At Sora in Rosewood Phnom Penh, a Lego-inspired cocktail menu turns the mechanics of mixology into something tactile and instructive, one where play becomes a gateway to craft.
Sora — the signature cocktail lounge of Rosewood Phnom Penh set within Vattanac Capital Tower soaring 37 floors above the city — has never positioned itself as a conventional hotel bar. The bar’s cocktail programme tend to lean into narrative, with an earlier iteration, ‘The Book of Yokai’, tapping into Japanese mythology for inspiration while anchoring itself in native Cambodian ingredients.
Its latest menu ‘Build & Sip’ does much of the same, but takes a distinctively playful turn by borrowing from the universal language of building bricks — specifically Lego — to shape both the visual and conceptual identity of the menu. Developed by Director of Bars Jonas Vittur and his team, the premise here is simple: cocktails are treated like miniature constructions. Each drink begins with a familiar classic blueprint, then layered with flavour, technique and storytelling in a way that mirrors architectural assembly.
The menu comprises 16 drinks, including two zero-proof options, spanning spirit-forward interpretations to lighter, more approachable serves. But what distinguishes it is not the breadth. It is the way the drinks invite engagement.
Visual cues play a central role. Studded ice blocks, architectural glassware, and edible garnishes designed to echo brick formations add a tactile dimension that feels deliberately interactive.
The Khmer Colada, for instance, begins with the recognisable framework of a Piña Colada but is reworked with Cambodian curry spices, coconut, sansho pepper and a touch of chilli. It even sails to you in a Lego pirate ship.
Elsewhere, the Cherry Lady Punch leans into the technical precision of a clarified milk punch, weaving together cashew nut whiskey, spiced rum and sakura tea into a drink that sits at the intersection of Japanese symbolism and Cambodian produce. Here the cocktail comes to you in a display in the form of a picturesque Japanese landscape built entirely out of Lego, complete with pagoda, torii gate, and cherry tree.
Then there’s Kiichigo Cosmo, a liberal twist on the classic Cosmopolitan using holy basil, lemongrass, raspberry, red wine and umeshu, inspired by a Lego playset of a vintage typewriter decorated with flowers.
Even the Nihon Gimlet, served in a ceramic cup reminiscent of Japanese tea rituals, underscores Sora’s ongoing interplay between two cultures by pairing Japanese gin with matcha and kaffir lime leaf for a profile that is both clean yet layered.
Gimmicky? Perhaps.
Yet ‘Build & Sip’ calls out to your inner child even as you sip. You’ll find yourself inexorably drawn to each brick creation that arrives at your table, or flipping through the beautiful menu designed like an instruction sheet you get in your Lego box.
This is a fun yet clever menu by Sora, already recognised on the extended Asia’s 50 Best Bars list and recipient of the Ketel One Sustainable Bar Award. In a city where cocktail culture is still finding its rhythm, this whimsical sense of play is not only a welcome entry point that helps lower barriers while educating the palate, it’s also a cheeky counterpoint to the far too often esoteric menus in cocktail bars across the region.
[Photos courtesy of Rosewood Phnom Penh]
Sora Bar
Address Vattanac Capital Mall, ផ្លូវឡើងជំហៀង, Rosewood Phnom Penh, 66 Level 37, Phnom Penh 12202, Cambodia (Google Maps link)
Opening Hours 5pm to 12am daily
Tel (855) 2393 6860
Web www.rosewoodhotels.com/en/phnom-penh/dining/sora
Facebook SoraSkybar
Instagram @sora_phnompenh
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