Meric, Hotel de al Paix, Siem Reap, Cambodia

Meric is located in the beautiful Hotel de la Paix, not too far from the city centre.  Named after a pepper grown in the Kampot region of Cambodia, Meric is the restaurant you want to treat yourself to after multiple days of "tomb raiding".  It is probably better to save it for the last evening as it will render all other restaurants less than satisfactory.

  

We started off the evening with a drink, actually two, at the hotel bar/lounge.  I ordered the Cambodian Rice Brandy (coffee flavoured) on the rocks which smelled enticing but packed a punch.  I quickly followed up with a Khmer Martini hoping for something gentler and sweeter but it was equally strong consisting of vodka, lemongrass and kaffir lime.

We had a view of the inner courtyard which was mystically lit with gas-flame braziers and featured a beautiful tree in the middle of a little pond.

The restaurant is helmed by Joannes Riviere, son of a French chef & organic farmer from Lyon, who moved to Cambodia in 2002.  His cuisine is a mix of Khmer and French cuisine using produce from local farms.  The Khmer tasting menu changes according to seasonal availability and should not be missed.

The other items from the main menu were also excellent leaving us extremely well-fed.  Pictured here (from left to right) : Quail confit with spinach angel hair, crispy wonton and green mango dressing, Roasted Mekong Lobster, Coriander Rice Cake, Emulsion with Coral, Coconut Cream and Dry Vermouth, and Roasted Curry Rubbed Australian Beef Tenderloin with Red Onion Marmalade and Ginger Scented Sweet Potato Gratin. 

We had planned to paint the town red on our last night in Siem Reap, but after our sumptuous dinner at Meric, we all voted to turn in for the night for fear of spoiling our lingering happy impressions of our Cambodian experience.