Portland, Maine, Restaurant Named Among the Most Anticipated Openings in 2024

A lot has been said about the food scene in Portland, Maine, over the last decade. Many restaurants have been rightfully been showered with praise for their exemplary food, service, and atmosphere.

But how does a foodie town keep people coming back? By continuing to evolve. It also doesn't hurt when you've got one of the most anticipated restaurants in the nation opening in 2024. A little hype can go a long way.

Bon Appetit released their list of the nine Most Anticipated Restaurants for 2024 that featured Oun Lidos. If you're not familiar with the name, that's all well and good. The restaurant is still a couple months away from opening.

The hype comes from a couple of different places. Oun Lidos is the next venture from the team behind the popular Cong Tu Bot restaurant. While the Vietnamese dishes at Cong Tu Bot have kept people coming back, Oun Lidos will be different.

Oun Lidos will focus on Khmer-Chinese cuisine. Essentially, Cambodian features and flavors. Many traditional Cambodian dishes are similar to Thai favorites. But traditional Cambodian ingredients have different flavor profiles and aromatics.

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Not only that, a lot of Cambodian cooking was inspired by French cuisine. Breakfast is a big deal in Cambodia, and the plan is for Oun Lidos to offer a breakfast service that is likely to be very unique in Portland.

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Oun Lidos will be opening at 30 Market Street, formerly the home of Pat's Pizza in the Old Port. According to Portland Food Map, Oun Lidos hopes to have a takeout counter open in February before a grand opening of their multi-level dining room later this spring.