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Right on Top: Phka Rumdoul Voted Best Rice in the World. Again

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Phka Rumdoul Rice - Image by Khmer Times

Cambodia’a jasmine rice, Phka Rumdoul, has once again been crowned the world’s best rice by the World Rice Conference held by The Rice Trade (TRT) in Phuket, Thailand. This is the fifth time Cambodian rice has received this award since it started participating in the Conference, with prior wins in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2018. Cambodian premium jasmine rice is grown in the wet season and is highly prized for its extra-long grain, soft texture and a distinctive flavour that exudes a strong, natural perfume. Cambodia’s Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, H.E. Dith Tina, expressed his congratulations on the win, which he said “is a source of pride for the nation.” The World Rice Conference is held annually for the global rice community and its many related industries, and plays a helpful role in promoting a nation’s products on international markets. Cambodia first started formally exporting milled rice in 2008, with less than 30,000 tonnes. Since then, the industry has grown tremendously with almost 800,000 tonnes shipped in 2020. Exports dropped during the pandemic, although at 450,000 tonnes for the first nine months of this year, figures are already 10% ahead of 2021. There are as many ways of preparing rice as grains in a bowl. But here is one of our favourites for you to enjoy a simple, sweet (and calorific) dessert at home. Rice with Palm Sugar and Coconut Milk Ingredients (for four people): 50g Glutinous rice ½tsp Salt 700ml Fresh coconut milk 200g Palm sugar 3tbs liquid palm sugar 100ml Coconut cream Method: Soak the rice in water for twenty minutes, then drain and add the rice to a saucepan, along with the salt and half the coconut milk. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for five minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rice softens. Add the palm sugar and coconut milk to the rice, stir and then simmer for five minutes until the rice becomes translucent. Add the liquid palm sugar and cook for another two minutes. Divide the rice among four bowls, then drizzle with a tablespoon of coconut cream, serve hot and savour…

A Slice of Life: The French Baguette Recognised as a World Heritage

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Bakery in Nice, France, November 28, 2022. REUTERS

Last month, the emblematic French Baguette was added to the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage by Uneseco, bringing France’s recorded number of cultural elements up to 25, including the Gastronomic Meal of the French, perfume making in Grasse, the Carnival of Granville and Summer Solstice Fire Festivals in the Pyrenees. Intangible cultural heritage is a practice, representation, expression, knowledge or skill considered by Unesco to be part of a place’s cultural heritage. It is those things we cannot see or touch but which represent a culture’s essence, such as its folklore, customs, beliefs, traditions, knowledge and languages. Thus, the latest listing more specifically distinguishes the Artisanal Know-how and Culture of Baguette Bread, rather than baguettes themselves. The entry notes that the baguette is the most popular kind of bread enjoyed and consumed in France throughout the year. Made with only four ingredients (flour, water, salt, leaven and/or yeast), its crisp crust and chewy texture “result in a specific sensory experience” and they are consumed all over the country in a variety of contexts. But even though baguettes all over are made with those same four ingredients, it is the vital fifth ingredient, the baker’s savoir-faire, that will distinguish one boulangerie’s baguette and another’s. Ironically, the baguette is a relatively recent addition to France’s culinary repertoire. Although long, thin loaves have been made since the time of King Louis XIV, the form we all know and love today was only properly recognised in 1920. In the 18th century, these humble loaves, with their high crust to crumb (the doughy white inside) ratio, were actually criticised as pandering too much to Parisians and their love of crust. But time and the crust eventually won out, and the baguette finally made it to France’s provinces during the early 20th century, thereby guaranteeing its places in French stomachs and hearts.

