Phnom Penh Russian Market - Exploring The Neighborhood

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Far East Travels Video Podcast

Society & Culture


In this video, Phnom Penh Russian Market, Exploring The Neighborhood I check inside the market and visit some places and people that have made the area their home. This is one of the city's most interesting neighborhoods. A mix of traditional Khmer stores and shops, and expat businesses, with the center of the neighborhood being the Russian Market, or Toul Tom Puong. It's still a busy area but I find it a little more relaxing to walk and explore it's many streets and lanes that are quieter than many parts of Phnom Penh. Only a 20 minute tuk-tuk ride from Riverside it definitely attracts a different crowd which mostly is made up of locals, expats, and some tourists that are interested in the market, shopping, and eating at some of the most diverse restaurants and cafes in the city. The Russian Market got it's name from the expat Russians who made this area their home in the 1980's, a time when most of the expats of Phnom Penh were from the former Soviet Union. Today the expat community is quite diverse, with people from many Western countries who are here either as English teachers, NGO workers, or entrepreneurs. There are also expats from other parts of Asia including India, Turkey, and the Philippines as well as China. This is a fantastic neighborhood to sample classic street food at either the night market outside Toul Tom Poung market that operates every evening or at many of the food carts that you'll find in the area. I enjoyed my dinner at Nesat Seafood House but there are also some traditional seafood bbq stands and restaurants around Toul Tom Puong. It was great meeting Tyler from Riel Brewing Distillery. They are usually open a couple of nights a week but they are primarily a brewery supplying their wonderful craft beers to restaurants in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. Visit their website to find out more:Riel Brewing Distilling