All you can eat . . . and it’s under one huge roof

There is much more than just shopping at Phnom Penh’s newest mall. Chelsea Chapman andWill Jackson went to AEON Mall to sample some of the various culinary delights on offer.

MIAM MIAM Dining at Miam Miam is certainly a cultural experience. Which culture? Seems like most of them. Miam Miam started out as a Singaporean chain serving food inspired by French-influenced restaurants and cafes in Japan and now the AEON Mall restaurant is their first in Cambodia. To give you a bit of an idea what they’re about, according to the menu their “all time favourite” dish is their Miam Miam Spaghetti ($8.90) which features frankfurters, tomatoes, bacon, mushrooms, spinach and tomatoes tossed in French butter as well as a “secret broth” and soy sauce, crowned with a soft-poached egg. Other dishes include squid ink rice and teriyaki chicken baguettes. Miam Miam, second floor, AEON Mall

KAIHOMARU SUSHI Kaihomaru Sushi’s all you can eat buffet (lunch $12, dinner $16) gives you 80 minutes to pack in as much sushi and assorted Japanese cuisine as you can. The sushi selection includes all the usual suspects – tuna, salmon, seafood – plus a few more unusual options like tamagoyaki, sweetened egg layered upon egg on top of seaweed and rice. There’s also a selection of warm food including chawan mushi – a delicious savoury custard dish served with pork and water lily in a tea cup – Japanese-style stir fry, a variety of salads and a muffin or two to finish off. Go on an empty stomach to make sure you get your money’s worth. Kaihomaru Sushi, third flood, AEON Mall

KHEMA Khema – the latest venture of the Thalias Group, which also owns the high end Phnom Penh restaurants Topaz and Malis – should be your first stop if you’re planning a boozy picnic or debaucherous afternoon tea. The extravagant deli has an almost endless range of confectionary, glistening chocolate treats, cakes, eclairs, colourful macaroons, charcuterie, foie gras, terrines and rillettes and a growing selection of wines, mainly French. You can also eat in and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea. Khema, ground floor, AEON Mall.

STICKY If you’re a fan of “traditional hand-made yummy” - as opposed to industrially mass-produced yummy - then Sticky, which carries that slogan, is the shop for you. Sticky sells hard candy in a variety of flavours with the twist that it’s all made in the shop right in front of the customers. The process – in which they create a thick sausage of candy layers then stretch it out into a thin strand before cutting it up – is a joy to watch. The candy is available from $2.30 a packet. Sticky, ground floor, AEON Mall.

SANUKI KAMAAGE UDON At one end of AEON’s third floor Japanese food section a cafeteria-style eatery serves that Japanese staple – udon noodles. Dished up in front of you, the bowls of udon come topped up with your choice of sauce. The curry (regular $3.50, large, $4.50) comes highly recommended and not too spicy. Grab some greens at the tempura station (75c-$1.25), and you’ve got yourself a well balanced meal. The portions are generous: a regular should satisfy the average punter.​ Sanuki Kamaage Udon, third floor, AEON Mall

BEARD PAPA’S Exploding with custard, Beard Papa’s sweet pies threaten to make a mess of your face. Japan’s answer to the profiterole, the pastries are a sweet and light way to finish a feast or reward yourself after a hard day of shopping. There are three options – plain, cookie and chocolate éclair – and they offer deals for those who wish to buy one with a drink or in a multi pack. Beard Papa’s, ground floor, AEON Mall Sat, 26 July 2014 l Chelsea Chapman and Will Jackson l Phnom Penh Post