Culinary Blog

On the special occasion of a visit to Cambodia by Amélie Duboc, Asia Pacific Export Manager for the Edmond de Rothschild Heritage Group, Thalias Hospitality Group invited Amélie to present some of the highlights of her portfolio of wines over a magnificent dinner at Topaz restaurant, recently voted into the prestigious list of Asia’s Top 100 Restaurants. In 1868, James de Rothschild of what was to be known as the ‘French branch’ of the Rothschild family purchased Chateau Lafite. This was 15 years after his son-in-law, Baron Nathaniel de Rothschild purchased Château Brane Mouton in the Medoc region of Bordeaux and renamed it Château Mouton Rothschild. Thus, commencement the family’s dedication to the wine industry, a passion that has become the stuff of legend and continues to this day. The Baron James’s great-grandson, Edmond de Rothschild furthered the family endeavors in 1973, when he purchased, Chateau Clarke, (Listrac) and Chateau Malmaison (Moulis-en-Medoc). In 1997, the family entered into a partnership with the Rupert family to acquire the Friedrickburg Estate in Franschhoek (South Africa) and just one year later, formed a group of investors and founded the Clos de los Siete in the Uco Valley (Argentina), where they produce the wine Flechas de los Andes. They then acquired the Château des Laurets and Château de Malengin in Saint-Émilion, (France) in 2003, and then joined others members if the Rothschild family in the creation of the Champagne Barons de Rothschild. In 2012, 24 hectares of Malborough Vineyards in New Zealand were purchased to produce the Rimapere wines. The company expanded into Spain with the launch, (along with Vega Sicilia) of the winery Bodegas Benjamin de Rothschild Y Vega Sicilia – Macán in La Rioja in 2017 and the opening of the hotel Palacio de Samaniego in Rioja Alavesa in 2021. The company, Baron Edmond de Rothschild Heritage combines the non-banking, lifestyle assets owned by the Edmond de Rothschild Group, including wine, hospitality, restaurants and farming. The wineries owned by Edmond de Rothschild Heritage produce some 3.5 million bottles of wine every year. On the special occasion of a visit to Cambodia by Amélie Duboc, Asia Pacific Export Manager for the Edmond de Rothschild Heritage Group, Thalias Hospitality Group invited Amélie to present some of the highlights of her portfolio of wines to their management and service teams over a magnificent dinner at Topaz restaurant, the French Jewel in Cambodia’s culinary crown, and recently voted into the prestigious list of Asia’s Top 100 Restaurants. After welcome drinks in the garden, we moved inside for what promised to be a magnificent degustation and wine tasting. Ms. Duboc is an exquisitely charming presenter of the wines who enlightened guests on the long history and complex family tree of the Rothschilds empire and their many connections to the wine industry. The first wine was a Right Bank Bordeaux from an exceptional vintage; the Chateau des Laurets, from Passaging, Saint Emilion, a blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc, the 40-hectare plot of vines are grown in excellent clay and limestone soils. The Chateau was built in 1860, and is noticeable for its octagonal tower, which look out over the grounds. Cold soaking and then fermentation tool place in in oak and stainless-steel vats with automatic temperature-control. Post-fermentation the wine underwent micro-oxygenation during maceration followed by malolactic fermentation in oak and stainless-steel vats. Maturation was 14 months in: 30% new barrels, 30% second fill barrels and the rest in vats. The alcohol comes in at a very healthy 14.5%. 2015 is universally regarded as an exceptional vintage in Bordeaux and especially on the right bank which houses Saint Emilion, I have enjoyed wines from this vintage for many years now and found the Chateau des Laurents to be drinking absolutely at beautifully, peak drinking and a great way to start, this was going to be a hard wine to top for the evening. Deep ruby in colour with aromas of forest berries, (mulberry, logan berry, Boysen berry) and wild violets, complimented by hints of vanilla, cooking chocolate and coffee grinds. The palate shows ripe, generous fruit, with good intensity and concertation of flavours, the tannins are very fine, like satin giving the wine a silky mouthfeel. The fruit flavours are still fresh and vibrant, lingering attractively on the back palate. The next wine was the Aguaribay Malbec 2018, Uco Valley, Argentina. The Aguaribay tree, (also known as the ‘false-pepper tree’ or Schinus Molle) is something of an emblem in the area and the label is from the Baron Edmond Rothschild owned, Flechas de los Andes winery. The dish: an