Malis Restaurant Siem Reap was officially opened on 19th February at a special event presided by Tourism Minister Thong Khon and Siem Reap Deputy Governor Bun Tharith.
Located on Pokambor Avenue along the Siem Reap River, the new Malis Siem Reap offers Master Chef Luu Meng’s award-winning ‘Living Cambodian Cuisine’ in a stunning 2000 square metre restaurant.
Designed by young Cambodian architect Vivoath Yan and inspired by the temples of Angkor Wat, the magnificent white building features high ceilings, striking wooden finishes, polished sandstone walls, views of a central water garden with an area for Apsara dance. The interior is beautifully decorated with artworks from Artisans D’Angkor.
Chef Meng said he was very excited to bring the Malis concept to Siem Reap after its success in Phnom Penh.
“The success and praise of Malis Phnom Penh encouraged us to open another restaurant in a new location but it took us a while to look around and find the perfect spot,” Chef Meng said. “We are glad we took our time because we believe our incredible venue in this area by the river, surrounded by 200 year old trees, raises the bar for the restaurant industry in Siem Reap.”
The impressive new venue seats up to 300 people, with 200 seats in the downstairs dining area and capacity for another 100 guests in the 6 upstairs VIP rooms which will open after the Khmer New Year. A cooking studio for 10 people will also open upstairs where guests will get to the chance to cook Chef Meng’s ‘Living Cambodian Cuisine’ famed for taking recipes of old and adapting them to today’s tastes.
Chef Meng said that Malis Siem Reap offered guests the same menu as Phnom Penh but that some dishes would change or be created to incorporate local ingredients grown in the area.
“This is really what the Malis philosophy is all about – experimenting and playing with different textures, ingredients and flavours. We are all for letting our cuisine evolve,” Chef Meng said. Chef Meng added that he felt Malis Siem Reap’s new location had real potential to become a new tourism precinct.
“Coupled with the other high-end establishments that have emerged in the area, I think there is an opportunity to make the riverside downtown a new destination within Siem Reap itself. If we all work together towards the same goal, it’s a great way to get tourists to stay here longer after they have visited the temples of Angkor Wat” Chef Meng said.
This sentiment was echoed by the Tourism Minister Khong Thon who said that there was definitely a demand from customers to dine and stay in mid to high-end establishments offering professional levels of service and that with the quality of hotels and restaurants emerging in the area, the precinct idea was worth exploring.
Malis Siem Reap is open for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner every day from 6.30am to 10.30pm. Happy hour runs from 5.00pm to 7.00pm each evening.