Thalias Group To Win Energy Consumption Related Award

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The Ministry of Environment is leading the way on showing companies how to save big, and help save the planet too… On October 28, Thalias was delighted and honoured to step up to the podium to receive two awards at the Cambodian Energy Efficiency Competition organised by the Ministry of Environment, the Institute of Technology of Cambodia and Sevea Consulting with the support of the Cambodia Climate Change Alliance and Schneider Electric. This competition was created in order to encourage businesses and institutions to cut back on their energy usage, and to recognise the efforts of those that successfully do so. The Competition takes place over a year in which participants monitor their monthly energy usage, and declare their monthly energy bills on the competition’s web platform. It’s the kind of action that helps to focus minds on the ways that energy is used, and often wasted, in the course of everyday activities. This means that even for those participants that did not take away a medal, they’ve still won something incredibly valuable. The Competition began last year with 28 participating buildings, and it is hoped that this will grow over time as its reputation grows. It is in fact modelled on a successful French initiative, the CUBE Competition, created by the French Institute for Building Performance. So far, that competition has seen 670 participating buildings which have seen an average annual saving on usage, and therefore their bills, of 12%. One was able to make savings of 57.4%! Overall, the competition has already contributed to a saving of 7,658 tons of CO2. The Competition is also vital for raising awareness, not just in the media and public forums, but among the thousands of employees, globally hundreds of thousands, whose small daily modifications can have a tremendous impact. Thalias’ teams worked and continue to work hard to reduce our own output across all our properties, and we are grateful their efforts have been recognised. We look forward to the competition “hotting up” as more businesses and institutions take part in the years to come. The Cambodia Energy Efficiency Competition was created under the Ministry of Environment in partnership with EuroCham, EnergyLab, the Liger Leadership Academy and the IFPEB, and with the financial support of Schneider Electric and the National Council for Sustainable Development under the Cambodia Climate Change Alliance Innovation Grant Facility, and additional support from the European Union, the United Nation Development Program and Sweden.

Dining And Diplomacy – Cambodia On a Plate

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How do states navigate tricky knots in negotiations, affirm their strongest relations and make their boldest, but unspoken, declarations? Through food of course… To many, food is simply something they put into their mouths in order to fuel the things they’re doing while they’re not eating. To others, the power of food to bring people together and bind, or break, relations is its very essence, which is why food has for so long played such an important role in international relations. Former British prime minister, Lord Palmerston, noted that “dining is the soul of diplomacy”, and this is as true today as it was in the 1860s thanks to food’s power to communicate as eloquently as any wordsmith can. Coming together around a table and, often, rather elaborate meal has the power to deepen alliances and broaden understanding. It unites and unifies, diffuses political tensions and affirms bonds. Studies have shown that it not only enhances peoples’ receptiveness to whatever is being discussed, it also triggers a desire to “repay” the provider. Food brings people together, and the dining table provides a less fraught setting within which to develop cordial and productive relationships, especially after a day of tiring negotiations in a different arena. But food on this scale also has the power to tell a tale. When the Irish government welcomed Queen Elizabeth on a state visit in 2011, food was an especially fraught subject given the series of famines that defined British colonial rule, culminating in the Great Famine of 1845-49 that killed around one million people. But the Irish government turned that bitter pill around, and used food to make a statement about Ireland’s diplomatic, cultural and culinary identity. It was a statement that was both welcoming and welcomed because it came from a place of genuine pride that was expressed through the selection of local ingredients and local foodways. Even the wines, Château Lynch-Bages and Château de Fieuzal, were chosen for their historical Irish connections. Until she died recently, the Queen still talked about this occasion as one of the greatest of her reign. It was a moment that cemented and transformed relations between the two countries. Ireland was no longer afraid to stand up and be counted, and said as much through every bite and sip of that meal. That is the power of food. On another grand occasion in 1889, the Emperor of Japan, Meiji the Great, hosted a dinner for 800 people to celebrate the completion of a new royal palace, and to showcase Japan’s modernisation and sophistication. In that case, there was no question but that the menu and service had to be French and it took the court two years to prepare for the spectacular occasion. During that time courtiers had to be trained in how to dress and behave at a French dinner, including the peculiar art of making small talk, and also in how to resist being unnerved by the constant clatter of silverware on porcelain. Fortunately, great occasions are a little less fraught these days, and don’t take quite so long to prepare for. But they still take time. When Thalias was called on to prepare a dinner for 500 people during the ASEAN Summit in August this year, we knew how important it was that the evening show off the best of Cambodia. The menu itself was conceived by Chef Luu Meng who took delegates on a proud culinary tour of the nation with a distinctly Cambodian menu that included Kampot Crab, Takeo River Langoustine, Battambang Beef Saraman. But aside from all the menu planning, wine pairing, organising, ordering, scheduling and everything else that goes into putting together a great dinner, it took our kitchen teams three full days of slicing, chopping, dicing, mixing, marinading and 193 other things just to prepare the meal. It’s a huge task that takes a huge team and an awful lot of careful coordination. Fortunately, this is where Topaz Executive Chef Sopheak Pov is in his element. Chef Sopheak refined his kitchen management skills in Michelin-starred kitchens in France where the brigade system rules. That system helps him to keep his eye on 200 different details and moving parts all at once, even when working in a domain that is not strictly his own. Chef Sopheak is less experienced in Cambodian cuisine than he is in French. It’s a great example of how systems can define outcomes, regardless of the arena. Speaking a few years ago while Ambassador of Denmark, Joe Biden’s current Chief of Protocol, Rufus Gifford once said, “When you tell a story with food—whatever that story may be—it makes diplomacy a little bit easier. I have found that especially, at this moment in time, whether it’s coming out of covid, or the weight of the geopolitical situation around the world, we need more joy in our lives. We need more reasons to gather around a table and laugh and smile, and connect as human beings. That starts and ends with food.” We’re very much inclined to agree.