exquisite grilled Mekong lobster with a beurre blanc sauce. A straight-forward, fruit driven Malbec, with good weight and power, the fruit is ripe, juicy and straight ahead with plum, black cherry, leather, roasted nuts and spice. A bargain hunter’s Malbec and a good asado accompaniment. The dish: baked Burgundy escargots in garlic, parsley and butter. Then we moved back to Bordeaux, the Left Bank this time, (Listrac-Medoc) for the Chateau Clarke 2011. The vineyards have a long history, dating all the way back to the 12th century, when Cistercian monks of the Vertheuil Abbey planted the first vines. The chateau takes its name, (Clarke) from the Irish family who purchased the property in the 18th century. After more than two centuries of wine growing tradition and successive owners, the property was purchased by Baron Edmond de Rothschild in 1973. Whilst a majority shareholder in Chateau Lafitte, Baron Edmond saw this property as his own personal adventure and had a great affection for the property and an unbounding belief in its potential. The Baron wanted it to be his masterpiece and the vineyard was completely restructured, with massive investment was undertaken in order to restore and renovate buildings and improve the wine making and storage facilities. Baron Edmond de Rothschild brought in such esteemed consultants as Emile Peynaud and then Michel Rolland, (who continues to advise on the vineyard management and winemaking for the estate). Today the … Read more

One of the most impressive wine cellars in Cambodia, Topaz has a dedicated, atmosphere-controlled space where we keep our carefully selected range of premier and prestige wines including Duval Leroy Champagne, for which Thalias is the exclusive supplier in Cambodia. Honored for its reknown excellence of sparkling wines, Duval-Leroy Champagne has become a celebrated name in the world of wine. Its dry, bubbly wines are often associated with elegance and celebration. Many top sommeliers describe Duval-Leroy’s Champagne as elegant and well-structured. The most famous Champagne wineries are called “houses”, they usually source grapes from small farmers in the region of Champagne. Founded over 160 years ago, Champagne Duval-Leroy is a label with strong historical ties to the world of fine wines. A brand inspired by passion, not fashion, the Duval-Leroy winery is located in the Côte des Blancs region of Champagne within the village of Vertus. The house of Duval-Leroy produces both vintage and non-vintage cuvées and a line of organic wines. It is also known for pioneering a sustainable model for its viticulture expansion. House of Duval-Leroy The house of Duval-Leroy was formed in 1859, when Edouard Leroy, a wine trader from the town of Villers-Franqueux, allied with Jules Duval, a grape-grower and winemaker from Vertus. The partnership lead to a wedding between their children. Then the Duval-Leroy heir and successor, Raymond was born. In 1911, Raymond Duval-Leroy revolutionized the Champagne world by creating the first champagne crafted entirely from Premier Crus grapes. Cuvée Cuvée can be a term used for the mixture of any combination of wine—vineyards, vintages or varieties. In 1911, champagne was ranked through a three-tier system of “Grands Crus”, “Premiers Crus” and “Crus non-classes”. Raymond famously launched a new cuvée made exclusively from “premier crus”, the first such cuvée at the time. He named it “fleur de champagne” which means “flower of champagne” for its white flower aroma. The cuvée was an immediate success and continues to be popular today. War and Modernization Over the next few decades, Duval-Leroy grew and experienced the damages felt by all champagne houses during both world wars. When France fell under German occupation, Raymond even took measures to shut down production to prevent the cellars from being looted by the nazis. Work continued after the war ended. In 1950, Charles Roger took over from his father Raymond. In 1985, his son Jean Charles decided it was time for a major upgrade of the Duval-Leroy facilities and line of wines. He started a new prestige cuvée, which would later become “Femme de Champagne”. The Lady of Champagne Jean Charles Duval-Leroy died of cancer in 1991, at the age of 39. His widow, Carol Duval-Leroy, was left with three young boys and a company to run. Jean Charles made her promise to take care of the company and keep it in the family. Belgium-born Carol Duval-Leroy took over the company and excelled in her new role. Over the past three decades, she kept her promise and successfully helped the company thrive, by expanding exports and increasing production. Revolutionary Choices Her first decision was to push forward the new prestige Cuvee proposed by her late husband. She