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Unreasonable Hospitality is the Future

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Everyone who wants to run a business, any business but especially a service business, should work in restaurants for a while. It’s like a bootcamp in human relations and management that efficiently, and sometimes brutally, condenses every thing you need to learn if you’re paying attention. Will Guidara, the author of the excellent autobiography/chatty management manual, Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect (Penguin, 2022), was definitely paying attention. It’s what he does, and that principle alone defines much of what he has to say about going above and beyond in this, and any other service industry, in this lively, entertaining and enlightening peek behind hospitality’s neatly ironed veil. The principles of good hospitality underpin the delivery of any service, whether you want to set up a trucking company or a corner deli, because whatever you do it’s always about how you relate and respond to people, and how you make them remember you and come back. No professional arena (except perhaps warfare) puts you into such close contact with so many people operating at their best and at their worst, with such speed and intensity, with such dependence on high-level collaboration both planned for and off-the-cuff, with so many tiny details to keep in mind because overlooking any one of them could lead to disaster, with such a need to constantly think 14 steps ahead but be reviewing and adding to those steps on a second-by-second basis, with such a need to retain a vast range of information from the sourcing and preparation of specific ingredients, to the suitability of any particular wine for that dish, to where the best place to listen to good music nearby might be, and to do all that while looking cool, calm, unruffled and always wearing a smile, than a busy restaurant floor on a Saturday night. Forty-three-year-old Guidara has spent 25 years working at some of the most in demand and demanding restaurants in the world, at both the corporate end and front of house. Along the way, he became a manager and co-owner of Eleven Madison Park (ELP), one of the string of restaurants set up by famed New York restaurateur Danny Meyer. When Guidara took over ELP, it was already one of the top restaurants in the world, consistently listed on the San Pellegrino Top 50. But it was at the bottom end of the top, which bothered the ambitious Guidara. By the time he sold his part in the business, it was Number One. Getting there, he knew there was no way the restaurant could improve its food any further, not in a way that made sense for the restaurant’s brand, and so he decided to radically adjust the other half of the dining-out equation: the service. “If we could become a restaurant focused passionately, intentionally, wholeheartedly on connection and graciousness — on giving both the people on our team and the people we served a sense of belonging — then we’d have a real shot of greatness”. Guidara’s ambition was to turn ordinary transactions into extraordinary experiences, which meant digging into what people are really looking for when they dine out, because the food is just a part of it. There is nothing inherently wrong with simply giving people that part of what they want and leaving it there, unless you have ambitions to grow. But if you can additionally make people feel seen, and welcomed, and give them a sense of belonging, and that everything you are doing is uniquely designed for them, then there are no limits to what can be achieved. Guidara’s epiphany came the night he overheard a group of European diners on their last night in New York celebrating all the incredible restaurants they had dined at, but lamenting the fact that they hadn’t got to taste a typical New York hot dog. Long story short: in the middle of service, Guidara raced out, got them their hot dog, talked the horrified chef into plating it, and served it to the four. That $2 hot dog in a Michelin-starred restaurant kicked off a revolution in his mind. Or rather, the response of the diners did, because their minds were blown and they will never stop talking about that meal for the rest of their lives. As you go through the book, Guidara reminds you of a slightly geeky cousin whose enthusiasm and passion for his craft never fails to shine through. But he matches that passion with diligence, an exacting eye, and a natural rapport with people. The stories highlight the ideas and principles that have come to underpin his approach today, but also serve as a rather thrilling insight into what goes into the creation of a high-end dining experience. The number of tiny decisions that culminate in the final presentation of every meal must go into the thousands. Among those numerous guidelines, we’ve distilled the following: Be present — pay attention to the person in front of you and what they are looking for. They will not always express that verbally. Take what you do seriously, without taking yourself too seriously: otherwise you’ll never think of something as genuinely transformative as serving a hotdog in a Michelin-starred restaurant. There can be no one size fits all — each customer is unique, and needs to be treated accordingly. The 95/5 Rule: ruthlessly manage 95% of your business down to the last penny, but spend that last 5% “foolishly”. That 5% can have an outsized impact on your business when it is transformed into transformative experiences for your clients. Read The One Minute Manager. Mistakes are inevitable. Apologise. You must be able to identify to yourself why your work matters. Excellence is the culmination of thousands of details executed perfectly, and the smallest things matter. A leader’s responsibility is to identify the strengths of the people on their team, no matter how buried those strengths might be. And excellent leaders create leaders. Don’t try to be all … Read more