The Best Building Block for Success? Invest in Your People

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People power is more than a slogan, it is at the heart of every good and successful business. There is no greater return on investment than on the investment in your teams, because their strengths are your strengths. This is how we do it at Thalias… People serve people, and if we want our staff to serve you with the respect, dignity and attention to care that you deserve, then it is our duty to treat them in exactly the same way. For us, it’s a very simple thing. We know too that we can train anyone in the technical skills they need to do their job adequately. But we want more than that. So we seek out those with the right attitude, ambition and desire to do their best, because that is something that comes from within, and cannot be taught. This means that if you think you have these attributes, never hesitate to send us your CV because even if we don’t have a space immediately available, we’ll find one for you eventually. And we do this not just for our own benefit, but for the benefit of the whole industry, and Cambodia too. For a long time, Cambodian companies were afraid to invest in their personnel because in an uncertain world, the risk of staff members leaving was considered too high. That world no longer exists. The landscape has changed. Competition is higher than ever before, and so too are standards and expectations. As a result, every company in Cambodia today has to invest to survive, and that means investing first and foremost in their people. We’ve always tried to be ahead of this curve. “We know there is a risk of staff leaving once we train them, but it is our view that even if they do, they’re contributing to raising standards in the whole industry, and that benefits everyone across the industry,” says Settha Yok, Human Resources Director for Thalias Group. “We don’t mind taking that risk. “We invested in our own in-house academy that taught our staff everything from the core skills they need for their jobs, as well as English, French language classes, and life skills too. We’ve obviously had to scale that back over the last few years, thanks to Covid, but once everything else is back on track, so will the academy be”. Settha also highlights the roles that senior management of Thalias have played in supporting industry standards and training through their leadership of hotel and restaurant industry associations, in the foundation of the Cambodian delegation of Disciples d’Escoffier, and the establishment of a Training Centre for the ASEAN National Trainers and Assessors in Food Production. “We don’t like to sit and wait for things to happen when we know we have the leadership and the capacity to get it done ourselves,” says Mr YOK. If you think you have what it takes to join the Thalias team, send your CV with a cover letter to: jobs@thaliashospitality.com

