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Siena

Influencer Sophoan Cao Song: “The Siena is an absolute gem!”

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Last month, Sophaon Cao Song, a truly inspiring figure in the arts, fashion and jewellery industries, made a special trip to Cambodia to reconnect with her roots. Sophaon is a French-Cambodian living in France who makes an annual pilgrimage to her native country.  Sophoan’s a real foodie and always up for trying new places, so when she heard about the Siena, she knew it was the perfect spot to check out in Phnom Penh. It’s one of the few restaurants she hadn’t been to yet, so she was excited to finally have the chance to dine there with her husband. Her enthusiastic tone suggests she’ll be back, and she’ll probably encourage her family and friends in Cambodia to rush to this high- cuisine temple too – just like she did when she visited the Malis Phnom Penh a while ago!  So, let’s end the suspense and read what she said about this unique experience:  The atmosphere “I really had a great time and loved all the natural decor, especially the lights and glitter, the decor is gorgeous. So frankly for me the welcome was great, the staff were very welcoming and smiling.   The setting is magnificent, with subdued lighting and a great atmosphere. I noticed the yellow subdued lighting and it’s very well thought out because it gives us a bit of peace and tranquillity. The lighting is very, very good. The lamps are very well done. In fact, all the lights are homogeneous. It’s really all the same colours, it’s a soft light. And the colours for the decoration, I like these warm colours, warm and soft at the same time.  And the service, we’re very attentive, we’re always behind the scenes. There’s nothing to say about the service, it is just so great. And finally, from our table, we have a stunning panoramic view of the city…extraordinary”.  Fine dining The menu was full of delicious options, but I was especially blown away by the seabass entrée. It was so beautifully presented and cooked to perfection. And the mix-grill that I ordered afterwards was mouth-watering. The meats were perfectly cooked and so tender. The only slight drawback was that the dish was generous, very copious, and I had to share it with my husband. A word about the side dishes: original, succulent and well chosen. I just loved the sweet potatoes! My husband was absolutely thrilled with his seafood dish! The freshest products, perfectly sauced and accompanied – what more could you ask for? I’d like to give a big, well-deserved thank you to the kitchen team for all their hard work. The dishes are quite remarkable, and the way they’re presented is so impressive! And the best part is that you can even smell that little touch of Italy, which is such a lovely bonus for a restaurant in Phnom Penh!  I was also really blown away by the desserts! They’re all little works of art, and it’s not just the presentation that’s stunning, but also the flavours and textures! The one I took looks like a bonsai – it was truly amazing!  I must tell you; the prices are quite reasonable when you consider the amazing quality of the menu, and the generous portions served on the plates. Siena is a truly wonderful experience. It’s a little jewel of great cuisine!  Enjoy delicious cuisine at Siena Restaurant Subscribe to the Thalias newsletter for exclusive offers, invitations to events and culinary news. Subscribe here Find out more: Discover our culinary world in more detail. Visit our website     

An Introduction to Italian Wine, Part I

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Italy has been producing wine for thousands of years. And you’ll be able to taste the fruit of all that knowledge and experience soon at Siena Italian Steakhouse. With Siena Italian Steakhouse opening its doors soon at the stupendous Flatiron Building in northern Phnom Penh, we thought it would be a good idea to offer a brief series introducing the delights of Italian wines, from the history to understanding the designations on the labels, and some of the more widely used grapes. Wine is so fundamental to Italy’s history that, in every direction, the borders of the Roman Empire stopped where wine could no longer be made. It remains a fundamental part of modern-day life in Italy too. Italy still produces more wine than anywhere else, including France. It is a world that is very much worthy of discovery.     The principles of winemaking were brought to Italy by the Ancient Greeks who renamed the southern part of the country Oenotria, or ‘Land of the Staked Vines’. The Italians took to wine with even more enthusiasm than the Greeks did, and it soon became a daily staple for all, not just the elites. Taking it with them wherever they travelled (or, more precisely, conquered), it was the Romans who established some of the greatest wine producing regions of today, including Bordeaux, Burgundy, the Loire and the Mosel. Wine served multiple purposes within the Empire, including an object of trade with local tribes that was helpful for winning them to the Roman cause. While early methods were cruder than today, the Romans did set about formalising and improving production as far back as 2000 years ago. According to Neel Burton’s Concise Guide to Wine and Blind Tasting, Cato the Elder’s De Agri Cultura from 160BC emphasised vineyard care, fruit ripeness and cellar hygiene among other things, and long served as the standard guide to winemaking. In De Re Rustica, created around the 15th century, Columella surveyed the main grape varieties and divided them into three main groups: noble varieties for great Italian wines, high yielding varieties that can nonetheless produce age-worthy wines, and prolific varieties for ordinary table wine. Wine is produced from the top to the bottom of Italy, with 20 distinct regions across the mainland and the islands of Sicily and Sardinia. Of these, the most important in terms of quality are Piedmont, Tuscany and Veneto, and we will talk about those soon. You will find each of these regions generously represented on Siena’s Wine List, and we’ll talk more about each of those next month.