Temple dedicated to Cambodian cuisine opens in Siem Reap
Temple
dedicated to Cambodian cuisine opens in Siem Reap
| Publication date 26 February 2016
| 10:54 ICT
Malis Siem Reap’s signature dish
Hidden Chreav Duck. Photo supplied
“Living Cambodian cuisine” made its
formal debut in Siem Reap last Friday evening with a stunning reception for 400
guests to celebrate the grand opening of Malis, the iconic restaurant that has
been wowing Phnom Penh diners for 10 years.
The opening marks the end of any
lingering questions about Siem Reap’s capacity to attract middle to upper
middle-income travellers, as the market continues to evolve into a more complex
and sophisticated destination.
Congratulating the team that made it
happen, especially Arnaud Darc and chef Luu Meng, the Minister for Tourism, Dr
Thong Khon, called on the hospitality industry to continue their work in making
Siem Reap one of the best destinations in the world.
“It’s wonderful that visitors to
Siem Reap, after visiting our amazing temples at Angkor Wat and learning about
our unique culture, can now experience a culinary journey at Malis and taste
delicious food that has been adapted from our ancestors,” he said.
The minister also acknowledged Siem
Reap’s fresh global recognition as a destination worth taking note of.
“We’ve just seen Siem Reap voted
Number 1 and Shinta Mani Number 2 hotel in the world on Trip Advisor. Cambodia
is becoming known for its quality and sophistication,” he said.
Arnaud Darc and Luu Meng are the men
whose vision led to the creation of “living Cambodian cuisine”, an idea that
goes beyond the boundaries of simple geography and deeper than traditions.
Cambodian cuisine is an amalgamation
of flavours, influences and techniques that is unique in the world. It is
virtually a living history book, written with ingredients that cannot be found
elsewhere.
HE Bun Tharith, HE Dr Thong Khon and
Arnaud Darc. Photo supplied
But their greatest problem at the
outset was the lack of any clear reference. The only answer was to get out
there and find out.
“I had recipes from my mother,” said
Meng, addressing the crowd that included Secretary of State Kong Vibol, His
Excellency Cham Prasidh, the Minister of Industry and Handicrafts, His
Excellency Sum Map, Director General of the APSARA Authority, and several other
dignitaries and luminaries from Phnom Penh and Siem Reap.
“But it also took a lot of talking
to people,” said Meng.
“I travelled to the provinces, to
markets and into family kitchens, learning about different ingredients and
traditional ways of cooking.”
Prahok Ktis. Photo supplied
Taking his new-found knowledge back
to Phnom Penh, Meng and his team set about refining and enhancing it with new
techniques and modern cooking equipment.
“It is authentically Cambodian, but
we also introduced some French techniques and modern equipment,” said Darc,
before the evening started. “They are there in some of the ways that we cook.”
But he rejected any idea that the result represents what is commonly known as
“fusion” food.
It might seem that the opening of
Malis in Siem Reap represents the culmination of its founders’ work in
Cambodia, but it is just another stage in the process of bringing Cambodian
food to the world. The team envisages a day when the Kingdom’s cuisine enjoys
an equal status to other culinary traditions. Meng has already travelled
extensively, frequently accompanied by Minister Dr Thong, to that very end.
Finger food Prahok Ktis. Photo
supplied
But to succeed, he will need to be
followed by enough talented, trained and enthused young chefs, who will become
ambassadors for prahok, kroeung and all the other delicious peculiarities that
define Cambodian cuisine.
“The day will come when we have more
chefs, with the skills that we need, who can go to work outside, with
ingredients from Cambodia that will be exported,” said Darc.
“It will take time,” he added. “But
not too much if we all work together.”
150 of the invited guests sat down
to a sumptuous feast that reflected those well-balanced fruits of chef Meng’s
labours. The menu included ‘prahok ktis’, which made a convert of more than a
few to the fishy staple at the root of so much of Cambodian cooking, a richly
flavoured beef sarawan, as well, of course, as Meng’s renowned fish amok served
wrapped in banana leaf.
They were seated in the north and
south wings of the 2,000 metre square building whose forthright, confident
design has already made it a landmark on Siem Reap’s burgeoning riverside
locale.
With 400 guests, the opening of
Malis was packed. Nicky Sullivan
Created by Cambodian architect
Vivoath Yan, the Malis building is inspired by the ancient temples of Angkor.
“My brief was to design something
that was modern but also captured the essence of the past. In particular, I
took inspiration from Angkor Wat and Kravan temples for the facade,” he said
referencing the striking, if lesser known, 10th century temple whose modern
name translates as the “Cardamom Sanctuary”.
The architect’s bold design is
complemented by two 200 kilogram chandeliers in the front lobby that were
designed by manager Sao Moun Daung, whose tireless efforts in the last few
months ensured that the event came off without a hitch.
Underneath their glittering lights,
the consensus view on the night was “wow”.
Source: http://www.phnompenhpost.com/post-plus/temple-dedicated-cambodian-cuisine-opens-siem-reap
Comments
Post a Comment