Malis Siem Reap: A Masterful Menu, Vibrant Hymn to Khmer Cuisine
- Coin gourmand
- Mar 16
- 3 min read
Updated: Mar 17
Malis Siem Reap reinvents Khmer gastronomy with a sparkling menu, faithful to its heritage while daring contemporary boldness. This 2026 spring menu celebrates Cambodian local products in a harmony of tangy, spicy, and velvety flavors.
Malis has established itself for nearly two decades as the indispensable ambassador of Khmer cuisine. Today, the institution unveils a menu of unheard-of richness, a treasure trove of flavors that draws from the terroir to better sublimate it. Far from resting on its laurels, Malis offers an experience where every plate tells a story, that of an eternal Cambodia yet turned toward the future.
The Call of Primordial Flavors
The entrée is a revelation. The « A La Carte » presents itself as a vibrant mosaic where classics rub shoulders with creations of remarkable finesse. We rediscover the beef skewer (Beef Skewers), tender to perfection, but it's on the side of the novelties that the emotion is strongest.
The Chicken & Apple Salad (6$) is a lesson in balance: a chicken supreme cooked low-temperature (65.5°C), of absolute tenderness, responds to the acidity of a green apple and a tamarind-palm sauce, all enhanced by the crunch of crispy skin.
Even bolder, the Beef Carpaccio (10$) revisits the Italian classic with typically Cambodian genius. The thin slices of Australian beef are bathed in an aromatic galangal dressing, garnished with flowers, toasted cashew nuts, and a Kro Sang gel, a local herb. It's an explosion of freshness and sophistication.
The sea is honored with the Cambodian Fish Ceviche (9$), where freshwater fish is delicately « cooked » in a beetroot and Kampot salt brine, served with a white wine sauce and an herb gel.
A cure of iodine and minerality. The Scallop Tartare (17$), for its part, marries the sweetness of Hokkaido scallops with the greenness of apple, all lifted by a « Koh Kong deep sauce » and a rum amber caramelized apple gel.
A Breath of Modernity in Soups and Main Dishes
Soups, pillars of Khmer alimentation, are transcended. The Scallop & Vegetable Soup (17$) is a vegetable garden infused in a country broth, crowned with a perfectly seared scallop. The Oxtail Consommé (17$) is an ode to patience: a Cambodian oxtail simmered for eight hours, its melting flesh trapped in a delicate wonton, all bathed in a spiced consommé.
The signature dishes confirm this mastery. The Stuffed Chicken Wing (11$), chicken wing stuffed with minced pork, kroeung, and chestnut, is a model of texture. The Pork Shoulder with Pineapple Sauce (15$) plays the boldness card: a pork shoulder slowly grilled, accompanied by a pineapple salsa and a spicy sauce that awakens the taste buds.
The Sea Bass with Green Mango (16$) is a pure marvel of elegance with its green mango beurre blanc. Special mention for the Grilled Free-Range Chicken (19$), a free-range chicken marinated in Khmer spices and served with a red ant prahok, a specialty that promises an unforgettable umami shock.
For an ultimate experience, the Braised Beef Cheek (24$), braised in red wine with shrimp paste and five spices, topped with heart of palm puree, and the Grilled Australian Striploin (28$), marinated in Sluek Thneng (wild Cambodian herb) and coated with an M’chou Kroeung sauce, stand out as must-haves.
Vegetarians are not left out with dishes like the Sweet Potato Dumpling (9$), sweet potato ravioli in a rich mushroom jus.
Sweets and Digestifs, the Final Brilliance
The journey ends in apotheosis with a dessert menu as creative as it is refined. The classic Kampot Pepper Crème Brûlée (8$) rubs shoulders with the innovative Drunken Pineapple (10$): a rum-grilled pineapple with chili and star anise, served with tamarind caramel, coconut cheese cream, and herb oil.
The White Chocolate & Yogurt Mousse (10$) surprises with its long confiture association, pandan sponge cake, and rosella flower consommé. Not forgetting the essential house-made ice creams (5$), with evocative flavors like Kampot pepper or Anglong Chen longan.
With this new menu, Malis does not just serve dishes; it offers a bridge between generations, a celebration of Cambodia's botanical heritage, and a dazzling demonstration that Khmer cuisine has definitively earned its place among the world's great gastronomies. An essential stop in Siem Reap.
Reservation: +855 (0)15 824 888
Telegram: @MalisRestaurantSR
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