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The Sweetest Thing: a Quick Guide to Cambodia’s Favourite Fruits

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For those who care to give a fig about their health, Cambodia offers a fruity bonanza (a bananza!!). Cambodia’s massive range of fresh, fragrant fruits in vibrant shades of red, orange, yellow, green, brown, pink and purple, can be found piled high at every market. They’re not only delicious, but also come packed with vitamins, minerals and nutrients that are essential to a healthy and balanced diet. So we’ve cherry picked some of our favourites to give you a run-down on just how lusciously good they really are. Durian Known as “Thouren” in Khmer, durian is frequently called the “King” of tropical fruits. It’s recognisable from a great distance thanks to its relatively huge size and distinctively mud-green, spiky rind. And some prefer their observations to rest entirely there, at a great distance, thanks to the durian’s famously stinky flesh. Its fragrance is so pungent, penetrating and persistent that it is famously barred from hotels, public spaces and transport all over Asia. Whatever about getting caught in a lift, imagine being stuck on a plane next to one. But if you’re able to pinch your nose and put the matter of the ‘perfume’ to one side, it is possible to join the ranks of very serious durian fans. This is the Marmite of fruits: people either hate it (from their distance vantage point), or they love it once they’ve tasted it. Durian’s fragrance is so strong, and distinctive, that it is famously banned from hotels, transport and other public places. While opinions about the aroma can vary, it is widely agreed that the flesh is nonetheless very, very tasty. Peeling away the layer of short, hard thorns reveals the soft, creamy-yellow flesh inside that can be cut into segments and eaten raw or mixed into desserts. Early in the durian’s season, which runs from May until June, it’s also possible to cook it into a curry like jackfruit. The fruit itself is packed full of vitamins, nutrients and minerals that it is considered one of the most nutritious fruits in the world. It’s also rich in antioxidants, and all their healing powers. In Cambodia, all parts of the durian tree – leaves, skin, roots and fruit – are used in traditional medicine to treat a variety of illnesses, including fever, jaundice and skin conditions. Research is currently being done on durian nut flours for making high-energy and protein outputs. The rind contains compounds that have antibacterial properties. Coconut Another staple of the Cambodian diet, coconut is a regular sight on Cambodia’s streets where vendors pile them in pyramids ready for immediate consumption to cool down on a hot day. The juice of young coconuts is incredibly refreshing, and may be exactly what you need if you’re dehydrated. The clear sweet water contains the electrolytes your body needs in order to stimulate its ability to absorb water. Ironically, when you’re dehydrated, your body’s capacity to absorb liquid is depleted. While it is not more hydrating than plain water, water on its own can’t trigger the body’s mechanisms for absorption as efficiently as coconut water can. The flesh of these young fruits is sweeter and slicker than the flesh of a mature coconut, but it is also highly beneficial, rich in minerals and vitamins, and contains some powerful antioxidants Mangosteen The mangosteen, called “Meangkhout” in Khmer, is an exquisite fruit. Composed of either five or seven dazzling white wedges with a sublime sweet, tart and juicy taste wrapped up in a rind that scarcely be duller or more unappealing. Secret trick: if you want to impress someone, or win a bet though that would be devious, make a bet on how many segments are inside. The number will always match the number of “petals” on the little flower-like stub at the bottom of the fruit. Mangosteen has unique antioxidant properties. It contains several nutrients with antioxidant capacities, including an antioxidant powerhouse, xanthone. Studies have demonstrated serious benefits from daily consumption of mangosteen. Lychee Called “Koulen” in Khmer, the lychee is small, round and spiny and red on the outside with translucent, pearly white flesh wrapped around a hard, dark seed on the inside. In Asia, lychees will only grow in a narrow band of territory stretching across South and Southeast Asia. They were once highly desired by the courtiers of a suite of Chinese dynasties. In the 1st Century, a special courier service run by especially swift horses was created to transport fresh lychees from Canton to the Imperial Court in the north. A single glass of fresh lychee juice contains more than twice the recommended daily intake of vitamin C. It is also a good source of copper. Moreover, lychees have a high concentration of antioxidants which can help to minimise cancer, heart disease, diabetes and ageing. Definitely one to linger over. Longan Known as ‘Mean’ in the Khmer language, the longan is another small, round, sweet tropical fruit and is part of the lychee family. It is less striking than the lychee though, with a dull, ruddy and brittle shell, but once peeled, the snow-white flesh is silky and sweet, though perhaps not as sweetly flavoured as its cousin, the lychee. The longan’s advantage though is that it is easier to grow, and ripens longer and later than the lychee. The shiny black seed in the centre has helped to give rise to the nickname, “dragons eye”. Longan is rich in vitamin C and polyphenols. Due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, the fruit is used in traditional Chinese medicine to improve appetite, reduce fever and fight parasitic infections. Rambutan Another close relation of the lychee, rambutan, known as ‘Saomao’ in Khmer, has a unique appearance, with a ruddy outer shell that is covered with thick the outer skin being a squishy ruddy-pink shell that is covered with thick, lime-green hairs. The sweet, succulent flesh is translucent white, and contains a small stone. Rambutan is highly nutritious, rich in vitamins, minerals and beneficial plant compounds and offers health benefits … Read more

