AsiaLIFE

AHA opened last April with a grand gala event attended by all of Siem Reap’s high society and more than a few of the hoi polloi. With the backing of the Hotel De La Paix, a beautiful space and an excellent chef in Joannes Riviere it was seen as a venture that would inevitably succeed. AsiaLIFE paid a visit in mid-November to check to see if it had lived up to its promise.

The ambience in AHA is unique for Siem Reap. Renowned architectural firm ASMA have lived up to their reputation as the top architects in town by creating a quiet, soothing space only steps from the old market. The front of the house showcases an extensive wine collection. A cascade of hanging parasols that dangle over the stairs leading up to the Linga Spa are a definite highlight of the interior decor. The kitchen is a semi-open affair, caravan-style so that the curious or cautious diner can see their food being prepared. The chefs seemed happy enough to let me peer into their space, and I could see why. I’ve rarely seen a cleaner, more sanitary kitchen in Siem Reap, or elsewhere for that matter.

The menu is an eclectic mix of modern Asian and updated Khmer dishes with a tapas section, a choice of wok-fried vegetables and meats with an assortment of Khmer and Khmer-inspired flavours. Our party of three chose to focus on the tapas leaving us room for the trio of cheeses as a finale.

The Meal

Wine in hand, we perused the menu eventually choosing to sample a papaya salad with dried snake, fried nem (spring rolls) with coconut, skewered beef with Khmer pickles, a cauliflower mousse, braised mushrooms in a marinara sauce, and sticky rice dumplings with pork. Our choices arrived promptly, and presentation of the dishes was exemplary. There’s a clear emphasis on the importance of serving food that is appealing to the eye as well as the taste buds.

The papaya salad was an excellent representation of a traditional Southeast Asian snack. The snake was a pleasant addition though more exotic in concept than in actual taste. The spring rolls were cooked to perfection and the coconut added a twist to a dish that at its worst can be an uninspiring clichéd taste of Asia but at its best – as here – can be a wonderful complement to any meal. The braised mushrooms had a pleasant taste and texture, but did not distinguish themselves as innovative or particularly inspired. The skewered beef was good, well flavoured and tender, with the pickles providing a pleasant contrast in both texture and taste. Texture proved problematic for us with the final two tapas, however. I’d jumped at the chance to add cauliflower to my diet here as I don’t find it in the markets here regularly, but the mousse was overly grainy, though flavourful and interesting. The glutinous rice dumplings also had a wonderful flavour, but even as seasoned consumers of glutinous rice products we found there to be too much sticky rice surrounding the savoury meat morsels.

Down to the Cheese

At the midpoint of our meal our opinions hung in the balance. Happy enough but not enthralled with our selections so far, we eagerly ordered our cheese plates. You should know at this point that the three of us hail from the United States and we all live in Vermont. While there may be a Wisconsinite here or there who’ll contest it, Vermont is home to the finest cheeses in our country. Wisconsin may have us beaten on quantity, but for artisanal dairy products Vermont is king. As proud Vermonters we judge dairy harshly.

There are restaurants here that I will attend more regularly than AHA. There are places I have had a better experience overall. There is nowhere, however, where I have found better representations of cheese in Cambodia. I will grant you that the only cheese most Cambodians are interested in eating is fish cheese (prahok), but Siem Reap hosts a pantheon of restaurants offering cheese in various forms, and none of them can touch this.

The goat cheese, brie, blue?

I’ve had my cheese rant. Some of the dishes we had at AHA can be found in similar form at many of the smaller Khmer market restaurants, and those with strong stomachs could probably be happy trying them there. For those interested in trying some local flavours but not interested in finding out if their stomachs can cope with food from the local restaurants I would highly recommend AHA. The excellent ambience, the extremely hygienic kitchen, and the quality of the Khmer-inspired food we had made it an excellent choice. Our meal for three with a glass wine each was also surprisingly affordable at US$28.50.

AHA, The Passage, Tel: 063 965 501