Cambodian Bar Etiquette

Cambodian Bar Etiquette

Go into your chosen establishment and sit at your preferred table, sofa, bar, whatever.

Within 3 seconds between 1 and 3 highly attractive barmaids/waitresses will appear at your side carrying drinks lists, menus, cocktail lists, whatever. The usual ration is one barmaid per male customer.

They wait at your side while you peruse said list.

You place your order - ‘som beer lao kompong moie’ - a can of Beer Lao please’

Less than 10 seconds later your barmaid/waitress reappears with a near frozen can of Beer Lao and a frozen glass (roughly a half pint glass with a handle)

She will think pick a tissue out of the wooden tissue box on the table in front of you, wipe the condensation from the top of the can, open the can, then pour the contents into the glass for you.

Options vary at this point in the proceedings.

Option 1 – if you are with your girlfriend/wife/significant other – the barmaid/waitress will return to her post

Option 2 – if you are alone, or in solely male company, then the barmaid/waitress will sit at your table/bar/sofa and make polite conversation and small talk with you ‘hello, what your name, where you come from, what you do, you have wife/girlfriend, you have children, your parents dead or alive, ???’

During this she will sit there and top up your glass after each and every sip that you take from it, top up the free bowl of peanuts, clean up condensation and spillage from the table, et cetera.

When you reach the last inch or so of beer in your glass she will ask ‘you like one more?’ at which point the above ritual is then repeated, and repeated, and repeated… well you get the idea.