Majorelle Kep – a rebirth?

Majorelle Kep – a rebirth? In these times of uncertainty for the restaurant and bar business, moving can be a synonym of surviving. Phnom Penh seems to be under a never-ending alcohol ban, threats of curfews and lockdowns. As in many countries around the world, life in big cities loses its charm when viruses run rampant.

Heading to the countryside is definitely a life improvement and for some activities, a necessity. From last Thursday September 23^rd, 2021, Kep’s outstanding landscape hosts Majorelle, previously located on Phnom Penh’s Street 154, near Phsar Kandal.

Majorelle Kep

Majorelle Kep is literally a re-birth. Rodolphe Seiller, its owner, comes back to a region where he was one of the first barangs to invest. Le Flamboyant Resort was a true “flamboyant” – flourishing –  achievement back in time. Let’s wish him the same success with Majorelle, which was already very well appreciated in Phnom Penh.

The first chapter of this gastronomic experience could be named “Finding Majorelle”. Don’t expect the Marrakesh inspired colourful venue to be anywhere near the tumultuous areas of Kep. Cuisine deserves quietness and majesty: Rodolphe established Majorelle in the middle of high trees, green lands and rice fields, in Kao Kroasan, between Kep City and Damnak. You will have to drive around 4 miles (6 km) from Kep Beach, on National Road 33, before seeing on your left the solar-powered Majorelle sign at the entrance of a tiny path. A few hundred metres more and you’ve arrived at your destination, an oasis of calm that favors discreet gourmet feasts.

Majorelle Kep and the weekend Expat scene

Despite its distance from Kep’s centre, Majorelle is full on its first Sunday night. Expatriates from Kep and visitors from Phnom Penh share the spacious terrace, set up around a small central concrete house. When arriving at Majorelle, you can’t miss what you came for: the exterior kitchen, open to all eyes, where Rodolphe’s faithful lady Chef rushes to satisfy the impatient clients. His wife and he manage the service.

Most of you know Majorelle gardens in Marrakesh, French designer Yves-Saint-Laurent’s very private retreat, now a museum. It is famous for his unique Majorelle blue-painted buildings, which Rodolphe perfectly reproduced on his restaurant’s walls. Complementary bright orange and green tints give the place a shimmering aspect and an exotic feeling, which is quite exciting and unexpected when you already live in the tropics!

Majorelle Kep Menu

The garden, which highest trees are slightly illuminated at night, brings serenity and favorable auspices to the upcoming culinary journey. And what a journey! The menu takes you to Greece, Madagascar, Tahiti, Ivory Coast, Argentina, West Indies, Sicily, France…

I could not taste all the flavours and recipes, but being a client of Majorelle in Phnom Penh, I already knew some of them: the homemade blackcurrant Foie Gras, the stuffed spicy crab from Madagascar re-visited with fine local blue crab meat, the Tahitian raw tuna cubes with crunchy vegetables and coconut topping, the Café de Paris super tender beef fillet, the Cipriani beef carpaccio with its unique light mayonnaise, the rosemary smoked ‘A La Minute’ salmon fillet, the grilled Attieké lobster from Ivory Coast, the Greek zucchini and feta cheese fritters, the Argentinian chimichurri buffalo, and for dessert , the homemade luscious chocolate mousse or the gargantuan double French pancake stuffed with blueberry jam and topped with whipped cream.

Starter, main course and dessert with a couple of glasses of wine for a USD 15 to 20 bill. That’s what I call a totally non-guilty pleasure. The whole clientele was utterly seduced and happy. You could not hear a word while people were eating, which means the food was damn good.

Kampot, Kep and hidden gems

Rodolphe is an adventurer, he brought back all those recipes from countries where he stayed and worked in. Kep’s Majorelle is his 30^th business creation! He found this shack a few weeks ago and renovated it on his own, as fast as can be, in order to offer both Kep’s residents and visitors a true gastronomic experience for a very reasonable budget, outmatching the expensive and outdated crab market’s caffs, proudly competing with the iconic Strand at Knai Bang Chatt, still a top preference in Kep.

Kampot and Kep are becoming trendy and major destinations for internal tourism in Cambodia. Kampot already has a wide range of different food offers, and a few dazzling creative restaurants, such as Atlas, Tertulia, or Amber. Kep only had very rare thrilling places. Majorellle definitely changes the game and takes it one big step higher.

	Phnom Penh, Cambodia
	https://www.cambodialifestyle.com/phnom-penh/
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