Pizza for the Kids and Peace for Harried Parents

Pizza for the Kids and Peace for Harried Parents

The kids are whining, you are hot and bothered, another night of tummy trouble is going to be the death of you and junior swears he is not going to eat anything that looks remotely Asian. Or maybe you just want some good old fashioned junk food delivered to your door. Days like this, the first fast food chain to open in Cambodia is a welcome option.

Pizza Company is a Thai chain with more than 120 outlets in that country alone. It set up shop in Cambodia a couple of years ago and proved an instant hit with the locals - both Cambodian and expatriate.

By dialing 023 211 112 you can have a choice of around two dozen varieties of pizza as well as a range of appetizers and pasta delivered to your hotel or apartment door. This is technically guaranteed to happen within 30 minutes of your order, although this is sometimes a Cambodian 30 minutes, and the compensation for tardiness is nothing more than a shy Khmer smile from the delivery guy, but at least delivery is free.

There are also two air-conditioned outlets - on the fourth floor of the Sorya shopping center, and on Vimeantep, directly behind the German Embassy off Street 214. Both of these are extremely child friendly, and even the fussiest kid can find something on the extensive menu to at least pick at - beware the spicy chicken wings for the littlies, however.

The cheese crust and sausage and cheese crust pizzas might be a little rich for adult tastes, but are a great hit with children. Toppings include all the usual international pizza favorites, as well as distinctly Asian-style offerings like Tom Yung Kung. For those with kids like mine who are in that stage where they refuse to eat "green stuff" - i.e. vegetables - the Meat Deluxe is entirely vegetable free, and the Canadian Bacon is also bereft of greenery, although dotted with corn kernels.

Besides being cool and surrounded by staff who seem impervious to sprinting, cart wheeling kids, one of the other attractions of Pizza Company is watching veterans of the extensive salad bar create gravity-defying structures built on carrot sticks and celery that rival anything lifetime patrons of Pizza Hut in other countries can achieve.

Staff speak excellent English, service is usually prompt and drink pitchers of Coke and other soft drinks are excellent value. The kitchen is spotless and hygiene is a high priority at this chain, making it a good choice for tourists traveling with small children.

A large cheese crust Meat Deluxe and garlic bread will set you back a little under $14, making it a good family meal option. Vegetarians also have a good range of toppings and dishes to choose from, and vegans can always fall back on the salad bar (although salads are not delivered). Hippies take note - Pizza Company pizzas do not come "happy".

Of course, the capital has a good choice of higher end, gourmet pizza restaurants, wood fired wonders and the riverside group popular with the backpacker crowd. But sometimes, all you want is a family friendly dose of mass market chain food where you don't have to worry about the kids stoking the wood fire while you aren't looking.