decided to call it “Femme de Champagne” (Woman of Champagne) in honor of the company ran by a woman. Formed from 85% chardonnay and 15% pinot noir, which was grown in Grands Crus areas, Femme de Champagne is known for its elegant delicacy, thus seen as feminine champagne. Her second decision was to create a new position in the company for Sandrine Logette-Jardin to become “head of Quality control”. Within three years, Duval-Leroy became the first house of champagne granted the ISO 9002 certification. Eleven years later, in 2005, Sandrine Logette-Jardin, became the first woman to become the head winemaker at Duval-Leroy and in the Champagne region. After a while, Carol Duval-Leroy’s three sons joined her at the company. Julien, the eldest is General Manager, Charles handles Communications and Marketing, and Louis, the youngest is in charge of public relations. Environmental Recognition Champagne is fast gaining a new fanbase with its comitment to sustainability. Once known for being the black sheep among the French wine regions on environmental awareness, Champagne is fast on its way to leading the industry in the environmental and sustainable stance on development of agriculture and winemaking. Duval-Leroy developed a rigorous program for wine growing after focusing on microbiological diversity in the vineyard, reducing sprayings, reducing the carbon footprint, and treating and reusing waste and water. Since 2000, they have cut the use of weed killers in the vineyard by over 50%, water consumption by 30%, and installed renewable energies for the new winery. They also have solar panels powering and heating the tasting room, reception areas, and wine resting areas. A green wall made of over 2500 plants helps brings insulation from both heat and sound to the space, while providing a cool temperature and dampening noises for winemaking. Duval-Leroy was the first house to produce a Cuvee from organically grown pinot noir grapes. This Cuvee is called “Authentis” and has received the “Ecocert” (for “eco-certification”) label. They also produce a “Brut AB”, from organically grown grapes. “AB” stands for “agriculture Biologique”, the French equivalent of “organic agriculture”. Vegan Love Although champagne is from grapes, it is not always vegan. Due to the wine used to create this bubbly concoction, many winemakers add fining agents from animal products to help lessen the bitterness of the wine. This process removes the proteins that can cause the wine to be cloudy or change its color. The process lets the champagne clear up by letting the wine rest three months longer than usual. This means that Duval-Leroy does not need to add fining agents, which can have milk protein, gelatin and egg whites. Written by Sotheavy Nou

We show our love for our fathers every chance we get, but this year, we are giving dads one special day out of the year to celebrate their impact on our lives. If you ask us, Father’s Day couldn’t have come at a better time—it falls on Sunday, June 19, 2022. We’re sure your dad will think so too! As Father’s Day approaches, many of us will take this opportunity to honor a father figure in our lives. Personalized gifts are a great way to make someone feel special. After all, your gift is for that person who you see as a father figure in your life. A wide range of gifts is available for Father’s Day, from affordable options to luxurious splurges. Whatever you choose, Dad will appreciate the thought that went into your gift. Here are some ideas and places to check out in Phnom Penh. A Manly Pamper Men visit their barbers for the same reasons that women visit beauty salons. They want to be pampered, get trimmed, and feel refreshed. Treat Dad to the ultimate in luxury by giving him a lather and a shave. Hot towels applied to your face before and during the shave opens up the pores, promoting circulation, and allowing for a closer shave. It also removes unnecessary dirt and oil from the skin, resulting in a rejuvenating effect. If he already doesn’t take care of his nails, convince Dad to try a (man)icure and he will feel like a king. The cuticles are cut, the nails are trimmed, and many places offer a hand massage. Finish the day with a face mask and maybe even an ear cleaning for the final touch, and bam! Dad will feel like a new person and he may even hear you better! Steak Day Now that you are a fully grown adult, spending time with your father is an opportunity to make memories together. While some fathers may prefer a card, gift certificate, or toolset on Father’s Day, others enjoy being treated to a nice meal. If you plan on taking Dad out for dinner, look no further than a luxurious steak feast at Topaz. Make this holiday extra special by treating him to a place