A Francophone’s Dream: Alliance Française de Siem Reap

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French for Life could be the new motto of Alliance Française in Siem Reap, where a host of new programmes are putting the Fun back into language and skills learning… We stopped by for a chat with her about what they offer to students in Siem Reap, and there’s a lot more to talk about than subjunctive conjugations. CM: First of all, can you summarise the role of the Alliance Française? Is it only an establishment dedicated to teaching French? NP: The Alliance offers classic French as a Foreign Language (FLE) courses for anyone interested in learning French, but we also offer French for Specific Purposes (F.O.S) courses. All needs are thus covered, responding to both professional and individual motivations. However, it is important to be able to offer courses other than F.L.E or F.O.S, in order to attract all ages and to adapt to demand. “That’s why, after a market study, we developed various workshops in manga, photography, Iyengar yoga, discovery of the French-speaking world, and more. But we’ve also introduced Khmer classes, and soon there’ll be cooking classes as well as gentle gymnastics sessions for seniors. It’s also a way of teaching French by using it as a support, or to spread the French culture, especially by organising conferences. We also want to put the Alliance Française back at the heart of the Siem Reap community. CM: What drives your students to learn French? Does mastering the language still offer career opportunities? NP: Some learn French to pass entrance exams for private companies or to join NGOs. Then, there are those who want to travel to France in order to discover not only our beautiful country, but also a whole culture: fashion, perfume, the varied landscapes offered by our regions as well as the numerous French-speaking countries. CM: How many classes are taught at the Alliance Française, and what are the profiles of your students? NP: We teach a wide range of people, from Khmers to expatriates, from six to 77 years old. Each week, we offer 36 hours of F.L.E. classes and 12 hours of F.O.S. classes, including three hours of general French for Franco-Khmer children, which is new at the Alliance Française. A cooperation agreement is also in force with the University of Angkor for medical FOS courses. This will allow future nurses and midwives to learn French and thus be able to train in France. We hope that other contracts with other universities will come about soon. We also have two hours of Khmer language instruction, and one hour of activities such as crossfit, yoga, manga, a photo workshop and a cooking workshop, as well as sessions for discovery of the French language. CM: Precisely, what is your vision of the French-speaking world? NP: It’s a pleasure to know that the French language is being spread outside of France. Even if French is no longer the language of diplomacy as it was until the 19th century, the language of Molière remains diplomatic because of its culture and its influence, or rather its influences. CM: What teaching methods are used? NP: The teaching methods are face-to-face instruction and intended for non-native speakers, based on the action approach recommended by the CEFR, where the student becomes the agent of his own learning. In the near future, we will be offering online classes. Some courses offer activities that support the learning of French by application to specific fields of interest. However, we always emphasise active participation by students who are supervised by a dynamic, motivated, positive and close-knit team, who actively undergo ongoing training. CM: The many activities on offer place great emphasis on festivities and games. Is this particularly important to you? NP: Yes, because it is precisely through these activities that the students become familiar with French culture, which is not just about the language. Celebrating St. Nicholas Day with Santa Claus, Christmas, the Galette des Rois, Mardi Gras and Chandeleur are all ways to open a window on French culture, but also to create unforgettable memories for the children (and parents) who participate. We are fortunate to have a large rooftop terrace for shows, exhibitions, conferences and screenings. In this regard, a next meeting on the theme of cinema will be held at the end of November, and we are thinking of resuming the regular screening of classic French films. It is also worth mentioning the presence in our premises of a media library which, for $20 a year, allows members to borrow two books for a period of fifteen days. All themes are covered in a large selection of books, including comic books. Finally, toddlers have their own space for reading and listening to a storyteller who comes every Monday. They can also play on our computers, on which F.L.E. applications have been installed. CM: Can you tell us about your background and what led you to the Alliance Française de Siem Reap? NP: After studying law, I followed my husband to Burma where I became an FLE and FOS teacher, first as a freelancer for private companies, including the French School of Rangoon. Then I was recruited by an international school that met American standards, where I created their first FLE department. It wasn’t easy, because the atmosphere in Burma is mainly English speaking! After a year my contract was renewed, not only as a teacher of F.L.E, but also as departmental coordinator. When a position for a seminar leader became available, I was selected to take care of sending 60 teachers to various professional workshops, and then to conduct seminars on “Teaching a foreign language while playing”. I also conducted field trainings at the request of some French colleagues. CM: What are your expectations for the future of the Alliance Française? I’d like to recruit more teachers, to continue the training-for-trainers, and to offer more activities in the only Alliance Française in Cambodia! Alliance Française de Siem Reap, Street 22, behind Khéma Angkor For more information, please contact Dara at 016 … Read more

