It’s the Chinese New Year in Cambodia.

This Sihanoukville store owner and his family are inviting passersby to celebrate with free cups of beer, steamed rice, pieces of barbecued chicken, and slices from a whole roasted pig, including the choice offal bits. He tells me the pigs are roasted for about 4 hours, 5 at a time, in a huge oven. This goodwill gesture is a costly exercise for a small Cambodian business, but he says it will bring him good luck. In Asia, I mostly stick to vegetarian and seafood unless I’m dining in 4-star luxury such as Accor or Starwood. However, in keeping with the spirit of the occasion today, I gratefully and humbly accept a slice of pork. It is juicy, and the crackling skin is done to perfection. I’m in pig mode… now for a beer at Porky’s Bar on Serendipity Beach.

Sharing roast pig, chicken and beer on Chinese New Year, Sihanoukville, Cambodia