known for its steaks. Topaz has the place for French fine dining with many Michelin-starred chefs visiting over the past 20 years its been opened. Once he takes that first bite of his juicy slab of meat, dad will know just how much you appreciate him. Mini Golf Historically, golf has been the recreational activity of choice for many fathers. It provides an opportunity to get away from home life while maintaining a leisurely pace, taking in the outdoors and enjoying a cold beer. For young children who find a full golf course daunting, consider the miniature-golf course at Birdie’s Mini Golf in Phnom Penh. Located at Diamond Island Park on Koh Pich (Diamond Island), the 18-hole course is a great place for competitions and friendly rivalry. If you don’t have kids, then drinking and aiming a club at a small ball towards a small windmill can be a VERY fun activity to do in the evenings. Ice Cream A scoop of chocolate or strawberry ice cream is an excellent way to start a conversation with dad. Take the time to catch up with his life and connect with dad while enjoying a sweet treat. If the weather is nice, feel free to enjoy your ice cream outside and soak up the rare sunny weather of the monsoon season. Any dessert will do, Korean Bingsu and Khmer corn porridge are also nice to bond over with dad. Who says you can’t eat desserts in the rain? Green Thumb If your father loves to garden, you might consider spending some time outside with him tending to his greenery. Getting dirt under your nails, clipping leaves and watering plants can be great ways to spend time together. No one even has to say a word, the work towards doing something together to provide life is a beautiful experience you both can share together. Planting a tree together can also create a bond and be a therapeutic experience the share. So do something productive and plant a tree! Task Away If Dad has a creative side, plan a project you can do together. If he sees himself as the family handyman, you could help him fix something around the house. Always wanted to learn more about car or moto repair? Gather some tools and work on a car together. This activity is a great way to learn a new skill and bond with dad over doing something productive. Camping Relaxing in the great outdoors—is there any better way to spend Father’s Day? Whether you’re camping off the grid or in the backyard, he’ll appreciate relaxing and enjoying time with family. Just keep in mind during the rainy season, camp on high ground. Rattanakiri and Mondulkiri are pretty popular areas to camp or a trip to coastal areas like Kampot and Kep, maybe more fun. Fishing While you are at it, offer him a quiet day on the water as a suggestion. Surprise him with an early morning ride to a lake or river where you both can spend hours talking about life while catching supper! The waters will be pretty high due to the rains, so the chances of reeling in a fish are great. You may even catch the legendary Mekong giant catfish, the largest ever caught was 293 kg. Recently, Cambodian fishermen in the Stung Treng province in northeastern Cambodia caught a large freshwater stingray weighing over 180 kg. So remember to bring your best bait and strength for this father’s day adventure. Learning about Ancestry On Father’s Day, make it a point to ask Dad more about his experiences as a child, and learn about the lives of your ancestors. Many Cambodians who lived through the Khmer Rouge regime are reluctant to discuss what happened. There were individuals … Read more

After a difficult youth and a career as a farmer, Pen Los decided to turn to the restaurant business. His efforts, as hard as they were, are now crowned with success It’s only been four months since Pen Los donned the waiter’s outfit at Khema Angkor. Straight as an “i”, lavaliere tie tied on an immaculate shirt and hair impeccably pulled back, the young man is fully committed to a job that, as he admits, suits him perfectly. “Being in contact with customers, building relationships with them, but also with the entire restaurant team, discovering a little more each day the tricks of the trade and the backstage of the restaurant, all this fills me with satisfaction. And then there is also the attraction of the new: being here, at the Khema, is a radical change from my former life in the fields. Leaving school at 14 Very quickly, Pen Los found his bearings and seems to have been doing his job forever. Yet it took intense effort to get there, returning to school after leaving at the age of 14. “It was expensive for my family, who could not afford to pay for my education. My parents are very poor, and I found myself working in the fields with my brother and sister growing rice at a young age. “Eight years