RAYNHAM — The flavors of Southeast Asia, under the influence of a pair of Cambodian restaurateurs and chefs, have come to Raynham.

Malis, located on Route 44, is in the midst of a soft opening and serving up what the owning partners and longtime friends, Sotheavong Meas and Nero Keo, describe as “modern Asian comfort food,” modeled in the spirit of street food found throughout Southeast Asia, generally, and Cambodia, more specifically.

“What we do is Southeast Asian street food,” Meas said. “And we also focus on, you know, being more creative in what we do, you know, and try to bring in the traditional and be authentic in terms of street food, but with a modern twist.”

Malis offers a full dine-in and takeout menu, with grilled offerings like the Cambodia St. Corn, Lemongrass Beef and Koh-Kong Shrimp; soups, including Crab Soup and Spicy Beef Stew; and noodle soups, like Pho and Phnom Penh Noodles. Also, the menu features a selection of salads and sandwiches, all twists on feature menu items, and rice plates, like the Shaking Beef.

Something new in the neighborhood

Meas and Keo say, to their knowledge, the Asian street food concept at Malis is unique in Raynham and the Greater-Taunton area, and their hope is local diners will relish in some new and undiscovered flavors and dishes.

“We wouldn't say this particular is Cambodian itself, but it's also Southeast Asia, as a whole,” Meas said.

“The culture we have over there is very similar in that you would find a common dish, let's say the grilled shrimp, you can find that in Cambodia and in Thailand, in Vietnam, like, but you know, maybe a little bit of a twist on the sauces. All of the dishes kind of represent Southeast Asia, but the flavor and the passion we have from Cambodia, and how we do it, introduced into the dishes.”

Noodle bowls and the possibilities

Meas and Keo say the noodle bowls are the most popular items to date, though the lemongrass beef is a hot item, too.

The Phnom Penh Noodles is a dry noodle dish, which is not a common menu offering anywhere, according to the owners. The noodles are tossed in garlic “with ground pork and sliced flank steak and slow cooked brisket” and “topped with bean sprouts, scallions, lettuce and basil.” It comes with a “toasted Chinese donut and a side of meatball soup” and a dipping sauce.

The Spicy Beef Noodles is served in a spicy broth with flank steak, brisket and meatballs.

Both items are top sellers and an entirely new dining experience for some.

“The dry style noodles… usually not a lot of places have a dry style noodle,” Keo said. “The soup is on the side and the noodle is mixed with a lot of different seasoning and a lot of herbs in there for everyone to enjoy the different flavors.”

Meas explained the variety of flavor combinations found in the noodle bowls is a big reason for their popularity. The idea, he says, is to make the most of the ingredients and proteins, then dip the noodles and other contents of the bowl in the accompanying dipping sauce to find new flavors and surprises. Maximizing all the flavor combinations is a big bowl of possibility.

Inside at Malis

On a hot day, for sure, the interior at Malis is a welcome escape from the sun, with the lights dimmed and a charcoal and brown color scheme decorated in bright and eclectic art selections, including two large paintings done by a Cambodian artist commissioned by Meas and Keo just for the space.

Likely, on a cold winter day, the tropical design touches and accents — and a touch of spice at the table — might have the opposite effect.

Upon entering, there is seating to the right and a large bar overlooking the kitchen to the left. For the soft opening, the house tea and soft drinks are available, but Meas says the liquor license is on the way and soon the bar will be offering a full menu of craft cocktails.

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'New experience invites new opportunity'

“The aim here is to invite people to come in to gain a new experience,” Keo said.

“New experience invites new opportunity,” he said, pointing out the example of a date night or night out with friends elevated by a new, unexpected, thoroughly enjoyable culinary experience.

Meas and Keo are counting on the traditional flavors of Southeast Asia — garlic, sweet and hot chili peppers, lemongrass and fresh herbs and spices — and a number of sauces made in house and fresh daily to lure local diners, especially those looking for something new and different.

“All our food is stacked with flavor,” Keo said. “Even just one bite, you have at least three or four flavors in there. We want freshness, the quality of fresh ingredients, and how fresh ingredients taste when you actually make it day-to-day, dish to dish.

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Another restaurant and a familiar new neighbor

The owning partners run another restaurant, Capri Seafood, on Federal Hill in Providence, which specializes in traditional New England seafood dishes, with some Asian influence, Meas says. Neither Meas or Keo are classically trained in the kitchen, but do most of the cooking at Malis, manning the grill and the wok, and have gained all-around restaurant and service skills working in and running restaurants for decades.

Also, another new addition to the plaza at 1550 New State Highway is the 4YEW Juice and Smoothie Bar, which is owned and operated by Meas’s sister, Borney Meas. The two operations are unaffiliated, but familiar neighbors, and Meas says he’s looking forward to 4YEW opening and giving area residents another option.

“Our mission as a company, as a whole, is to create a positive space for the community to come here, you know, eat, create memories and elevate one another. And that’s really what we are all about,” Meas said.

Taunton Daily Gazette staff writer Jon Haglof can be reached at jhaglof@tauntongazette.com. Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Taunton Daily Gazette today.

This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Malis in Raynham offers modern twist on Southeast Asian street food