Sony a5100 | cait +tiff

Hello Quinoa Rainbowl! Nice to meet you!.

This week, a red headed birdy sent me a bit of magic! Jen, whom you previously have known as coffee Yoda and professor of beans, is also a doctor of menus! (Could mother of dragons be next?) Over the past few months, she’s been working with ARTillery Cafe in Phnom Penh to give their menu a facelift, and what a great job she’s done!

When it first arrived on the scene in 2012, ARTillery was pretty much the first restaurant in Cambodia to enter the realm of the healthy that went beyond salads. All of a sudden, raw, paleo, and gluten free, were buzzwords that became part of the Phnom Penh lexicon. I loved their menu! And it was a go-to for healthy fresh salads and fun plates. But like all good things, I overdosed on things.

This is where Jen comes in. She’s all about flavour, and has a genetic lineage to the healthy, nutritious and delicious. ARTillery’s new menu is still incredibly healthy. But it got kicked in the nuts. Kimchi quesadillas! Fa-waffles! Every single macro bowl you could imagine! And the dish that made me go a little nuts: paleo Disco Fries!

Fa-waffle!

So off to lunch I went today to deep dive into Jen’s garden of fun colourful things. With a couple of fellow foodies, we went a little nuts. Sadly not pictured are the Jump Start avocado, coffee, raw cacao and cashew milk smoothie I may or may not have devoured in one slurp. Nor the Cachata (cousin of horcata of course), or Chunky Monkey (we were obviously in the mood for chocolate). But I did get a snap of Jen’s amazing green fa-waffle with hummus and garlic tahini sauce (above). It’s officially my new happy place.

I also learned that I couldn’t tell the difference between jackfruit and chicken today. These tacos (below) were perfect.

Not your grandma’s tacos. These babies are jackfruit.

It’s healthy with a bit of a whimsy and magic. Fully customizable bowls. Protein, gut health, fermented things to your heart’s content. I like the good things and the healthy things. It’s exactly how I want to eat this year, and now that I’m desk-bound, my lunch hour just got a little more exciting. I can’t wait to try that cauliflower bun. If you’re in town, do wander down a certain brightly graffitied alley and give these guys a try.

All photos by Tiffany Tsang for cait+tiff. Please request permission for use.

So last week, Rhiannon and I were chatting. Specifically about how we both needed to draw more. And further, that we should draw together. And that we should invite other creative ladies in our lives to join us. We wound up with two pros (Rhiannon and crazy talented visiting Nat) and a wonderful group of incredibly creative lady friends (including singers!). Under the shade of the very hospitable Rambutan’s Phnom Penh Resort on a bright and cool Sunday in the city, we ordered tasty things, delicious leftover birthday cake was had, all pastels and coloured pencils came out. And most importantly, we planned for future crafternoons. It was really the perfect thing.

I’m naturally easily distracted. Especially if I have a new toy with me. So I was more than eager to shoot all the creating that was happening around me.

This afternoon was inspired by Leah Reena Goren’s new book, Ladies’ Drawing Night. I’m a huge fan of her work. Alongside fellow illustrators, Julia Rothman and Rachael Cole, I love their push for this collaborative creativity. We brought together a bunch of beautiful women, some of our dearest friends, some of whom had never met each other. I was bursting with excitement watching new friendships form and hearing a desire for more events like these to happen. (Because I tend to be that creepy fly on the wall). To be in this company of women? Epic.

Rhiannon lead the session with timed drawing exercises surrounding a theme. Your crazy uncle! High heels! Feet! The person sitting across from you! You have 3 minutes! Go!! Check out what Rhiannon can do in that tiny speck of time.

Wherever you are, I definitely recommend grabbing a bunch of your buddies, and spending a few hours letting your creative freak flag fly and discovering a side that doesn’t typically come out over just a glass of wine.