later, I was already worn out both physically and morally. The future looked increasingly bleak, and I was only 22 years old… Then, in a conversation with one of my brother’s friends, I learned about an association that offered skills training for people in my situation. I immediately contacted them. Going back to school It took a lot of effort to finally be able to look forward to a peaceful future. With modesty, Pen Los only half mentions his difficult childhood and prefers to project himself in a future free of any financial worries. But the opportunities offered to him by the NGO Feeding Dreams Cambodia and the restaurant Khéma would have had no effect without the unwavering motivation that the young man has shown during his training. Taking up all the basics, he returned to the blackboard and went back to grammar and mathematics, while learning computer skills and English. Although he is proud of his current situation, his lack of knowledge of English still makes him blush. “But I’m improving every day, at least I’m trying my best! At the beginning, I only dealt with Cambodian customers, because I was afraid I wouldn’t understand what was being said. “But now, I have acquired enough vocabulary to deal with foreign customers as well. And once the barriers of shyness and lack of confidence are broken down, it’s a real pleasure to be able to interact with them. Not only to advise them about the menu, but also just to chat. That’s one of the things that appeals to me most about this profession. Specialty: Hospitality After a refresher course, Pen Los was able to choose a speciality, opting for a career in the hotel and restaurant industry. For 10 months, despite the difficulties linked to the sanitary restrictions, he learnt new skills: “Every day was surprising, in both good and bad ways. It’s not always easy to deal with and adapt to what you don’t know.” “But thanks to the patience of the teachers, I was able to acquire all the necessary background to embark on this professional adventure. Their very complete training allowed me to integrate my new job without any problem. The friendship and complicity of the members of the Khema team did the rest. For Sothy Keo, manager of the restaurant, it was important to show solidarity with these young people full of talent, motivation and good will. When a teacher from Feeding Dreams Cambodia contacted her to place one of her students in an internship, Sothy immediately agreed. There was a first period of two months, then another one of the same duration, at the end of which I was hired,” says Pen Los. I then moved closer to the Khema, because my village was a bit far from the city center. I now live with my uncle, and it’s a new life that has begun since that hiring.” Continuing on this path For the rest of her career, Pen decided to continue in the same industry, taking advantage of the experience she has accumulated as well as the training she has done in-house. “We have weekly tastings of the dishes and products that are on the restaurant’s menu. This has allowed me to discover a cuisine that I did not know, but then not at all! Cheeses, wines, charcuterie and French gastronomy were unknown to me, but I am now able to explain our menu to customers, and even advise them.” Not afraid to take up any kind of challenge, the young man imagines his future as a manager, why not in Phnom Penh. Breaking away from his usual seriousness for a moment, Pen Los says with a mischievous look: “That would be pretty good for a former farmer! Original French article written by Rémi Abad

For many people, it is sometimes difficult to appreciate the mark-up on wines in restaurants, the significantly higher prices -often for the same wines- we are asked to pay when compared to the supermarket, or the wine shop. We can fail to consider the significant and measurable added costs in setting and service, for example: the furnishings, fittings, artwork, linen, glassware, service staff, training, powered storage, air conditioning, music, mood lighting, decanters, openers, uniforms, flowers, wine list printing costs, and more. All of these things are carefully incorporated into your dining experience, and hopefully elevate your appreciation of it. Whilst the owner of the establishment is working out how to juggle and offset these costs against his revenue streams, (namely, food and beverage). Trying to decide just how much is a reasonable amount to recover via wine prices, whilst still hoping to turn a small to reasonable profit. In fact, wine is just one of many parts that go into the occasion, the sum of all parts being the entire dining experience, the food, the service, the décor, the ambiance, and of course the wine offering, the wine chosen and its