Galette des Rois: Your Chance to Reign and Shine

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Galette des Rois available at Khéma

A delicious combination of puff pastry and almond cream, the Galette des Rois (“King Cake”) occupies a special place in French hearts, and bellies. Christmas is one of those feasts that likes to linger in the palate, much like an excellent wine does. And so while all the major festivities are done and dusted for another year, there is still one thing to look forward to: Epiphany and the Galettes des Rois with which the French, and others, love to celebrate this moment in the Christian calendar. A delicious combination of puff pastry and almond cream, the Galette des Rois (“King Cake”) occupies a special place in French hearts, and bellies. And, of course, you’ll find our favourite ones freshly prepared by our baking team at Khéma. And don’t forget: whoever gets the slice with the ‘bean’ is crowned King (or Queen) for the rest of the day. Epiphany is a feast day that marks the end of the “12 Days of Christmas” which are in fact a whole series of Christian feast days intended to celebrate saints who are recognised as “Companions of Christ” because their lives bore unique witness to Jesus Christ. But while the religious significance has faded, January 6th still remains a day of celebration among family and friends for many in France. And celebrating it without a Galette des Rois would be like celebrating Christmas without a Christmas Day meal. Epiphany though is not about the saints, but about the Three Wise Men (Magi) who came to find Jesus following his birth in Bethlehem. Over time, these Wise Men were recast as ‘kings’, and thus the origins for a ‘king cake’ were laid. But the origins for this special cake and the traditions that surround it go back even further than Christianity and can be traced back to Roman times when and the festival of Saturnalia when, for a single day of the year, slaves became masters and masters became slaves (a temporary inversion of the social order that no doubt helped to subdue stirrings for a more permanent edition). In the Roman tradition, a king or queen for the day was determined by hiding a bean inside a cake. For non-French speakers who nonetheless enjoy French food and culture, the word ‘galette’ can be a bit of a confusing one as it refers to a wide variety of things including a flat pastry, savoury buckwheat crepes, shortbread biscuits (especially those made famous in Pont Aven in Brittany), and a preparation of thinly sliced potatoes browned on both sides in a frying pan. And there are many more iterations too. It helps to think of it as a word that means good things are going to come. And that’s definitely true of a Galette des Rois. Especially the ones you’ll find at Khéma all through this January.

Meet Chef Pino, the Kitchen Maestro at Siena

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Executive Chef Giuseppe “Pino” Napoletano