A Toast to Alvaro Palacios, and the New Spanish Vanguard

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You have to feel for Spain’s wine producers. They have a higher acreage of ground under vine than any other country in the world, yet their production does not as yet match their potential or ambition. And nor does consumers’ appreciation of what they actually have already achieved. They’re caught between a rock and a hard place: considered a sort of poor, uncouth cousin in Europe’s regimented Old Wine World, they can’t call on the cachet their neighbours are endowed with, yet they can’t appeal to the sense of energy, innovation and creativity that New World wine producers do either. But so much has changed in Spain over the last two decades, and one of the biggest drivers of the revolution is a name you will find on Topaz’s wine list: Alvaro Palacios. The Spanish wine revolution has been a long time coming, but for those who are alive to it, there is a world of complexity, refinement and taste to be found. And because Spain is still playing catch-up, it’s possible to find reasonably priced wines whose quality would command 100s of dollars if they were in, say, a French bottle. Alvaro Palacios was acutely aware of the potentials that could be found not only in improving Spain’s techniques and education, but also in looking back to the country’s traditional varietals rather than implanting French imports. And that is how he drove the revival of entire regions in Priorat in Catalunya, to the east of the country, and Bierzo to the west. Alvaro Palacios comes from a prestigious wine family in the north-central Rioja region that had for long broadly avoided the path towards obscurity that the rest of Spain’s wine producers found themselves on. He could have secured a prime position in the family winery, the renowned Palacios Remondo, but an independent spirit took him elsewhere. Taking the knowledge he had already gleaned from growing up in the heart of one of Spain’s oldest wine families, Alvaro decamped to Bordeaux where he studied oenology and worked at the venerated Château Pétrus in Pomerol, a highly coveted label that is frequently ranked among the world’s most expensive wines. Coming back to Spain at the end of the 1980s, Alvaro teamed up with a group of five “pioneers” who came to transform Priorat’s wine industry and fortunes. In the process they modernised, but they also capitalised on the unique local knowledge that had been put aside over the course of time as poverty and politics took their tolls. At Priorat, he initially carried on with the region’s tendency to work with imported French grapes, but in the 90s he became convinced of the value of reviving Spain’s own varietals, especially Grenache for which Priorat was once renowned. But even within the constraints he faced on starting up in Priorat, Alvaro was clear about his ambitions and strict about his practices. He relied on organic methods and looked back to the practices employed by the wine-making monks of the 12th century. Importantly, he cooperated with other neighbouring producers who shared his spirit so they could pool their resources and support one another with the wider goal of expanding everyone’s potential. Alvaro’s story is a story of revitalisation, of a region, of history, an industry, and also a nation. He did it through knowing which parts of the past and which of the present he needed to adopt and adapt, and he has successfully repeated the formula in other parts of Spain, including Bezier. You can savour the flavour and quality of his success at Topaz. We highly recommend it. Book your table at Topaz

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.

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.

One Ingredient to Bind Them: Foie Gras

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Le fois gras poêlé - Topaz.

There are few things more quintessentially French than a sublime sliver of silky smooth foie gras perched atop a slice of crisp baguette. This luxurious “fat liver” is one of our key ingredients at Topaz, and for very good reason… . At Topaz, we’ll soon be launching an exciting new menu where you’ll find some completely new dishes, some lively twists on old favourites, and some of your most-loved dishes just as you’ve always enjoyed them. As always, the menu is unmistakably French, as are the ingredients, one of which holds pride of place in all our hearts: Foie Gras. As smooth as pure satin, Foie Gras combines rich umami tones with a sweetish minerally flavour. Yet for all the richness and depth, its smooth, buttery texture gives it a melting, delicate quality. Foie Gras (“fat liver”) has long been a staple of the Gascon larder. Gascony, in the Southwestern corner of France, that borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west and the Pyrenees mountains to the south, is one of the engine rooms of French cuisine, renowned not just for the quality and variety of the ingredients produced there, but also for the the methods of preparing, preserving and cooking them. It’s also breathtakingly beautiful in case you should be thinking of passing by. It is commonly, and most likely incorrectly, thought that the method of feeding ducks or geese in order to produce Foie Gras originated in Egypt. However, it is very likely true that the practice was brought to France by the Jews for whom it afforded a source of fat as dietary rules, kashrut, prohibited the consumption of lard, and often butter. In France, Foie Gras was first produced in Strasbourg but eventually made its way to Gascony, which has made an art, and today an industry, out of its production. At Topaz, we’ve integrated Foie Gras into a range of our dishes in order to add richness, depth of flavour, and a deliciously luxurious flourish. You’ll find it wrapped up in puff pastry with mushroom duxelles, truffles and fillet of beef for an iconic Beef Wellington—a feast for kings—or prepared with its very own tart and a deliciously tangy Périgueux sauce as a glorious opening starter for your meal, or once more wrapped up in a puff-pastry crust (the ultimate comfort food) together with black winter truffles, another Gascon speciality, and meltingly delicate veal sweetbreads. Alternatively, you could let the Foie Gras really take centre stage with two time-honoured ways of enjoying it. There is the simplest, with everything taken down to their its elements, Foie Gras à la Truffe en Terrine, a generous slice of umami-packed silk to be enjoyed with toasts, and perhaps shared with those you love most (if they’ve been good). Or you could heat things up a little with a Pan-seared Foie Gras with Caramelised Apples, a classic of French cuisine that marries the sublime richness of Foie Gras with the sweet-tart sauce. There’s a very good reason the French love this so much: it’s a sensational dish. And also a good one to remember the next time a French person tells you they can’t eat sweet & sour pork because they’re not used to mixing sweet and savoury in French cooking. Whatever you do, don’t miss out on trying it.

