry Sy hehe!
Okay, quick rush picture lang. Unlike at Kaohsiung, I needed to work pa on this one.
What 'work'? Ah, I always want to immediately turn the meat over so everything gets well-cooked, dahil tingnan mo naman, ang pula-pula pa ng karne. But that is normal!
Sukiyaki yan - my favorite way of eating beef - maninipis ang bawat cut.
I think pareho lang ang price sa atin? That's USD9.90, so mga PHP520+ yata!
Add to that my Coke in can, plus VAT(10% lang), 'di nalalayo sa Philippine prices 'no?
Here's a 'palaisipan': I passed by and saw the appliance department of the mall. Ito:
So what's the "palaisipan"? Look closely, everything is written in English. Lingaw ba!
One more thing...
Another day I felt my head a bit aching (OMG is this old age?). I guessed it must have been the excessive outdoor heat - always 32 to 34°C, while in Cebu it's only mga 29°C.
Naghanap ng Biogesic, sa Aeon Mall syempre. Wala! Ito lang ang meron sila...
I know they are not the same, but for my headaches (nagmamarunong), pwede na! I usually have these tiny things in my toiletry kit but somehow, this time ubos na pala.
Huwag tularan!
Anyway, since I was already there roaming, I looked around and smiled seeing this:
Gets mo what made me smile? Yung maliit na nag-iisang berdeng bote sa top shelf. Orig hehe! As in the seal even says "walang patawad sa mikrobyo"! Made in the PH!
Oh, the 2 kinds of "Agua Oxigenada" are of the same brand. Nakaka-proud din di ba?
I don't know if that's 'human nature' or 'Pinoy culture' o kung ako lang pala, but when I see people/things abroad, that come from our sariling inang bayan, nakaka-proud!
Now now children hehehe...
Eto pa ang isang nakaka-aliw, talagang umatras pa ako just to take this picture...
Botika yan, obvious naman. And I was paying for my Advil. Pero tingin ka sa counter ng cashier.., kasama sa binabayaran ko ay.., yung 6-pack ng SML.., meron pala sila!
Sabagay, gamot din naman yan. Gamot sa lungkot at pagka-bagot! Amen? Amen!
Anyway, here is what differentiates the tuktuk in Cambodia versus our tricycles...
They're available anywhere with designated parking/waiting areas even at big malls or even the airports. Sa atin, pag hindi 4-wheels, itataboy yan sa mga mall o airport!
Hey btw, the Cambodian tuktuk is evolving. Some are (still) like those in Thailand (3-wheels na merong reverse mode); many are now like our e-trikes; and many more are now like the above - parang kalesa using motorbike instead of horse! Napansin mo?
You can go back to my walk story, I have an accidental pic of those 3 diffrent kinds!
Isa pang by the way, iyan so manong driver speaks good English. Many of them do. At pag sila nag-English, mas madali intindihin kesa sa Thai or even Singaporean na nag-e-English. Ay, isama mo pa dyan yun English ng taga-"mainland" at lalo na Viet!
Not to mention, ang 'Khmer Friendliness' parang Pinoy. How? Ambot. Adto ra gud!
Okay that's it pusit!
Those were things I 'discovered' at Aeon Mall 1. I haven't been to their second store (malayo from this place). Oh I hear there's even a 3rd one being built near the airport!
Anyway, let's talk about my hotel next!
In fact, while walkable (for me), Toyoko Inn has a regularly scheduled free shuttle to and from Aeon Mall - very safe & convenient when returning to the hotel late nights.
They have longer mall hours here. Most shops are open 9AM until 10PM, while the GF supermarket/foodcourt opens at 8AM. Bowling and Cinemas are until midnight.
Why was I all-of-a-sudden interested in malls? Uhh, while I'd rather go to museums, plazas, churches, beaches or mountains than a mall big or small, I have exceptions!
This situation was one of them: I couldn't see any nearby restaurants or eateries!
Fact: on my first visit to this Aeon Mall, it was for a much-needed dinner. This:
I noticed too, their drinks (parang sa America they call it "soda", not "softdrink" - siguro kasi mahirap bigkasin) are all 'large'. Wala nang upsize-upsize, magpaka-lunod ka pa!
Eh, that's my only favorite at KFC! Ah I don't know, I was probably too hungry to look or crave for it that time. Maybe because I did not have a full meal yet since Danang.
I must have been starving that time, because I usually don't, but I even ordered this:
She laughed, we both laughed, and she said okay, one "lart fly". I nodded!
Did you notice it came in a saucer? It came later. It was 'to follow', and I was given a number - like they do everywhere else, right? However, the server brought it in a tray, (which is also common), but the 'box', as you can see, was placed in a saucer. Why?
My guess, it would be the Cambodian culture, learned from their colonizers, France. Bonnes manières à table and Etiquette still linger in Cambodia, even at the fastfoods.
But I wouldn't be surprised if saucers start disappearing - along with the silverware. KFC is American Fastfood in the first place! It'll start with "an earth-friendly narrative".
You wanna bet? I can already foresee, they'll 'position' that as something like kesyo water is scarce, earth is suffering, washing utensils is waste of water ganun-ganun, so plastic o palo-tsina nalang ang kubiertos na gagamitin. Done na sa Pinas yan di ba?