True passion has driven Siena’s Executive Chef, Giuseppe “Pino” Napoletano from his home in Southern Italy to work in award-winning and Michelin-starred restaurants in the north and south of Italy, Switzerland, Germany, New York, Bangkok and now Phnom Penh. With Siena at Flatiron opening soon, last month we gave a brief insight into the often under-appreciated breadth and variety of Italian Cuisine. This month we’re getting personal, and sat down with Siena’s Executive Chef, Giuseppe “Pino” Napoletano, the man who will be bringing you all the rich, wonderful flavours of his homeland. And he’s very passionate about his mission. That passion has driven a 40-year career that has taken him from his home in Southern Italy to work in award-winning and Michelin-starred restaurants in the north and south of Italy, Switzerland, Germany, New York, Bangkok and now Phnom Penh. His experience has seen him perfect his skills in Italian, French and International cooking styles, but it is the food of Italy that makes Pino’s eyes light up, and you’ll soon be able to taste exactly why that is so. We were lucky to be able to get him to sit down in fact. Chef Pino’s quest to source and secure the best ingredients possible for the Siena menu has been absorbing an awful lot of his time. But the rewards for this will be abundantly clear. For example, your Risotto will not just be made from the popular arborio rice, but from Riso Carnaroli, the caviar of risotto rices that is highly prized for the dense, creamy risotto it creates. Chef Pino has married this ambrosia with Siena’s house Sausage, Pumpkin, Marinated Herbs, Chestnuts and Black Garlic, and that is just a hint of the divine glories that he has been cooking up, and of how Siena will be a little bit different from Italian restaurants you may have visited before. “I want to start showing people what Italian cuisine really is. I mean, it’s a subject as vast as French cuisine with very different regions, ingredients and cooking methods all across the country”, he says, adding, “but even though we’re close to France, it’s very different from French cooking. You almost never see cream in Italian cooking, for example, and butter only really in the North”. Chef Pino may be only one man, but his broad experience brings a lot of range to the table, covering the top and bottom of Italy, but also combining a commitment to traditional principles with an appreciation for the advantages of modern technology. And he’s not to afraid to experiment with the million combinations these sources of knowledge, flavour and technique offer. “For my cooking style, I take a little bit of the north and a little bit of the south, and sometimes I mix them up. But I like to experiment with techniques too.” To take one example, for Siena’s Spaghetti di Gragnano alle Vongole, he marries a courgette cream (not dairy cream!) with sun-dried tomatoes to create a rich, sweet earthiness that goes perfectly with the seafood flavours of the clams. Moreover, his selection of Spaghetti di Gragnano elevates the dish even further. Gragnano is a small, hillside town overlooking the Gulf of Naples and is known for producing the best dried pastas in Italy, a reputation that is acknowledged with a Protected Geographical Indication by the European Union. Gragnano pastas are celebrated for their chewier texture as well as nuttier flavour which is influenced by the Marino wind blowing in from the Gulf to enrich drying pastas with sea minerals. Another moment of Siena synchronicity. While Chef Pino is also a traditionalist (we do not recommend telling him if you’re one of the millions of people in the world who make their Spaghetti Carbonara with cream. It makes him grieve), he also loves digging into the essences of the flavours he’s engaging with in order to find their perfect partners, and sometimes that can mean stepping outside of the rules. One of his tricks is to briefly add a little star anise to his slow-cooked tomato sauces because he has discovered that they share some of the same chemical compounds, and so complement each other perfectly. “It works for chocolate and roasted garlic too!” he adds (in anticipation of your raised eyebrows here, we checked this out and it’s absolutely true, chocolate and garlic do share compounds, and indeed garlic chocolate truffles are a thing…). This is just a glimpse of the exciting things that Chef Pino is cooking up in his kitchen. There’ll be more to come. Meanwhile, we’re working hard to get Siena ready to open its doors, and Pino continues his unflagging quest to find you the very best ingredients and flavours that Italy has to offer.

A Slice of the Very Best Life

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Iberian black pigs in the mountain forests of southern Spain

