little lunch.

It has been a long long time, but I am back! This past year + has been quite the season, but I thought what better way to bring it back then with a little caffeination and good aesthetic.

As you know, coffee has always been a passion of mine. So, I decided to start another Instagram account to focus solely on all the coffee that It’s Lena Time embarks with (*plug..follow it @sipswithlena). Of course, that will provide lots of coffee adventures for this here blog.

Now, what’s not to love about an inviting sign with BOLD letters that state the one word we are all looking for? C O F F E E . Sold!

What’s even better is the inside is so quaint but so beautiful. They made such beautiful work inside the square footage.

This is what I call the moment of truth. Waiting as your latte is being made. Will it be good? Will it hit the tastebuds at the right notes?

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The answer is yes, yes it did.

This experience was delightful and Abbott Kinney is always such a fun area in LA to visit. If I could handle more than my one cup of coffee per day, I would have visited every single coffee shop in that 1 mile radius. But alas, that will have to wait until next time.

Xo,

-Lena

Insta-worthy Phnom Penh Vacay.

Hi friends!

I was able to go to Cambodia this past week on a week-long trip. The last time I was there was over 11 years ago, so it was quite a shock to see just how much it has changed over the years!

Thankfully, one of my lovely friends moved back this past year and spent the entire year scoping out all of the cutest spots for my visit. Ha ha… just kidding. But she is a foodie and knows all happening places to go! I am seriously sooo thankful for that as Yelp does not exist in Cambodia!

I hopped off the plane in PP and headed straight to my hotel.. Kabiki Hotel. Located centrally in the middle of town, everything that I wanted to see and do was only about 15 minutes away.

I walked into this amazing oasis in the middle of the hustle and bustle of town. I had such an amazing stay here! It was definitely the perfect way to kick-off my stay in PP.

We wasted no time at all and headed straight to Seekers Gin Distillery – and had the best gin & tonic I have ever had! It had a hint of kefir leaf and wowweeee the flavor was amazing!

 

I mean..even the bottle and everything was so picture perfect. The taste was just as good!

Now there are starting to be some high-rise buildings that are appearing the the developing city. Trust me.. there were no malls or anything even resembling high-rise buildings a decade ago. To see the difference is astounding.

Rosewood Phnom Penh opened a rooftop bar on the 30-something floor. The views and whole bar had me feelin’ like I was in another country!

Alright… time to call it a night. The next morning we woke up and started our day off right. The picture-perfect Sundown Social (located right besides the Russian market) was definitely one of my favorite places. It was SO cute, the drinks were cute, and I had some amazing fried cauliflower bites. 

Since no vacation is complete without lots and lots of food, we continued on to the next spot! This one was very healthy, with smoothies, bowls, and juices! There was even bottles of locally-made Kombucha (which has been my obsession lately). This was called Backyard Eats, which is located right by the palace area.

I hope you are able to check out some of these places if you end up taking a Phnom Penh trip! Let me know if there are any other places I should visit for my next trip there!

Xoxo,

-Lena