Beef Wellington: A Dish for the Lions of this World

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Not for the faint hearted, Beef Wellington is the kind of dish that instantly crowns you a Conquering King or Queen of all you survey… A dish worthy of the grandest occasions, yet somehow down-to-earth enough that any day can be a good day for Beef Wellington, provided someone else is doing the cooking! There are, of course, variations, but at Topaz we make ours with the finest beef fillet, then add layers of foie gras and mushroom duxelles, and wrap it all up in the crisp deliciousness of puff pastry. Beef Wellington is a dish that comes together to create a very homely sort of luxury, with comfort, refinement and deep, luxuriously rich flavours all wrapped up and ready to be devoured, elegantly of course. Beef Wellington’s origins remain clouded in mystery though. It is generally agreed that the dish is named after Arthur Wellesley, the First Duke of Wellington, the man who oversaw the defeat of Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815, thereby bringing an end to 12 years of the Napoleonic Wars. Certainly, decisive battlefield victory deserves something splendid to be named in your honour, however cookbooks from the time make no mention of the dish at all. Perhaps the dedication to Wellington was more of a social than formal designation. On the other hand, the practice of wrapping meats in pastry was common at the time, in England as in France, thanks to a fashion for un-browned meat. Perhaps it was so widespread that writing it down in a cookbook may have been considered akin to including an entry for boiling an egg. However, the addition of mushrooms and pâté or foie gras, and the use of puff pastry instead of a simple flour and water mix are certainly refinements that should have been worthy of mention. In fact, not a single recipe for the dish in its current form appears anywhere until the 1940s, in America. Moreover, while much of the debate ranges around whether the dish is really French or English in origin, one theory holds that it is in fact Irish. Andrew Wellesley, who went on to become the Duke of Wellington was born in Dublin to an aristocratic family who formed part of the Protestant Ascendancy that dominated Irish political and cultural life at the time. A reference to it appears in Irish Traditional Food, a collection of Irish recipes from the 16th to the 20th century put together by the legendary food-scholar Theodora Fitzgibbon. There is a certain delicious irony in such an intricate and grand dish being named for Wellington, a man who famously doused almost everything he ate in vinegar, to the despair of his French chef. The chef, a man named Felix, finally resigned declaring that even if Wellington were 1000 times a hero, his habits and general disinterest in food would cause Felix’s genius to die, even if his body might live to tell the tale. At the site of the Battle of Waterloo, there now sits an artificial hill topped by a stone lion, a symbol of Wellington’s Allied Army. So even if the real connection between Wellington and Beef Wellington might be lost in the mists of time, we know one thing: it’s unquestionably a dish fit for the lions of this world.

