Cicadas sang a chorus as the forest opened out. I peered into the darkness and traced the distant contour of a monumental religious complex, a remarkable feat of human civilisation. Keyed up with my first visit, I crossed a floating bridge, a soon-to-be-dismantled construction, over a large moat in the midst of lush vegetation. Before dawn, I arrived at Angkor Wat.
Siem Reap s Raffles Grand Hotel d Angkor awaits your custom afr.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from afr.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
From top: Khmer kitchen’s entrance, the life-size canoe and the Queen’s Terrace Bar
Cambodian motifs and flavours find room in the littérateur and playwright’s former writing studio, as Khmer Kitchen welcomes guests in Bengaluru
Number 697, JP Nagar 2nd Phase. Today, it is the address of Bengaluru’s new Southeast Asian restaurant with a Cambodian thrust, Khmer Kitchen. But until just three years ago, it was the residence and writing studio of late littérateur, actor and playwright, Girish Karnad. It was where he penned books, met with local luminaries like actor and theatre personality Arundhati Nag, and wrote his last play
Now, enjoy a Cambodian meal in Girish Karnad’s former home in Bengaluru
Khmer Kitchen in JP Nagar is an ode to the Southeast Asian country
Mud crabs with fresh green peppercorn
Khmer Kitchen in JP Nagar is a familiar location to South Bangaloreans. It was the old house of actor, littérateur and playwright Girish Karnad before it was converted into a Cambodian cuisine restaurant. Conceived by architect Naveen Reddy and his wife and business partner Veena, Khmer Kitchen is a labour of love.
When Veena wished to open an Asian themed café, Naveen was in Cambodia on an architectural project. Smitten by the food, he extended his trip and travelled to Battambang, Kampot and Kaoh Ker. Naveen ended up visiting Cambodia eight times to learn the nuances of garden cooking, village home cooking and the art of making rice noodles. There, he collaborated with local experts and chefs like Chef Kethana Dunnet, author of