The first time I heard about Malis, was from Chris. He was saying how nice this place was, how the outdoor seating area was neat and how yummy the food was there. I was thinking to myself, why would any restaurant name themselves 'Malice'?? Isn't that too evil sounding and wrong? LOL I'm the one who's wrong as it turns out. So, it was indeed 'Malis', and not 'Malice'.
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| MALIS (photo from facebook.com/Malis) |
To
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| Confusion Level: 99 (photo from quickmeme.com) |
So we got seated at a not-so-romantic-nor-nice table for 4. And also gave her the benefit of the doubt that she did not mean to let anyone (or any table) be raped, just simply could not understand simple English.
The menu was an extensive one, and if you are anal about knowing exactly what you'd expect in the dishes you order, you'd be reading that menu till the restaurant closes. That being said, they have very attractive photos on the menu too, so I hereby declare their menu as a very successful Photo Book/ Photocyclopedia.
Before I forget, there was a (huge) photo hanging on the wall beside the bar of the restaurant, of Gordon Ramsey, which literally translates 'Malis' to 'delicious' as far as I'm concerned.
So after flipping through the Photo Book, we decided to go for the Beef Carpaccio, the Fish Amok, the Lamb Rack with aubergine ratatouille, and a Crab(can't remember what flavour, but with heaps of garlic and salt).
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| Beef Carpaccio - Khmer style |
This Beef Carpaccio was a very good appetiser with all the fresh herbs and the lime juice sprinkled on. It was presented beautifully and even the chili slices at the side of the plate were aesthetically placed with care. I like the freshness of the raw bean sprouts and the mint leaves.
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| Fish Amok - Displayed on a Khmer-Boat-influenced tray |
The previous Fish Amoks I've had in local restaurants around Phnom Penh and Siem Reap thus far, were all served in plastic or porcelain bowls or plates, sometimes if you're lucky, its served in banana leaves. This was a wonderful surprise that came in a
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| Fish Amok |
Rating: 5*/5
The verdict is passed. This has got to be the best Fish Amok I've tasted in Cambodia - probably the best Fish Amok in the world, considering Cambodia to be the country of origin for all Fish Amoks.
The sauce was so creamy and rich with the coconut cream, balanced out with the soft nhor leaves underneath the fish meat. The fish was wonderfully cooked, soft and flavourful, and blended in just nicely with the sauce. I'm not even a fan of Khmer food but I was sold. It was like a dream and I'm not exaggerating. For just US$7+, I went to heaven and came back. Worth every cent I must say, this Fish Amok is unparalleled.
The verdict is passed. This has got to be the best Fish Amok I've tasted in Cambodia - probably the best Fish Amok in the world, considering Cambodia to be the country of origin for all Fish Amoks.
The sauce was so creamy and rich with the coconut cream, balanced out with the soft nhor leaves underneath the fish meat. The fish was wonderfully cooked, soft and flavourful, and blended in just nicely with the sauce. I'm not even a fan of Khmer food but I was sold. It was like a dream and I'm not exaggerating. For just US$7+, I went to heaven and came back. Worth every cent I must say, this Fish Amok is unparalleled.
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| Lamb with Aubergine Ratatouille |
Rating: 4/5
The lamb was nicely seasoned and beautifully cooked, and I liked the ratatouille on the side too. Very clever to place the raw greens on the plate too as everything else was so heavy. I would have to say the lamb didn't send me to heaven like the amok did, but surely I almost reached the clouds. Almost.
The lamb was nicely seasoned and beautifully cooked, and I liked the ratatouille on the side too. Very clever to place the raw greens on the plate too as everything else was so heavy. I would have to say the lamb didn't send me to heaven like the amok did, but surely I almost reached the clouds. Almost.
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| Crab with Lemon grass and lots of garlic and onion |
Rating: 2/5
I'm a major crab fan, just not a fan of this one. Sad to say, this was the most expensive dish out of the ones we ordered, but it was quite a disappointment. Firstly, it was tiny. To justify my efforts for eating a crab, it has to be at least decently sized. Secondly, it was way too salty. When something is that salty, your tastebuds will cease to taste anything else. Thirdly, some parts of the flesh was sticking to the shells, a sign of the crab being deep-fried before. And when that happens, the flesh will be dry. So this was my least favourite of them all.