Say “Yes!” to Château Haut Blanville 1955

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A delicious wine from Languedoc? The region that has switched quantity for quality, and it shows in every sublime sip of this gorgeous wine… Long discounted as a lesser wine region, certainly compared to the behemoths of Bordeaux and Burgundy, the Languedoc region skirting France’s sunny south coast is experiencing something of a renaissance these days. Indeed, the Languedoc is touted by wine-goddess Jancis Robinson as France’s best-value wine region. It is true that in the past Languedoc was more interested in quantity than quality, once accounting for almost a third of the entire country’s annual production, but times have changed, and so has the quality of wines that can be found there. And that includes Château Haut Blanville’s 1955, a superb, award-winning and consistently highly rated red wine that you will find at Khéma’s outlets in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. But first a little about the region. The Languedoc is on the western side of the large Mediterranean coastal area reaching from the Spanish border towards Provence on the east. Known as the Occitanie region, it owes its name to the language Occitan, in which oc is the word for ‘yes’, hence Langue d’oc, ‘the language of yes’. Vines have been cultivated here since as early as 125 BCE, when the port city of Narbonne played an important role within the Roman Empire. But, when the Empire fell, wine production went down with it, until the Middles Ages when local monasteries cast their eye across the terrain and spied an opportunity. Wine has always played an important role in Christian religious symbolism, especially the Eucharist, in which the ‘body and blood’ (bread and wine) of Christ are consumed as a symbol of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. One of those monasteries, the Abbaye de Valmagne, started cultivating wines almost 900 years ago and is still doing so today. Centuries later, Languedoc became an enthusiastic industrialiser, to its own cost in the end. Over-production saw weak, pale wines being eked out of the hillsides, which had to be blended with more robust imports in order to produce something commercially viable. And their emphasis on producing vast quantities of cheap table wine fell victim to the increasing sophistication of consumers’ palates, and the consequent collapse in demand. Over the last twenty years though, things have changed. Because land is relatively cheap here, Languedoc has attracted investors from all over France and the world. These and leading local winemakers have invested in state-of-the-art technology working in concert with time-honoured traditions to yield a diverse range of terroir-driven wines. The Languedoc AOC is now considered one of the fastest-growing in France, and Languedoc wines are today being celebrated the world over by consumers looking for exceptional quality and value. One of these, Grés de Montpellier, was established in 2005 for red wines mainly made from Syrah and Mourvèdre with Grenache Noir in a sweep of hinterland to the west of Montpellier, an area with long, hot summers and relatively mild winters, and generally cooled by breezes from the nearby Mediterranean Sea. And this is where we find Château Haut Blanville’s single six-hectare parcel dedicated to producing Syrah grapes for their 1955 label. The West Baray is more than 250 times bigger than the single parcel from which 1955’s grapes are cultivated. Syrah is also known as Shiraz, usually when referring to New World wines. However, although the two grapes are functionally the same, the Old World Syrah tends to be lighter and leaner, with finer tannins. In other words, it’s not as ‘beefy’ as you might have experienced with New World Shirazes. However, Château Haut Blanville’s Syrah is still pretty full-bodied, with robust tannins and acidity. The result is a deep, berry fruit-driven wine with a lively aroma blending hints of fruit, dried plums, vanilla and liquorice. This wine is soft and balanced in the mouth, and finishes with freshness and a silky finesse. This is a wine for a flavour-packed meal that can match its mettle. Think Beef Wellington or a Steak Frites Café de Paris, Lamb Shank or a simple Toulouse Sausage with Potato Purée. And don’t forget, you don’t have to dine in to enjoy our wines. We sell all of them for consumption off the premises too!

The Best of Siem Reap at your Fingertips

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A town so full of culinary and creative treasures it’s impossible to find them all in one short trip. Step forward the treasure hunters at Taste Siem Reap… It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been in Cambodia, whether you were born here or arrived on yesterday afternoon’s flight from Bangkok, there is always so much more to discover, and that is as true of Cambodia’s unique culinary landscape as it is of its cities, forests and mountains. And by far the easiest way of finding out more is to let someone else who knows that landscape intimately do all the thinking, planning, organising, scheduling, transporting and everything else for you. In other words, a food or discovery tour. Taste Siem Reap has been doing exactly that for the last five years and they have developed a whole range of tours that are designed to help their guests find the best of Siem Reap, whether they’re into art, shopping, cocktails, vegan food or a delicious taste of Cambodia. The creation of Evi-Elli La Valle, Taste Siem Reap was born out of her frustration at the number of tourists who (used to…) come to Cambodia but only stay for three nights. There’s no way anyone can appreciate even a fraction of what Siem Reap has to offer in such a short space of time, so she figured out a way to help people experience as much as possible in the time that they have. “Why limit yourself to one venue for the evening when you can dot around town trying a few different places in one night? The size of Siem Reap, and its beautiful new roads, make the tours possible and it’s usually only five or ten minutes from one place to the next.” The Taste dining tours are constructed exactly like an ordinary meal is, with an aperitif, starter, main course and dessert. The only difference is that each course is enjoyed in a different venue, each of which is selected for its excellence in a particular domain. For Evi-Elli, offering a great food experience is at the heart of her tours, but great food is a full-sensory experience which is why she seeks out venues that offer beautiful environments and careful attention to service too. “I want our guests to come away with a taste of the best of our little town,” says Evi-Elli. “People often like to do our tours on their first evening, as give a little orientation of the city. And the next day, they almost always go back to their favourite place on the night.” The three-course Khmer Discovery Tour includes an opportunity to savour the officially legendary Amok prepared by Sugar Palm, founded by Kethana Dunnet, before finishing up at Malis for dessert which will always include one of our signature dishes, the Kampot Pepper Crème Brûlée. “I think it’s so important to end on a high, so Malis is the perfect dessert spot,” says Evi-Elli. The Khmer Discovery Tour has been instrumental in dismantling wide-ranging misconceptions about Cambodian food. But Taste Siem Reap offer more than that. Whether your passion is food, or cocktails, art, shopping or finding out about the divine little out-of-the-way places that so many visitors to Siem Reap never discover (and more’s the pity for them), there’s something to be found in what they have put together. “We recently had Cambodian guests who had never heard of Theam’s Gallery or been to any of the places that we visited,” says Evi-Elli. “For them, it was such a great alternative for an evening out in Siem Reap”. Until recently, all of Taste Siem Reap’s tours ran in the evenings, but they recently launched a new daytime tour which blends contemporary art, French and Khmer cuisine and a chance to discover Siem Reap’s best-kept secrets, including two of the loveliest garden restaurants in Siem Reap, Le Cul de Sac and Endora. Evi-Elli is also the brains behind Satu which can be found at FCC Angkor by Avani. This is a one-stop shop for some of the best design brands in Siem Reap and Cambodia, including Eric Raisina, Garden of Desire, Ammo, Herbal Kulen and Jaya Organics. There so many more that it’s frankly impossible to give a true impression of the range here. But you can always find out more by joining one of Taste Siem Reap’s tours… More information on: www.tastesiemreap.com

