Rediscover the Malis Siem Reap restaurant, one of the best addresses for Cambodian cuisine in the kingdom.
History
On 1 February 2016 was inaugurated in the City of Temples the Angkorian avatar of Cambodia's best-known luxury cambodian cuisine: Malis Siemreap.
After more than five years spent looking for the ideal location for this restaurant, the two partners of the Thalias Group, the star chef Luu Meng and Arnaud Darc, set their sights on a beautiful spot on the west bank of the Siemreap River, south of Central Market Street.
Large capacity
On this choice site, a new building has been constructed, with a total surface area of two thousand square metres. The establishment can accommodate 300 people simultaneously, including 200 on the ground floor and a further 100 in the private lounges on the first floor. In the centre, an atrium can accommodate customers who wish to dine al fresco in the evening.
Luxury
The design of the place is based on luxury. The beautiful, immaculate white façade is an expression of elegance. The décor, inspired by Angkorian architecture, with its high ceilings, grey stone features and intelligently arranged space, gives a feeling of comfort.
The restaurant's menu is fairly similar to that of Malis in Phnom Penh, although the number of dishes is slightly smaller. This choice is explained by the fact that certain ingredients available in the capital cannot be found locally, at least not at the level of quality demanded by chef Luu Meng.
The cuisine at Malis is more 'fusion' than traditional Cambodian.
The Malis motto is "Living Cambodian Cuisine". This translates into a selection of dishes inspired by Cambodian culinary tradition in its broadest sense, but interpreted in a modern way.
Indeed, even the most intransigent would say that Malis cuisine is more 'fusion' than gastronomy within the strict confines of traditional Cambodian cuisine.
Tradition
However, the dishes on offer here are rooted in the traditions of the Khmer homeland. Just take a look at the menu for proof: Takeo sausages, raw beef salad (phlea sach ko), bamboo shoot and smoked fish soup, pork salad with banana flowers, sour forest soup (m'chou prei), fish amok and beef saraman are all undeniably Cambodian dishes.
Quality and variety
Among the myriad of dishes on offer, some deserve particular attention: fried soft-shell crab, served with a pepper dipping sauce, will delight seafood lovers; slow-cooked pork knuckle, a Chinese-inspired dish, accompanied by bamboo shoots, stands out for its tenderness; the generous portion of rice sautéed with Kampot crab will be a tasty and invigorating consolation for those who have exhausted their strength climbing the temples of the archaeological park.
A true milestone in Cambodian gastronomic tradition
The scallops with green pepper are also worth a closer look: generously served in a half-shell, the muscles of the shell are cooked to perfection, their texture is perfect and their flavours are magnified by the fresh pepper. The fragrant soup (sâm-lâ prâ-hae) with smoked fish is an uncommonly fine dish, and is a milestone in Cambodian gastronomic tradition.
The very famous fish amok (or, better still, fish head amok) is a vibrant tribute to the "Khmer national dish". And among the vegetables, special attention should be paid to the sautéed loofah.
Efficient service
The service is efficient and attentive. The kitchen set-up is obviously perfect, as the wait is very short. The only complaint is that the music played at reception is different from that played in the dining room, so if your table is close to the front door of the dining room, every time the door opens there is an unpleasant cacophony. It's also worth noting that the prices are commensurate with the quality of the cuisine.
Ratings (out of 5):
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 4
Product quality: 4.5
Presentation of dishes: 4,5
Value for money: 4,5
Overall score : 4,3
Text and photos by Pascal Médeville