Fresh Flavours Wafting out of the Kitchens at Topaz

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Under the leadership of Executive Chef Sopheak Pov, ably assisted by Alain “Papa” Darc, the kitchen team at Topaz has been exceptionally busy lately redesigning our entire menu from top to bottom. We’ll be keeping some of your favourites (such as Salads Niçoise and Oysters au Gratin with Champagne Cream), and we’ve simply tweaked some others to create a fresh perspective, while some dishes will be entirely new. And some of them will be quite spectacular. It’s been a hard job having to taste them all, but thankfully someone’s got to do it! There are simply too many new or adapted dishes to mention in one article. And while some may argue that anticipation is the greater part of pleasure, we beg to differ where, say, a Rack of Lamb en Croute is involved. That said, here’s a preview of some of the changes you can look forward to tasting soon. Caviar has been long been a feature of our menu, and will always continue to be so. But so far we have always served it either on its own as an exquisitely luxurious starter, or as a finishing touch that adds a powerful bolt of additional flavour. Now we have centred caviar in its own dish on our starter menu with Caviar with Grouper Brandade, bringing together the earthy and mellow saltiness of quality caviar with a smooth purée made from potatoes, olive oil and grouper, a mild fish with sweet undertones that make it a perfect partner for the caviar. Among the recipes that we’ve tweaked you’ll find an old favourite, Roasted Beef Tenderloin, but this time with a Sauce Périgueux whose combination of earthy truffle flavours and the sharp, fruity tang of Madeira make a sublime counterpoint to the rich, juicy sweetness of a great steak. Another tweak can be found in another perennial hero, Foie Gras. We’ve served this on a bed of warm mangoes for the last few years, but now we’ve matched it up with a slick Apple Cider Sauce whose tart-sweetness distinguishes the richness of the foie gras in ways that will make you giddy. In a new twist on the menu though, we present Baked Foie Gras with Veal Sweetbreads and Black Winter Truffles in a Puff Pastry Crust. We’re not going to say much more than that, because the name speaks for itself. For those who are unsure though, sweetbreads refer to the pancreas or thymus of the calf. They are rich and exquisitely tender, with a subtle, even creamy, flavour. This is a dish to try as soon as you possibly can. Another new appearance on the menu comes from fresh out of the sea. This time it’s Pan-fried Turbot with Caper Sauce served with Sautéed Ratte Potatoes. Turbot is an Atlantic and Mediterranean flatfish with a sweet, mild flavour that’s slightly fishier than cod or halibut. Served with the tart-brininess of a caper sauce and the unique nut-butter flavour of Ratte Potatoes, we are confident that you’ll be hooked at the first bite. There are so many more, but that will simply have to wait for another time. After all, don’t forget that sometimes anticipation is the greater part of pleasure. And we will of course keep you informed of when you can expect to see all these and more on the fresh revamped Topaz Menu.

For a Fizz that’s Fabulous, at a Fraction of the Price

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You’ve got something wonderful to celebrate and truly special occasions demand rivers of Champagne. That’s the rule isn’t it? But it’s a rule that comes with a price tag that can burst a lot of people’s budgets. But just because funds are not limitless, it doesn’t mean the fun has to be limited. Champagne is just one of France’s many sparkling wines, and there’s no reason why a party should fall flat without it. At Topaz and Khéma we offer Georges du Boeuf Crémant de Bourgogne, a dry sparkling wine from the Burgundy region of France whose lively bubbles and fresh flavours will spark up your night. It’s generally agreed that this is a wine packed with youthful vigour, and a vivacity that melts into smoothness in the mouth. Sparkling Burgundies have a history that goes back almost 200 years. Today, almost 20 million bottles of Crémant de Bourgogne are produced across 2,900 hectares, of which 200 are dedicated to creating Georges du Boeuf’s Crémant. Premium Crémant wines in the region can be produced from pinot noir, pinot blanc or pinot gris, while second category wines are made from Gamay Noir, Aligoté, Melon or Saucy. Georges du Boeuf Crémants are made entirely from Pinot Noir grapes. As a result, their sparkling wine is noted for its pale golden colour dashed with hints of pink, and the fine bubbles that gather and bead at the head of the wine. This is a perfect wine for an aperitif, but it is not at all out of place on the dining table either. Ideal with many starters, it will also make a lively partner for shellfish or river fish dishes, and is especially recommended for enjoying with smoked fish. It’s also great with chicken and other poultry. If those are prepared with fruits such as pears, then all the better. If you’d like to take it to the next stage, then a dessert with lots of fresh fruit will never go wrong. So all that’s left to do now is organise the invite list.