At least ke McDo at Jollibee, totally. Disposable na lahat. Mas mura kasi yan!
So, in the near future, my 'extra' large-fries won't anymore be served on a platter like that. Baka parang sa atin na rin, iniitsa na lang with a singsong "your large fries sir"!
Hahaha! What... ever! I still like KFC (pag wala si bubuyog). Sana Coke na rin sila!
Oy, before I leave this fastfood topic, I just remembered, kahit tayo we had to adapt, adjust and eventually adopt some of the American fastfood eating ways. Example?
Aw, an example I know, that many of you my readers (including me) cannot yet fully accept the American way, is how we use ketchup (catsup) with/for french fries. Da!
Oo, pupusta ako, marami sa inyo (if not all?) naiilang pa, nag-aalangan pa, na ilagay ang ketchup na yan sa paper liner ng fastfood tray nyo. Korek? Damak-damak 'no?!
Example sa atin yan, that we (especially the younger ones) are already copying the yucky American-way hehe! Sa Cambodia di pa nila atim ilagay si box ng fries sa tray!
Naka-platito pa talaga. Na ceramic! But we all know, mawawala din yan.
A reversion to crude habits, thanks to American-style fastfood. Money over manners.
Kung hindi man yan mangyari sa Cambodia, eh di wow!
Teka.., tama na yan. We're talking about Aeon Mall. Madami pang ibang sightings!
Aw, eto last na on KFC. They gave me a mug. Christmas Giveaway daw nila!
It was actually a good kind of mug. I wanted to bring it home. Kakaiba eh, unusual.
At least me picture ako sa kanya. Binitbit ko pa yan from mall to hotel. Hmp!
Okay. I next strolled into the supermarket area and found this interesting display:
I said: mamaya ka, I will not get out of this place without you, pramis!
Let's translate that, as I did during this 'discovery': San Miguel Light Pack means the six-pack box (6 bottles in a cute carrying cardboard box). Wala yata ganyan sa atin.
It is USD9.60 per pack. At today's (26DEC2018) exchange rate (PHP52.76 to a dollar), ang 6-pack na yan was worth PHP506.50, so mga P80 isang bote. Pwede na, di ba?
Pwede! Kasi sa mga resto natin, P70+ yan. Eh nasa Cambodia ka. Blessing na yan!
Onwards more, as I roamed the supermarket of this mall, I stumbled upon this...
And then I had to suppress laughing out loud when I read the name of this store:
Maryusep, what else will I encounter in my travels? Sa Brazil me nabasa ako, ito.
Ah, I hope the others have too, but I liked finding this kind of store inside Aeon Mall.
I didn't buy any, but made butingting many things. All are export-quality products.
And still inside this mall, there's a sand art stall with the artist doing his job on site.
I guess I haven't seen something like that in our inang bayan! Ang galing, ang husay!
On other window-shopping visits, I always enjoyed eating at this very familiar brand.
Aeon Mall nga eh. As said earlier, Aeon is a Jap company. Paging Henry Sy hehe!
Okay, quick rush picture lang. Unlike at Kaohsiung, I needed to work pa on this one.
Sukiyaki yan - my favorite way of eating beef - maninipis ang bawat cut.
I think pareho lang ang price sa atin? That's USD9.90, so mga PHP520+ yata!
Here's a 'palaisipan': I passed by and saw the appliance department of the mall. Ito:
One more thing...
Another day I felt my head a bit aching (OMG is this old age?). I guessed it must have been the excessive outdoor heat - always 32 to 34°C, while in Cebu it's only mga 29°C.
Naghanap ng Biogesic, sa Aeon Mall syempre. Wala! Ito lang ang meron sila...
Huwag tularan!
Anyway, since I was already there roaming, I looked around and smiled seeing this:
Oh, the 2 kinds of "Agua Oxigenada" are of the same brand. Nakaka-proud din di ba?
I don't know if that's 'human nature' or 'Pinoy culture' o kung ako lang pala, but when I see people/things abroad, that come from our sariling inang bayan, nakaka-proud!
Now now children hehehe...
Eto pa ang isang nakaka-aliw, talagang umatras pa ako just to take this picture...
Sabagay, gamot din naman yan. Gamot sa lungkot at pagka-bagot! Amen? Amen!
Anyway, here is what differentiates the tuktuk in Cambodia versus our tricycles...
Hey btw, the Cambodian tuktuk is evolving. Some are (still) like those in Thailand (3-wheels na merong reverse mode); many are now like our e-trikes; and many more are now like the above - parang kalesa using motorbike instead of horse! Napansin mo?
You can go back to my walk story, I have an accidental pic of those 3 diffrent kinds!
Isa pang by the way, iyan so manong driver speaks good English. Many of them do. At pag sila nag-English, mas madali intindihin kesa sa Thai or even Singaporean na nag-e-English. Ay, isama mo pa dyan yun English ng taga-"mainland" at lalo na Viet!
Not to mention, ang 'Khmer Friendliness' parang Pinoy. How? Ambot. Adto ra gud!
Okay that's it pusit!
Those were things I 'discovered' at Aeon Mall 1. I haven't been to their second store (malayo from this place). Oh I hear there's even a 3rd one being built near the airport!
Anyway, let's talk about my hotel next!
#aeonmall #phnompenh
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