Come at dusk, when the garden lights come up through the canopy and the sound of the Siem Reap River carries over Pokambor Avenue. This is Malis, the Siem Reap room of the restaurant Cambodian master chef Luu Meng opened in Phnom Penh in 2004 as the country's first fine-dining table; the northern branch followed on the first of February, 2016. It does one thing very well: it makes refined Khmer cooking feel like the most romantic meal in town.
The Kitchen
Luu Meng is Cambodia's best-known chef, and his project here is to take the country's home cooking and plate it with care rather than reinvent it past recognition. The fish amok — Cambodia's national dish, a steamed coconut-curry mousse set in banana leaf — is the one to order, made the way a kitchen makes a dish it has studied. The best-selling main is the baked goby fish with young mango dip, a whole fish cooked in a salt crust stuffed with lemongrass and garlic, cracked open at the table. Don't skip the moringa soup, a clean consommé of pumpkin and leaves from the moringa tree. A meal runs about $30 to $60 a head with house wine, which is generous for the cooking and the setting.
The Room
The garden is the reason to come. Tropical planting, low light filtering through the leaves, tables spaced far enough apart to talk freely, and the night noise of the garden in place of a soundtrack: it is one of the most beautiful outdoor rooms in Siem Reap. There is an air-conditioned dining room for the hot months, but from October to February the garden is the only correct answer. Service is warm and unhurried, dress is smart-casual, and the wine list is chosen with real thought for how Riesling and Champagne sit against Cambodian spice.
Best for a First Date
Book this room for a first date because the garden does the work for you: it is romantic without anyone having to try, lit warmly enough to flatter, and quiet enough to hear each other across the table. The menu invites a little exploration, which keeps the conversation moving rather than stalling over a stare. Ask for a garden table and start with the Khmer sharing platter — eating from the same plates breaks the ice faster than separate courses. For more rooms like it, see the first date guide and the rest of Siem Reap's restaurants.
Not For
Not for a fast meal or a rainy night — the garden is the whole point, and the kitchen is paced for a long, slow dinner. Skip the garden in the wet, hot months when the air-conditioned room is the only comfortable option, and look elsewhere if you want strictly traditional, no-frills street-stall Khmer rather than a refined, plated version of it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Malis Siem Reap worth it?
Yes, for refined Cambodian cooking in the most romantic garden room in town. Malis is the Siem Reap sister of the Phnom Penh restaurant master chef Luu Meng opened in 2004 as Cambodia's first fine-dining room. Expect fish amok, salt-crust baked goby and moringa soup at roughly $30 to $60 a head with house wine — excellent value for the setting and the cooking.
What should I order at Malis?
Order the fish amok, Cambodia's national dish, and the baked goby fish with young mango dip, the kitchen's best-selling main, cooked whole in a salt crust with lemongrass and garlic. The moringa soup, a consommé of pumpkin and moringa leaves, is the quiet highlight. Start with the Khmer sharing platter.
Where is Malis and how do I book?
Malis is on Pokambor Avenue, along the Siem Reap River and a few minutes from Pub Street, serving lunch and dinner daily. Book three to five days ahead for a garden table, especially in the cool season from October to February; the air-conditioned interior is the fallback in the hot months.
Is Malis good for a first date?
Yes — it is the most naturally romantic room in Siem Reap. The tropical garden, soft canopy light and night sounds do the work a candle does elsewhere, and the menu invites exploration, which keeps the conversation moving. Request a garden table and start with the sharing platter.