Escape, luxury and refinement at Koh Russey Villas & Resort

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The art and heart of luxury is seclusion, attention to detail, the personal touch, and beach volleyball… Just off the coast of Ream to the east of Sihanoukville, Koh Russey Villas & Resort on Bamboo Island offers a soothing return to nature far from city bustle and hustles, and a refined comfort and luxury under the care of a warm and attentive team. Just a quick speedboat trip from Ream Pier to the western side of the island, Koh Russey Villas & Resort is even quicker to make you feel as though you’re family. Indeed, better than family. When was the last time your relatives checked on your culinary and musical preferences and the level of care you prefer when you visited them? Your next mode of transport is an electric car, primed and waiting to whisk you to your room, or villa, and before you even know it the transition into a state of deep relaxation will be washing over you like a soft, rolling beach wave. The villas themselves are a sight to behold. All within 50 metres of the beach, the look and feel is modern Khmer architecture: spacious, minimalistic, airy, light-filled, cool, and incredibly smart with everything refined down to the finest details. With only fifty pavilions and villas, an innate feeling of seclusion and privacy prevails. Unlike other islands off the coast of Sihanoukville, Koh Russey is a real escape. The island is small, but it is defiantly not teeming with tourists and shacks and villas rubbing shoulders alongside one another. Only 15% of it is developed, and the rest is still a natural, forested preserve with beaches on the southern and northern shores. Which is not to say that there is nothing to do, although the urge to laze around and enjoy the moment should probably not be resisted. For health reasons of course. The private beach extends for 1.2 kilometres and makes for an ideal early morning walk to catch the sunrise, but if that feels too exposed, the resort property is covered with lush, impeccably landscaped gardens to wander around. A quarter of the resort’s villas have their own private pools, and for everyone else there is a magnificent 25-metre beachfront infinity pool. You’ll also find two restaurants and a beach bar, a spa, starlight cinema, gym and yoga studio, courts for volleyball, badminton and pétanque, and a ping-pong table. And there’s plenty to do in or on the water too, from kayaking, paddle boarding, snorkelling, fishing and more. For those who’d like to go further afield, the resort provides all-terrain bikes for exploring the island, or they can arrange tours to discover Kampot’s pepper plantations or Kep’s crab market, or a pagoda blessing and even a sunset cruise. Once you’re done with all of that, hunger is inevitable. Happily, the two restaurants offer a choice of international fine dining at Horizon, or more casual all-day fare at the Beach Shack with a menu offering authentic Cambodian dishes, Asian food, and Western comfort food. Freshly caught seafood can also be cooked up right on the grill. For something decidedly more romantic, you can also choose to dine in beachside seclusion, with your toes in the water, or enjoy a sublime seaside sunset picnic with friends and family. This is an exceptional resort on an exceptional secluded island. If you do make it down, you may likely see one of us already there!