The Sesame Noodle Bar

I'm not a food blogger, and I have no intention of cluttering up this blog with incompetently written culinary reviews, but this place, around the corner from the Russian Market, just rocks.  

Entry requirements are made plain.

 

They like large pieces of cow art. (Brien, we're in good company here!) 

They also have a fair amount of cat art, and as I glanced over at the bar, I noticed a slightly out-of-place feline draped over it. Hey, look at the classic Turkish tulip design on that porcelain!

Then I looked farther down the bar where the bottles were lined up, and what an eclectic mix it was!  But right at the end of the line, under the Turkish cat's watchful (or not so watchful) gaze was this.

Turcophiles will recognise this at once.  Raki is the Turkish equivalent of Ouzo -- a potent, anise-flavoured spirit.  I said something to the waitress about Turkey, and she immediately called to the owner, not understanding what I was asking. The owner is an American fellow, about my age, who just visited Istanbul recently with his Japanese wife. They came back to PP with the Iznik cat, the Yeni Raki, and now that I look at this photo more closely, what looks like a meerschaum pipe on a stand.  Markku, you and I once agreed that raki just doesn't taste right outside of Turkey. What do you think -- would you order a shot in Phnom Penh?

Oh, right, the Sesame Noodle Bar is in fact a restaurant, and I ordered a bowl of the house sesame noodles. To. die. for.  Loads of veggies, boiled egg, tofu, icy cold green noodles and a sublime sesame sauce for $3.75.  Their house wines are $3/glass, less at happy hour. They also have pork for the carnivores. I'll be haunting this place, I think.