A Dim Sum restaurant has opened at the east side of the square around Central Market, offering families a new place to eat during the Khmer New Year period, although the restaurant will be closed Sunday, Monday and Tuesday, April 14 to 17.

Owned by a group of investors including Belgian restaurateur Alain Dupuis, the  two-level place specialising in the Hong Kong style of dim sum is managed by Dupuis’s brother-in-law, Meas Yanou.

The grand opening was held on March 26, with a packed house of Phnom Penh’s movers and shakers, complete with  a Chinese-style dragon dance and a karate demonstration by Meas Yanou, an eighth-degree black belt.

He sat down for an interview last week about the new place, which is already beginning to draw all-day dining crowds.

Every Saturday and Sunday, French and Italian musicians provide guitar music and singing upstairs at Dim Sum Emperor from 7 to 10 pm.

“The best thing is the high standard of hygienic food and the beautiful space.  We have real Chinese chefs from Hong Kong and very good service.  The waiters and waitresses are always smiling, and this is a relaxed place,” Yanou says.

The Dim Sum Emperor opens at 6:30 am and closes at 11:30 pm.  Since opening day,  Yanou has seen a lot of response from the public.

“We are the best in Cambodia for hand-made, stir-fried noodles,” he says.

Other menu items include ox ribs with pepper sauce hot pot for $7.50 and Hong Kong Hot Pot for $8.80. A whole roast duck is $28 and a half $15. There is Red fish steamed with soy sauce and ginger for $13.50, or deep fried with sweet and sour sauce for the same price.

Elephant fish steamed with soy sauce and served with garlic and onion costs $19.50.

It is also prepared deep fried with chili-onion soy sauce for the same price.

Yanou says a special dim sum brunch will be offered.

As for his martial arts, Yanou teaches at the Veal Sbov Pagoda on Tuesday and Thursday from 5 to 6:30pm and on Sunday from 8am to 9:30am and invites anyone.  He can also be reached at [email protected] and his website is www.kingboxe.com