Downcast by Design

[Phnom Penh, 1/11/26]

A Den is not dead, I just found out. Its hours have been cut back, however. Sitting there around 5:15AM, I hear much laughter from three Vietnamese women. Just chattering is mirthful. Sharing my table is a Cambodian eating two sticks of fried dough he dips into his coffee. Done, he laughs at all these TikTok videos. When a friend shows up, this man, too, says nothing while staring at his phone. Now alone, an old Vietnamese stares at her screen.

On the wall are photos of family trips to Angkor Wat, the Champa ruins in Bình Thuận, Cơm Niêu Cao Phát restaurant in Phan Thiết and Vạn Linh Temple in An Giang. They’ve done well enough, then, to enjoy themselves at distant places. Since A Den’s owner is a taciturn, unsmiling old man, I leave after one coffee. “Cám ơn,” he mutters.

Back at Kopie, I soon see Simon and his wife returning from a night out. He doesn’t appear drunk.