Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor’s flagship restaurant 1932 has launched a quartet of indulgent new Khmer tasting menus.
The new menus at the Siem Reap hotspot capture the timeless elegance of Khmer fine dining, with three crafted by Executive Sous Chef Dorn Doeurt, a Siem Reap native and specialist in Cambodian cuisine, and the fourth by Executive Chef Memo Hernandez.
The new menus build on the Khmer tasting programme the restaurant first launched in 2023, pushing further into Cambodia’s culinary history while introducing new interpretations of its ingredients and techniques.
The Age of Kings
The King’s Apothecary is a vegetarian, pre-colonial-inspired menu honouring King Jayavarman VII. The signature Garden Bite (at top) opens a plant-based lineup that includes jackfruit and mango salad, pumpkin and coconut, stuffed eggplant, cauliflower steak, and a red pepper chocolate tarte.
The Reign of King Monivong menu marks King Monivong’s trip to Marseille to promote Cambodian tourism, where a 55-metre replica of Angkor Wat was built for the occasion. Hamok Royal (above) — Tonle Sap fish, organic brown rice, and lotus — anchors a menu that also features Nataing mousse, banana blossom and poached chicken salad, sour lobster consommé, braised pork belly, and Akor Thnoat Royale.
A Golden Age
Inspired by the international figures who visited Cambodia in the 1960s, the Golden Age menu is led by Bay Damneub Muk Bangkang (above) — lobster, turmeric, and sticky rice — alongside crab cakes, a Kep tiger prawn pomelo salad, Mekong bouillon, sous vide duck, and a sweet potato and cinnamon crème brûlée.
Curated by Executive Chef Memo Hernandez, the New Khmer Expressions menu sets Latin American technique against Khmer flavour. Humidity, with barramundi, coconut water, bird’s eye chilli, and ma’om, leads a menu of similarly evocative courses, each a bold homage to Khmer tradition and Cambodia’s rising fortunes.
