Being a Malaysian working and living far away from home, one of the very first things that I look for is actually Malaysian food. A taste of home that brings comfort, especially during this pandemic where so many of us have not been able to go home for almost 2 years. We’re pretty lucky because Malaysian food is easily available in Cambodia, especially in Phnom Penh. We’ve seen many Malaysian restaurants come and go in the last few years. 

In conjunction with Malaysia Day that falls on 16th September each year, we’ve decided to bring our Cambodian friend along to eat some authentic Malay food in Cambodia, which brings us to Wau by Kuali Panas. It was one of the very first Malaysian restaurants that started in Siem Reap in 2006 under the name Malaysia Kitchen. Fast forward to 2021, Wau has now rebranded to a more modern, younger look with the recent collaboration with Kuali Panas. Now if you go to Wau, you’ll find a colorful mural logo on the wall, new menu designs, and colorful furniture. 

For the food, we’ve decided to skip the nasi lemak this time, well, because we have a lot of other awesome Malay food to share with our Cambodian friends other than nasi lemak. I went straight for my usual orders, which are the nasi goreng kampung (Malaysian village-styled fried rice - $4), Sup Ekor (oxtail soup - $4), and Ayam Masak Merah (chicken in red sauce - $4). 

The fried rice was good, but I felt it tastes more like normal fried rice besides the fried anchovies in it. But I must say the Sambal Belacan that I ate together with the rice is awesome. For someone like me who can’t live without my Sambal Belacan, I bought the whole tub from Wau; roughly 500g for $5. The soup is packed with flavors and the oxtail is tender. I can actually just eat this with white rice, a warm and hearty meal. The chicken is my favorite among the three, mildly spicy and sweet; the chicken meat is very succulent and tender as well. It’s a bit sweeter as compared to the ones I had back in Malaysia, but the flavors and kick are there. 

We moved on to some snacks; Keropok Lekor* (Fried fish cake - $1.5) and Cekodok (Banana fritters - $1.5). Taste-wise is pretty similar to the ones we can get back home. Definitely a good snack.

*Keropok Lekor in the photo above shows 2 portions

Lastly, what can be better than eating satay right off the grill fresh right? We had chicken and beef, both packed with flavors of spices. The satay sauce is great, with the right amount of sweetness and the aroma of peanuts. Satay is available every day but only in the evenings from 3 PM onwards. A set of 10 sticks of satay is $5 for chicken and $7 for beef. It comes with sauce and sides of cucumber, onions, and Nasi Impit (compressed rice).

This restaurant also serves a buffet lunch every day at only $5 per person with different dishes every day. All food & drinks served are Halal. For delivery, you can order directly from the restaurant by contacting +855 99 322 512. 

• This ‘Home Away From Home’ Series on Malaysian food is sponsored by Maybank Cambodia and supported by the Embassy of Malaysia Phnom Penh. 
• All videos are shot using Sony 7RIV with 24-70mm f2.8 and Sony A7Riii with 85mm f1.4