Keeping it street at new Mr Mab eatery

Banh Xiao at Mr Mab. Scott Rotzoll

Keeping it street at new Mr Mab eatery

Fri, 18 March 2016 ppp

Vandy Muong

Mr Mab’s new restaurant is serving up street food with a global twist.

The fifth in a chain of eateries in Phnom Penh and Kep province that focus on Cambodian specialties and seafood, this latest Mr Mab’s incarnation is the first to offer dishes from the rest of the world – including Germany, Italy, China and India.

Under a high corrugated iron roof, it’s a large and rustic place decorated with plenty of tall palms, recycled window shutters, wooden furniture and red-brown outdoor-style tiles.

Sambat Vuthy, the restaurant’s 28-year-old general manager, said the restaurant was capitalising on street food’s popularity all around the world.

“We are trying to provide both international and local customers something a little different to what they are used to,” he said.

Mr Mab’s serves up street food from around the globe. Scott Rotzoll

At the two extremes of the streetfood spectrum are the Banh Xiao ($4) – a kind of yellow rice crepe filled with pork, sprouts and seafood that is commonly found in Phnom Penh markets – and the currywurst ($3.50) – sausage drowned in curry-ketchup normally eaten by Berliners after a big night out.

Other tasty foreign dishes on the two-page menu are the coffee-marinated grilled ribs ($3), cheesy deep-fried arancini balls ($3) and Indian pappadams with dips ($3).

Locals will be more familiar with the nom ban-chok noodles, curry and salad ($4), nom kachay fried spring onion and rice flour cakes ($2.50) and lot cha noodles ($3.50).

Cocktails include the Spring Valley (Grey Goose citron, lime juice and pineapple juice), and Cinema Paradiso (gin, watermelon juice, honey pepper syrup and lime juice) for $3.

While the prices are substantially more than what you would pay from your average mobile vendor, Mr Mab’s claims its hygiene is of a much higher standard, so diners are less likely to feel pangs of regret the next day.

Mr Mab Global Street Food is located at #69, Street 123. Tel: 087 525 777.