A visit to Siem Reap can’t be considered complete without a meal or two at Mie Café. The restaurant is in a traditional wooden Khmer house — that of the chef’s grandmother — a few minutes north of the Angkor National Museum, between downtown Siem Reap and the Angkor temples. It can be reached via a nice walk along the riverside from most Siem Reap hotels, or a short tuktuk ride.
Entering from the road, your eyes will be pulled through the garden into the wooden house and the areas set with tables and, in the evening, candlelight. But stop and linger in the courtyard before you sit down. Amongst the ponds and trees are organically-grown vegetables and herbs which are used daily in the kitchen. See if you can identify what’s in season for a preview of what might soon appear on your plate. Sit on the bean bags chairs in the garden for a pre-dinner cocktail (or if you’re in need of a between-courses cigarette).