Made from the cured meat of Iberian black pigs that have grazed freely in the mountain forests of southern and western Spain, Pata Negra de Bellota is no ordinary ham One of the most expensive foods in the world, ranked alongside Kobe beef, oysters, foie gras and caviar, Pata Negra de Bellota is no ordinary ham. Made from the cured meat of Iberian black pigs that have grazed freely in the mountain forests of southern and western Spain, it is agreed, as a matter of fact, that Pata Negra is the finest ham in the world. You’ll be able to tell the difference the moment you lay eyes on the delicately carved wafer-thin slices. From the deeper pink, and sometimes red, colour of the flesh to the glistening silkiness of the ribbons of fat that wrap along its side. The scent is soft, with hints of sweetness, while the taste and texture are a combination of honeyed, nutty richness from the meat and creamy silk from the fat. It is a sublime combination that deserves your full attention. And how do they create something so magical? The black-hoofed (“pata negra”) Iberian black pig grazes freely in the dry, warm oak-filled mountain forests of Spain. There they gorge on acorns, the fruit of the oak trees called bellota, which help to infuse their meat and fat with sweet, nutty flavours. But this little pig has its own special talents too, as it lays down fat slightly differently from other pigs. Not only do they develop a rich layer of fat along their haunches, but the meat itself is riven with tiny slivers of that fat where the deepest wells of flavour are found. The ham comes from the hind legs which are salted and hung to cure for as long as three to four years. Because the black Iberian pig lays down so much fat, the hams can be cured for longer than other hams resulting in a deeper concentration of flavours that create the intense experience for which Pata Negra is so rightly famed. The traditions that brought us Pata Negra de Belllota go back thousands of years and are steeped in reverence. This ham is the pride of Spain, the jewel in its culinary crown, and one single ham can sell for as much as $4,000. To really enjoy your Pata Negra at Topaz, we recommend pairing it up with a glass of Champagne, which offers a nice balance to the sweet, fattiness of the ham. Alternatively, wines from the Loire Valley are always highly recommended, such as a Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé. Cleansing the palate with each sip will prepare you for a fresh new flavour explosion with your next bite.

Pump up your Vitals with Malis’ Moringa Soup

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Moringa soup at Malis Restaurant

Moringa is a genuine superfood, and highly reputed for its manifold powers to revive and boost your body’s natural defenses One of Malis’ signature dishes, our delicate but delicious and nutritious Morinaga Soup is made with a pumpkin consommé and leaves from the Moringa tree to create a healthy and light vegetarian start to your meal that, for all its delicacy, is packed full of protein, minerals, vitamins, fiber and antioxidants. Moringa is a genuine superfood, and highly reputed for its manifold powers to revive and boost your body’s natural defenses. So it’s not just good, it’s good for you too. Indigenous to India, the Moringa (‘drumstick’) tree, also known as the ‘miracle tree’ and ‘mother’s best friend’ is now arguably one of the most cultivated trees in tropical and sub-tropical parts of the world thanks to its drought resistance. The tree is an important source of nourishment in developing countries where poor nutrition is a concern. Beyond, it is currently being extensively examined for its potential as a ‘functional food’, i.e. one of those foods whose benefits go beyond nutrition and may play a role in reducing or minimising the risk of certain diseases and other health conditions. Almost all parts of the tree, including the root, bark, seed, flowers, pods, seed oil, leaves and resin have potential food, agriculture or industrial uses. It is no wonder that many consider this tree to be the most useful in the world. However, it is the vivid-green, ovoid leaves that appear to offer the greatest protective, antioxidant properties. And it is not just marketers who like to say this. Our review of scientific journals reveals a consensus on the nutritional properties of Moringa leaves. They are a rich source of nutrients like protein, carbohydrate, fibre, beta carotene, vitamin C and minerals like calcium, potassium, iron and phosphorus. Their protein count is equivalent to that of some pulses, including soy and kidney beans. The leaves also contain various types of compounds such as ascorbic acid (vitamin C), flavonoids, phenolic compounds and carotenoids that act as natural antioxidants. But what is an antioxidant? In brief, they are naturally occurring, but also man-made, molecules that have the potential to prevent or delay certain types of cell damage in the body usually caused by things called free radicals. These are much too complicated to go into here but are essentially molecules of the body that have become “unbalanced” and highly reactive as a result of things like smoking. The antioxidant molecule has the capacity to “rebalance” the rampaging free radical and thus neutralise its potential for harm. Things can get confusing for consumers here because many like to promote Moringa Leaves as a specific means for combatting or preventing disease based on its antioxidant properties. However, while several decades of dietary research findings suggest that consuming greater amounts of antioxidant-rich foods might help to protect against diseases, no one has been able to establish a direct and specific link between the two. Research has shown that people who eat more vegetables and fruits that are rich in antioxidants have lower risks of several diseases; however, it is not clear whether these results are related to the amount of antioxidants in vegetables and fruits, to other components of these foods, to other factors in people’s diets, or to other lifestyle choices. We believe there may be a lot to the claims for Moringa’s healing powers, but for now we count on the fact that this soup provides a deliciously light beginning to your meal at Malis. Perhaps one to consider as part of your January “detox”.

