Category Archives: Wine & Food

Cambodia – Siem Reap and the Golden Temple Residence


Golden Temple Residence, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Time to begin another long series on yet another lengthy trip. Over the coming months I’ll be showing you our forty-day Southeast Asia adventure, which began in Siem Reap, Cambodia via Singapore on 1 November 2025. From there we ventured on to Bangkok, Thailand, then returned to Singapore for a two-night stay before embarking on a 14-night cruise. That cruise took us to Penang and Phuket, Thailand; Hambantota and Colombo, Sri Lanka; Cochin and Goa, India; finishing up in Mumbai, India. After disembarking in Mumbai, we began an extensive 17-day exploration of India. That tour took us to Jaipur, Ranthambore, Agra, Chennai, and finally to Mahabalipuram (Mamallapuram) before heading back to Singapore for two nights. So, as you can see, we have quite a lot to cover here on the blog over the next several months.

Golden Temple Residence, Siem Reap, Cambodia

But before I get to the fascinating antiquities in and around Siem Reap, Cambodia (such as Angkor Wat), I’m going to do something I seldom even consider. I’m going to show our incredible accommodations here and, on Wednesday, I’ll show you the traditional Khmer dances we enjoyed at this resort’s restaurant during their weekly dinner show. Yes, we were that impressed with this five-star resort — the Golden Temple Residence on Angkor Night Market Street near Sok San Road and almost directly across from the Golden Temple Boutique, which is another five-star resort falling under the same ownership. Not only were the accommodations superb and the restaurant wonderful, but the location was also perfect. We found ourselves less that ten minutes’ walk from Siem Reap’s Art Center Night Market and other major shopping areas.

Golden Temple Residence pool

When you arrive to the Golden Temple Residence and pass through the nondescript outer wall, you’ll stroll past the pool (above) and into the entrance leading to the main lobby:

Golden Temple Residence entrance

Before we take a look at our room, let’s focus once more on that pool:

Poolside seating area
Golden Temple Residence pool

We’ll head to the restaurant in a moment, but for now it’s time to show you our fantastic room:

After visiting the room, Ursula and I headed back toward the lobby and stepped into the adjoining restaurant:

Golden Temple Residence restaurant (reception area visible through the opening on the left)

Here you’ll find a restaurant that caters to local cuisine, which you can see at this menu link. If that’s not to your liking, however, restaurants featuring more western-style foods are nearby. But when in Cambodia….

Wednesday’s article returns us to the same restaurant, but this time for a dinner show featuring traditional Khmer dances.

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Filed under Photography, R. Doug Wicker, Restaurant Review, travel, vacation, Wine & Food

Cape Town — Wine Tour: Blaauwklippen Wine Estate


Blaauwklippen Wine Estate, Stellenbosch, South Africa

We’ve left the Paarl Wine Region behind and today I’m taking you into the Stellenbosch Wine Region for our last wine tasting of this 8 March 2025 tour — the Blaauwklippen Wine Estate. But before I get to the main review, I’m first going to show you something we visited before this tasting. Below is the entrance to the Drakenstein Correctional Centre, a low-security prison located Paarl and Franschhoek. So, why am I posting about this? Well, Drakenstein, back when it was known as Victor Verster Prison, was the final incarceration facility of a very famous Nobel Prize winner. On 11 February 1992, this man walked down the long, tree-lined pathway you see below, and then out the gate:

Nelson Mandela

Monday of last week I told you that the wines at the Rhebokskloof Wine Estate were passable, but the house-made chocolates were superb. Last Wednesday I revealed that Vrede en Lust had, by far, the most consistently good selection of wines, as well as an incredible burger. Today, I’m sorry to report, we finish with the least favorite winery of the tour —Blaauwklippen Wine Estate. And that’s not just me talking. Ursula agreed, as did several of our table mates. If I were inclined to purchase any wines on this tour, this would not be the vintner I would choose. Even the presentation of the snacks left a lot to be desired:

Pretty pathetic looking, eh?

Since I don’t have a lot of good to say about this venue, I’ll just leave you with some images of our visit here:

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Cape Town — Wine Tour: Vrede en Lust Wine Estate


Vrede en Lust Wine Estate

The next stop on our Cape Town-area wine tour was also in the Paarl winemaking region, and it served the best wines of the three wineries we visited on this tour. This stop was also our lunch break, and it was an absolute delight dining here. So, today’s photo tour and review transports you to Vrede en Lust and their Lust Bistro & Bakery. As you can see, Lust Bistro is an immense establishment that doubles as a venue for large private functions and events:

Lust Bistro & Bakery

I was rather captivated at how they softened the industrial-style cathedral ceiling with the addition of vigas and latillas, a common feature where we live, in the American Southwest. And, yes, that’s an operable fireplace at the far end of the room, embedded in that rustic brick wall:

Lust Bistro viga architecture

This Lust menu is a good one, with breakfast and lunch options, although rather limited to simpler fare. Both Ursula and I opted for something we don’t normally do while traveling, as we prefer to try more traditionally local foods. We went with the burger knowing we would have ample opportunity for traditional South African cuisine later. We were most assuredly not disappointed.

Lust Bistro burger and fries

The fries were good, better than most in fact. But the burger was exquisite. I’ll let the menu tell you what the Lust burger contains — “200g beef patty, caramelised onion, smoked tomato relish, mature cheddar, crispy bacon, rocket (arugula), chimichurri mayo on a sesame bun.” The translates to big, juicy, and flavorful:

A burger to “lust” over

We kept dessert simple, and for a wine tasting event, on the traditional side:

Cheese, fruit, fresh-baked bread, crackers, olives, and chutney

While lunch was very enjoyable, we were actually here for the wines. And Vrede en Lust did not disappoint. Of the three wineries we visited this tour, the wines here were consistently good across the sampling. Alas, I neglected to note the varietals. My bad.

Vrede en Lust — Sparkling, rosé, white, and red

Next Monday we’ll finish up this tour with our walk through Stellenbosch and on Wednesday our third winery stop. Until then, here are some more Vrede en Lust images:

Lust Bistro & Bakery
Vrede en Lust’s Paarl vineyard
CHEERS!

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