Philadelphia, PA - On March 2, a new Cambodian Noodle House in Bella Vista will open in Philly: Mawn, a BYOB by Phila Lorn and Rachel Lorn (764 S. 9th St.). Phila says the 28-seat restaurant is a "no rules noodles house" named after the city. The restaurant will explore Southeast Asia beyond Cambodian cuisine and offer flavors from Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos.
Mawn, Khmer's official language of Cambodia, means "chicken." Phila's parents survived the Cambodian genocide, and chicken represented peacetime. Phila claims that his mother used to tell him that if there were chickens to eat, it meant there wasn't war.
Mawn will open initially for dinner and will be open Wednesday through Saturday from 4:30-9 p.m. After opening, Mawn will be open for lunch only. Lunch service will begin shortly.
A new Sunday brunch with a prix-fixe Cambodian hot pot will be added later in spring. It's called "Ya Hawn," a family-style meal Phila calls "a great hangover remedy, which is also really nice to share with specially selected friends and family."
Both Rachel and Phila are veterans of the restaurant business. Rachel has worked, among other places, at Stephen Starr’s Pod in University City and Hiroyuki Tanaka's Zama restaurant in Rittenhouse. She spent seven years at Logan Hotel, where she was the manager of Urban Farmer and, most recently, as the director for banquets.
Phila has been working in top Philly restaurants since 2006. His resume includes Zama and Will BYOB, Stock Fishtown, Barbuzzo, and Mighty Bread Co. Jose Garces recently selected Lorn for a Volver at The Kimmel Center residency. "See.. Philadelphia Chef Phila Lorn" This is Lorn's first chance to share his food with a broader audience. They met at Zama in 2011 and began working together.
Laotian khao pon; Northern Thai Khao soi; a vegan 3-mushroom noodle broth; and Vietnamese chicken Pho with chicken schmaltz are some of the exotic dishes available. After lunch service begins, Phila will make Cambodian-style sandwiches called "num pang" and will serve them on warm, fresh rolls from Sarcone's Bakery, just a few doors from the restaurant.
This menu features foods from all over Southeast Asia. We are thrilled to open Mawn and take the next step toward achieving our dream.
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