Chef Luu Meng Wins ABC ‘The Exceptional’ Award

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After much deliberation by an expert panel of five judges, Chef Luu Meng was honoured by ABC’s ‘The Exceptional’ Campaign for his contributions to Cambodian society. At a jubilant showcase evening last month, Thalias founding-director, the inspiration behind Malis restaurant’s success and energetic promoter of Cambodian cuisine around the world, Chef Luu Meng was honoured by ABC’s ‘The Exceptional’ Campaign for his contributions to Cambodian society. The ABC ‘The Exceptional’ Award was created by the makers of ABC Stout last year in order to celebrate the achievements of ten individuals across five industries: music, art, business, e-sports and culinary. The aim is to inspire and empower a new generation of Cambodians to define the terms of their own success. The other Award winners this year were Chef Pol Kimsan, film producer Neang Kavich, documentary maker Chum Sothea, entrepreneur Chea Langda, musician and festival-founder Rithy Lomorkesor, and fashion designers Nat Soknan and Van Natacha. In addition to his award, Chef Meng also received $20,000 which he has pledged will go towards creating fund-raising events that give back to the community. “I was not prepared to get this prize,” said Chef Meng at the event. “So whatever I have received, I will make it bigger, to give back to the people who need it. I will work with our team to raise funds to give back to the community and we will discuss where to distribute the money to. We will make sure this award is given back in a bigger and bigger way so that it can create a good example for younger people”. Chef Meng, who created an ABC-Stout infused menu for the evening, was visibly surprised but delighted by the award and said he was humbled to share the company of the other Exceptional awardees. “[They] have endured hardships and overcome challenges with determination to get to where they are today,” he said. “They have certainly inspired me, and I’m sure they will inspire many young adult Cambodians to pursue their dreams and overcome adversity to co-create an even better Cambodia together”. During a previous interview with the team behind the ABC ’The Exceptional’ Campaign, Chef Meng had some solid advice for young Cambodians who wish to pursue a career in hospitality. “Please be yourself and make sure this is the right career that you love to be a part of… As long as you work hard on what you love, sooner or later you will master it, and remember to be kind to people along the way”. Our heartfelt congratulations to Meng and all of the Exceptional winners of this year’s awards. True leaders and inspirations for us all.

Spoons Out! It’s Mont d’Or Season…

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Mont d’Or is revered in France almost like no other cheese is, and there’s a good reason why that is! While many consider the Christmas Celebration season an excellent reason to be jolly, there’s certainly no need to feel glum now that it’s over for another year. That’s because there’s another season going on which, we think, is guaranteed to have the cheese-lovers of this world singing joyously as they grab their spoons for a scoop of the gloriously luscious cheese, Mont d’Or. What is Mont d’Or? Well, for starters it’s revered in France almost like no other cheese is, and there’s a good reason why that is. More technically, it’s a lightly pressed soft cows’ milk cheese with a washed rind. It is produced between September and March each year using milk from cows on their cold-weather diet of hay and no longer producing enough milk to make the traditional large-scale cheeses such as Gruyère, Comte and Beaufort. However, this fall and winter milk, while less voluminous is also higher in protein and fat that produce richly flavoured cheeses which ripen quickly into a deliciously gooey, runny cheese with a heavy rind. However, while the flavour might be deep, it tends to be less complex than that produced from the milk of summer-grass eating cows. And because the French are French, this would not do. So an ingenious solution was found. The practice of wrapping maturing cheeses in strips of bark was first recorded in the thirteenth century, though may well have preceded that time. Wrapping the cheeses in bark, specifically spruce bark in the case of Mont d’Or, encourages the development of different classes of flavour-forging bacteria that yield rich, creamy cheeses with complex, multi-layered flavours. It is no surprise that Mont d’Or was a firm favourite of King Henry XV. This production method is labour-intensive, which may explain why only eleven producers create this cheese today. And the flavour. Well, it’s not just the scarcity of seasonality and production that drives the passions this cheese invokes. In the words of American food writer, David Liebowitz, “… it’s like a brain wreck of everything going on – fat, funk, fresh cream, wood, garlic, rank and a peculiar buttery sharpness scrambling all your senses together in each single mouthful. And if that description doesn’t scare you away, then you’ll be rewarded with a life-altering eating experience”. Who could say no to that?! The only questions now should be: what size spoon should I use, to which the answer is small because you likely won’t be able to stop once you start, and what wine should I drink with this miracle? If you can get your hands on a vin jaune, which is produced in the Jura, then all the better. In the absence of that, you’ll need a dry white wine that can stand up for itself, like Chardonnay, Gewürtztraminer, or Sancerre. Oh, and Champagne! If you fancy something else though, then perhaps a porter-style beer might be your answer. Mont d’Or can be enjoyed as it is, or elevated to food-of-the-gods levels by wrapping the entire container securely in foil (particularly if you’re the one who usually has to clean the oven), while leaving the top open. Then poke a few holes in the golden rind with a knife, sprinkle it with a little salt and pepper, pour a glass of white wine over it, and bake it about 190ºC (375ºF) for about 20 to 30 minutes. Hiding all the spoons in the house except your own is liable to lead to wars.