pairing with the food ordered. However, many of these elements are intangible, in the background, quietly contributing to the whole, (and all costing considerable amounts of money) whilst being undervalued or, even barely noticed by the paying customer. At Khema Restaurant, on Rue Pasteur, they seem to have hit upon an ingenious solution. Famous for their artisan bakery, patisserie, fromagerie and charcuterie -which customers drop in and purchase to take home; Khema have added a wine wall to this ‘store’ part of their establishment. Wines are at ‘bottle shop’ prices and are very reasonable indeed. However, the truly exciting offer is that customers can now purchase these wines at the same off-premise prices, and for a small corkage fee, ($10) drink them in the restaurant with their meal; an initiative that is bound to see their sales of wine increase exponentially, both take-home and in-house. This opportunity opens up all sorts of food and wine pairing possibilities and I quickly organized an evening with friends to do just that. The philosophy of aesthetics is concerned with the nature and appreciation of art, beauty and good taste, much of that study has to do with empirical posteriori evaluations gained from the senses of sight and sound or simultaneous combinations of the two. Yet I have long been absorbed by the organoleptic aesthetics appreciated through smell, touch and taste. Olfaction being the only sense that plugs straight into that part of our brain, where we regulate emotions and store memories, (the limbic system) and the subject matter, (food and beverage) is the only artform where, via gustation, we ingest it into our bodies; making the preparation of foods and beverages the only artform that truly sustains us. The great chefs and winemakers of our world have to be part scientist in their laboratories, (be that kitchen or winery), but the very best are also true artists; as creative, skillful and talented as a Matisse, Mozart or Modigliani. I arrived at Khema early, spending a good deal of time surveying the ‘wall of wine’ and then studying the menu, by the time my friends arrived I was ready to make my serious pairing choices. The first course: salmon gravlax, salt and pepper seasoning, dill, beautifully presented with a cheek of lemon, sour cream, capers, rings of allium onion and pearls of ikura roe. The salmon sliced so fine as to have a translucence, it is flavourful and laden with rich, fatty aminos and omegas. The pairing called for a wine with plenty of richness of flavour -to compete with the strong flavours of the cured salmon- it also needed to have good acidity so as to cut through all that fatty acid which the species is famous for, and its flavour profile needed to be complimentary to the protein, the main ingredient and strongest flavour in the dish. As it’s the first course, I wanted a white wine, a great winemaker and gastronome once joked with me that starting with a white was very important, because it prepared the palate for the red to follow -I have never forgotten it. For flavour intensity and palate weight, I opted for a Chardonnay however, this ‘great wall of wine’ had to have the right option, a Chardonnay from a cooler climate, to ensure it had the right structure and all of that minerality and fine acidity that the very best display; I was thinking of white Burgundy. I settled on a wine from the very respected producer, Joseph Drouhin, a Chardonnay from the extreme south of the Maconnais, in a little sub-region known as Saint Veran. Not dissimilar to a Pouilly Fuisse, the wine showed exceptional fruit with good depth and complexity, wrapped up tightly in fine and bracing minerality, derived from the Jurassic limestone and chalky soils. The structure impressive and the flavours showed clean and bright, with fig, orange zest, white peach, hints of carambola and notes of spice. The fruit comfortably matched the protein for intensity, and nicely complimented the dish, whilst the mineral and citrus like acidity danced along the back of the palate and cleansed it of any oily, fatty residuals, freshening up the palate and diner, ready for another morsel. It was a truly magnificent combination and one that would prove hard to surpass for the rest of the meal. The main course was to be a shared affair, with my two guests -fellow gourmands Jack and Nicolas. We opted for lamb shank and a beef wellington between us. Two reds were to be selected and whilst I was looking for wines to paired well with the dishes, I was also looking for a contrast between the two selections. Different varieties, winemaking styles and hemispheres. The Lamb shank is a cut from the shin of the lamb, it is one of the most flavorful cuts, with the connective … Read more