On a side note, one thing I realised in the food industry in Cambodia, in 9 out of 10 restaurants,no matter whether it is a restaurant serving Khmer food or other cuisines, is that the service staff love serving the gentlemen on the table first instead of the ladies. So the gentlemen always gets his food and drinks first - not sure if Ramsey's maître d' would be very pleased with that. I'm not sure if anyone of you realised that too?
I could totally tolerate the above behaviour since I would not die of hunger from a few seconds' difference, but hear this:
When you order a bottle of wine, the service staff seem to be unwilling to refill the ladies' glasses, but focus all their energies from within refilling the gentlemen's glasses even though theirs are already at the level for wine, sometimes even more than the ladies' in the first place? LOL. Call me sensitive, butI want my wine too! this is very tough on the guys who prefer to take it easy with the alcohol, and it will be kinda inappropriate, sometimes embarrassing, if I have to ask for my glass to be refilled instead of the gentlemen's.
If it was just two of us, I guess it is still alright. I remember I was out once with 3 other gentlemen, and we shared a bottle of wine between us to go with our meal. The waitress never once refilled my glass (nor asked if I wanted any), and only did so for the three of them, even when my glass was almost awfully emptied. Bitch please, I'm sharing the bill equally thank you very much. I've noticed that for quite some time and these are the possible reasons I can think of:
1. Most of the service staff are females, so they'd rather serve men.
2. They assume that the men will always be the one footing the bill, hence they should get more value for their money.
3. It is a male over female culture in Cambodia.
4. They think that all females areboring organisms who do not like drinking lousy drinkers.
5. They do not like me
I hope it's not the last possibility, only because I'm such a likeable person (*wuahahahhahahaha*).
Oh, would I return to Malis? Definitely. Love their Fish Amok too much.
Malis Restaurant
Sangkat Tonle Bassac,
No. 136, Preah Norodom (St. 41),
12301 Phnom Penh,
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Tel: +855 23 221 022
I'm a major crab fan, just not a fan of this one. Sad to say, this was the most expensive dish out of the ones we ordered, but it was quite a disappointment. Firstly, it was tiny. To justify my efforts for eating a crab, it has to be at least decently sized. Secondly, it was way too salty. When something is that salty, your tastebuds will cease to taste anything else. Thirdly, some parts of the flesh was sticking to the shells, a sign of the crab being deep-fried before. And when that happens, the flesh will be dry. So this was my least favourite of them all.
On a side note, one thing I realised in the food industry in Cambodia, in 9 out of 10 restaurants,no matter whether it is a restaurant serving Khmer food or other cuisines, is that the service staff love serving the gentlemen on the table first instead of the ladies. So the gentlemen always gets his food and drinks first - not sure if Ramsey's maître d' would be very pleased with that. I'm not sure if anyone of you realised that too?
I could totally tolerate the above behaviour since I would not die of hunger from a few seconds' difference, but hear this:
When you order a bottle of wine, the service staff seem to be unwilling to refill the ladies' glasses, but focus all their energies from within refilling the gentlemen's glasses even though theirs are already at the level for wine, sometimes even more than the ladies' in the first place? LOL. Call me sensitive, but
If it was just two of us, I guess it is still alright. I remember I was out once with 3 other gentlemen, and we shared a bottle of wine between us to go with our meal. The waitress never once refilled my glass (nor asked if I wanted any), and only did so for the three of them, even when my glass was almost awfully emptied. Bitch please, I'm sharing the bill equally thank you very much. I've noticed that for quite some time and these are the possible reasons I can think of:
1. Most of the service staff are females, so they'd rather serve men.
2. They assume that the men will always be the one footing the bill, hence they should get more value for their money.
3. It is a male over female culture in Cambodia.
4. They think that all females are
5. They do not like me
I hope it's not the last possibility, only because I'm such a likeable person (*wuahahahhahahaha*).
Oh, would I return to Malis? Definitely. Love their Fish Amok too much.
Malis Restaurant
Sangkat Tonle Bassac,
No. 136, Preah Norodom (St. 41),
12301 Phnom Penh,
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Tel: +855 23 221 022
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