New Angkor cafe in Village

Just 12 years after opening the first Angkor Wat Kiwi Bakery and cafe in Waipukurau, Mab Chheur and his family have opened their sixth cafe, following up on their popular Napier cafe with a new premises in Havelock Road .

While Mab was a bit nervous about the Havelock North venture, he says he’s very happy now that it’s open and busy.

“People are coming in and keeping us busy, so it’s worked out well,” he says.

Mab first came to New Zealand from Cambodia in the late 1990s, spending some time in Auckland before deciding that the New Zealand lifestyle would suit his family, who came to join him at the end of 1999.

Baking wasn’t his trade then; he had gained a business degree in Cambodia. But spending time learning the ropes in an Auckland bakery gave him a passion for the industry and, despite the long hours, he decided the cafe business was where he wanted to be.

“I learned a lot from my employer and then went on to teach myself more recipes and techniques,” says Mab. “It’s amazing what you can learn from YouTube and practising recipes from magazines. It was hard work, but worth it.

“I had my own cafe in Auckland for a year, but Auckland was too busy and not the lifestyle we had come here for. We moved to Hawke’s Bay and opened Angkor Wat in Waipukurau and things have grown from there.”

The cafe’s name comes from the Angkor Wat temple complex in Cambodia — the largest religious monument in the world and a World Heritage site.

“I thought it would appeal to people passing through, attract them to the cafe,” says Mab. “For a while people would come in expecting Cambodian food. But we specialise in traditional Kiwi baking like ginger crunch and pies and filled rolls. I don’t want to add Cambodian food as well — we’re busy enough. We don’t want to get too busy and compromise our quality.”

It wasn’t long before Angkor Wat was picking up medals in the New Zealand Pie Awards — two golds and a bronze to date. With the Waipukurau cafe busy, Mab and his family opened a bakery and cafe in Hastings which is now run by extended family. They then took their straight-forward Kiwi fare to Taradale and Napier.

Mab’s brother, who had been in the Waipukurau cafe for five years, decided he wanted to move closer to Auckland, so another Angkor Wat Cafe came into existence . . . this time in Tuakau.

“It’s a very busy summer location,” says Mab. “But, surprisingly, Waipukurau is still our busiest cafe, despite being in the smallest location. The customers have become friends and are very loyal.”

That’s why Mab insists on retaining the Angkor Wat name.

“People have got to know us. Hastings and Napier customers will stop as they travel through Waipukurau because they know they will find their favourites there.”

A comment Mab often hears from customers is that his prices are reasonable.

“That’s important to us, for people to be able to afford to enjoy our food.”