Food is a Passport to Global Recognition

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“Gastronomy is a powerful tool for diplomacy to improve relations between countries through cultural exchanges such as exhibitions and meetings between foreign diplomats.” – H.E. PRAK Sokhonn Last month, the National Institute of Diplomacy and International Relations (NIDIR) held an event highlighting the importance with a special training session on the preparation of Num Banh Chok Khmer (Cambodian rice noodle soup) before an assembled group of spouses of ambassadors posted to Cambodia and those of Cambodian diplomats posted abroad. The event was led by Thalias Hospitality founder, Chef Luu Meng who, together with a team from the Cambodian Academy of Culinary Arts, prepared the flavourful noodle soup while explaining its origins and recipe before everyone was able to enjoy a delicious tasting of this classic Cambodian dish. The training was part of NIDIR’s 2021-2023 economic diplomacy strategy to promote Cambodia’s tourism and culture, including culinary arts, on the international stage. According to H.E. PRAK Sokhonn, “gastronomy is a powerful tool for diplomacy to improve relations between countries through cultural exchanges such as exhibitions and meetings between foreign diplomats.” H.E. Dr. NHIM Khemara, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, expressed his appreciation for the event and hoped that diplomats and chefs at missions abroad would endeavour to apply what they had learned in order to further promote Cambodian cuisine as a means of cultural diplomacy. This form of diplomacy, called ‘gastrodiplomacy’ since The Economist magazine coined the phrase in 2002, has grown in importance over the last decades as countries all over the world seek to foster relations between nations, but also to raise awareness and interest among populations of a particular cuisine and the appeals of the country behind it. Many countries have followed this strategy, most notably Thailand, whose efforts The Economist was describing in its 2002 article. The Thai initiative aimed to expand the number of Thai restaurants in the world from 5,500 to 8,000. Their multifaceted approach included making it easier for restauranteurs abroad to import food from Thailand, including the use of soft loans, and agreements with foreign countries that made it easier for Thai chefs to secure work visas. Many other countries have followed suit since then including South Korea, which focused on kimchi as part of its initiatives, Taiwan and Peru, the last of which succeeded in creating a global boom for Peruvian food. As distinct from the grand occasions one might normally associate with gastronomic diplomacy, one of the endearing features of gastrodiplomacy is that anyone can play a role given the right audience. No need to starch your suits and dresses, just to keep the cooking fires burning.

