This photo was taken from a friend's farm in Kampot. Specifically, my friend Lai Poon Piau, the Founder of Hong Spices and our pepper supplier for r+ cafe | grains.

I first met Poon Piau on 26 April and we both hit it off with our similar ideologies and our belief that business, local cultures and the environment can mutually benefit one another. Poon Piau was a former Singaporean civil servant and an oil and gas sector professional who chose instead to pursue a simpler country life. Indeed, this simpler life made me nostalgic for my youth, with the farm's front gate reminding me of my own childhood home.

While there is simplicity country life, I wondered about also ensuring a sustainable country life? This would unify local culture, businesses and the environment to create sustainable growth, which is what r+ and our partners seek to achieve.

While checking out the spice fields at Hong Spices Farm, the scenery caught our attention - crops on one side and wilderness on the other - yet, despite their differences, the effect is one of harmony.

Just like this scene, r+ supports meaningful exchanges that complement one another and the environment. We believe that business models must evolve to benefit both nature and culture.

Great food requires great ingredients. In view of the upcoming opening of r+ cafe | grains, we paid a visit to Hong Spices to check out the famous Kampot Peppers intending to source from them.

With a heart for the environment, r+ supports local businesses while offering world-class quality. We appreciate our excellent partnerships with like-minded friends.

Work continues apace with the construction of r+ cafe | grains. With the masterful completion of the frame, our guest installer, Gakir, returns to Singapore. We thank him for his invaluable contribution.

Gakir, a Bangladeshi based in Singapore, is an expert installer.

"I totally enjoyed the trip and will love to come back to Kampot! "

With the roofing completed, work has begun on the interior fit-out of r+ cafe | grains. For the flooring, we sourced local Chengal timber, a tropical hardwood which has undergone processing and advanced treatment.

Bit by bit, we're building meaningful exchanges with local communities at multiple levels to create mutually beneficial outcomes.

While dining at a Kampot cafe, one local dish caught my eye: fried noodles, fried egg, vegetables and spam, served with a chili dip. This might ring a bell for those of us familiar with Fried Bee Hoon. The dish is called Loh See Fun, or as Cambodians term it, Lort Cha.

Struck by this familiar yet different dish, I wondered about the elements that bind our continent of Asia. How did cross border exchanges affect Southeast Asia, such that it impacted cuisine? Small discoveries can open the window to larger insights. This is what we do at r+.

Work is well underway on our r+ dining and accommodation modules as the first framework is hoisted into place.

Unifying tradition and modernity, we're literally framing our future with the environment and local communities in mind.

We held a trial run for the assembly of the structure of our r+ modules. With help from our local team, we managed to assemble a 3.5m x 3.5m framework in just 90 minutes.

Proactive local collaborations, swift to construct, and with minimal impact on the land - these are just a few cornerstones of r+ destinations.

We're working around the clock, preparing the ground for our latest dining and accommodation venture.

The framework for our lightweight r+ modules is almost complete. Each unit sits on a raised platform in anticipation of the approaching rainy season.

We're happy to share that R&D for the third generation of our modules is underway!