Onwards and Upwards to the Year Ahead

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Developing Asia Economies Set to Grow 5.2% this Year Amid Global Uncertainty The beginning of this year already feels like it happened a decade ago. Cambodia had just reopened its doors to tourism and the world was gradually moving over to a policy of “living with Covid”. No one really knew what the future held, but there was tentative optimism. What choice did we have after all? But Cambodia’s experience over 2022 has at least borne some of that optimism out. And it looks as though we have ground for even further optimism going into 2023. This December, the World Bank revised Cambodia’s economic growth levels for the year upwards to 4.8%. According to their report, Cambodia’s garment industry, travel goods and footwear exports showed resilience, while the services sector, especially travel and tourism, has also done well. As a result, business and consumer confidence have risen and both domestic and foreign investment have increased. While this is a fraction of Cambodia’s historic highs, it still puts the country ahead of much of the rest of the world. Global growth is projected to reach 3.2% for this year, “the weakest growth profile since 2001” not including the financial crash of 2008 and the early, acute phase of the Covid pandemic. So while larger countries are slowing down, Cambodia is maintaining its traditional trend of gearing up despite strong negative external factors such as the ongoing conflict in Europe, and the US’s and China’s faltering economies. That upward trend is set to continue for 2023, where Cambodia is predicted to hit growth levels of 5.3%. That trend may receive a further boost from a $274-million credit earmarked for Cambodia by the World Bank in order to “promote a resilient recovery” from recent economic turbulence. The support is expressly intended to support economic reforms that “will boost growth and strengthen Cambodia’s resilience”, including those that will promote competition, streamline administration and expand access to finance. In Cambodia’s favour, tourism is showing strong signs of recovery, with over 1¼ million arrivals in the first nine months of this year, almost seven times more than the dismal equivalent period in 2021. This third-quarter figure already outpaces predictions made in May for the entire year by 25%. A key driver for tourism’s recovery will be the relaunch and introduction of key air routes with countries like Japan and India, among others. This undertaking received a boost last month with the announcement by AirAsia of a new joint-venture agreement for the creation of a new low-cost airline in the country.

We’ve got a Fabulous Festival of Flavours for You this Festive Season

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“Oh, come all ye hungry, joyful and triumphant” and join us at Topaz or Khéma for a special Christmas celebration that will be a giant bouquet of flavours, family and friends. Our teams have wrapped up some iconic menus for you, but you’ll need to be quick… If anyone else feels like last Christmas and New Year’s Eve were either last century or last week, you are not alone! Mercifully, our teams have not been forced to ponder what they’re going to prepare for you for the last two decades, but they have taken a little longer than a week or two to compose some stellar menus to elevate your celebrations this year. And the kitchen team at Topaz under the guidance of Chef Sopheak Pov has really outdone itself this year. We are incredibly proud to present two menus that are the essence of some serious celebratory business. You’ll find plenty of decadently luxurious ingredients with divine flavours and combinations all wrapped up in two eight-course menus. To give you a brief glimpse of what’s lined up for a beautifully Bright Christmas at Topaz, you’ll be unfolding dishes including Foie Gras Terrine with Black Winter Truffle, magically cut through with a Raspberry Coulis, and later on, Poached Atlantic Lobster with Champagne Sauce. And these are just some of the supporting act before the main event, which will be a magnificent Turkey Ballotine stuffed with Foie Gras and Morel Mushrooms with Chestnut Purée and Black Trumpet Mushrooms. And for a fire-cracker of a New Year, the menu starts off with a Hokkaido Scallop Tartare with Caviar, and just goes up, up and up from there. Like we said, the team at Topaz have outdone themselves. But, not to be outdone, the Khéma crew are batting for you with a pair of fantastic five-course menus that are guaranteed to add an extra sparkle to your day. Here, your Christmas celebrations kick off with a very Cambodian twist, and a delicious salad of Mekong Lobster with Foie Gras and Green Beans followed by a Kampot Crab Cannelloni with Wild Mushrooms. For the centre-piece of the meal, you’ll enjoy a beautiful Turkey Ballotine with a Chestnut and Foie Gras Stuffing, accompanied by Root Vegetables and Potato Dauphinoise. And New Year’s Eve will be no less spectacular, for a menu packed with delicious surprises, including a Creamy White Bean and Scallop Soup, a Seafood Gratin, Foie Gras, and crowned by a Pan-seared Duck Breast à l’Orange served with Spring Vegetables. To find out more, keep an eye on our Facebook pages at https://www.facebook.com/TopazRestaurant and https://www.facebook.com/KhemaPasteur, and to make your booking, follow this link: https://thalias.com.kh/reserve/ But hurry up, places will fill fast!