To Bon Appétit or not to Bon Appétit

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The gastronomic meal of the French is a customary social practice for celebrating important moments in the lives of individuals and groups, such as births, weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, achievements and reunions. It is a festive meal bringing people together for an occasion to enjoy the art of good eating and drinking During its fifth session, (5.COM) held on the 19th of November 2010, the Intergovernmental Committee, for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage elected to put French Gastronomic Meals on the Intangible Cultural Heritage List. Inscribed in 2010 (5.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity: ‘The gastronomic meal of the French is a customary social practice for celebrating important moments in the lives of individuals and groups, such as births, weddings, birthdays, anniversaries, achievements and reunions. It is a festive meal bringing people together for an occasion to enjoy the art of good eating and drinking. The gastronomic meal emphasizes togetherness, the pleasure of taste, and the balance between human beings and the products of nature. Important elements include the careful selection of dishes from a constantly growing repertoire of recipes; the purchase of good, preferably local products whose flavours go well together; the pairing of food with wine; the setting of a beautiful table; and specific actions during consumption, such as smelling and tasting items at the table. The gastronomic meal should respect a fixed structure, commencing with an aperitif (drinks before the meal) and ending with liqueurs, containing in between at least four successive courses, namely a starter, fish and/or meat with vegetables, cheese and dessert. Individuals called gastronomes who possess deep knowledge of the tradition and preserve its memory watch over the living practice of the rites, thus contributing to their oral and/or written transmission, in particular to younger generations. The gastronomic meal draws circles of family and friends closer together and, more generally, strengthens social ties.’ It should be obvious to anyone that the French take their food and dining very seriously and there are a number of traditions and customs that accompany it. Various culinary travel sites list scores of rules to follow in order not to let you make a faux pax at table. The website snippetsofparis.com lists 32 dos and don’ts of French dinning etiquette yet whilst traditional French eating customs are characterized by punctuality, they are also about taking the time to enjoy one’s food and one’s family. For most of us, the most common phrase for announcing the commencement of a French meal is to hear the host offer the welcome phrase, “Bon appétit”, which is usually loosely translated to English as, ‘enjoy your meal’ but others suggest the more literal translation of, ‘good appetite’. However, according to Myaka Meier of the Beaumont Etiquette finishing school, the phrase is not only impolite, guests will quite possibly find it offensive! Founded in London, Beaumont Etiquette now has offices in New York and California and offers courses in British, Continental European and American etiquette. Apparently, according to Meier the phrase is akin to saying something along the lines of, “good digestion,” and this would be highly improper given its connected reference to bowel movement. According to a Maia de la Baume, writing for the New York Times from Paris: “In France, ‘Bon appétit’ is not proper,” quoting Marie de Tilly, right, who teaches etiquette there. “When people use it, it sounds just like an invitation for a good digestion and suggests that you are so hungry that you may jump on any food that would cross your mouth.” However, I will leave it to Frenchwoman Géraldine Lepère, and her very entertaining language website, Comme Une Française who says: “You might find, here and there, contrarian urban legends saying that “Bon appétit” is actually impolite — that it hints at bodily functions that come with eating, and would be considered rude or in bad taste… Well, it’s false! Please, keep saying Bon appétit at the beginning of a meal – it’s the signal that the meal can start, that you’re all ready to eat. You can also say it to people who are already eating. For instance, if you’re hiking in the French mountains and you come across a couple of other hikers sitting down for their picnic, you can tell them Bon appétit as a greeting, while you’re walking by. If someone tells you Bon appétit, you can answer Merci (= thank you) if they’re not eating as well (if they’re a waiter, for instance). If they are eating at the same time, you only need to wish them the same: Bon appétit”. Written by Darren Gall

France and caviar, a love story

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Sturgeon caught in 1925

France and caviar is a love story! After all, the modern international fashion of Russian caviar was launched in Paris… France has even been producing caviar for over 100 years. Anecdotal in the 20th century, this production is now part of the world references! France and wild caviar At the beginning of the 20th century, the Gironde estuary was one of the last places in Western Europe populated by the European sturgeon (Acipenser Sturio). It is commonly fished between March and May and is a great delight for fishermen in the villages. According to legend, around 1917, a Russian princess passed by Royan, hidden under an umbrella. She was scandalized to see a fisherman getting rid of the precious eggs. She gave him a recipe for caviar, which the fisherman immediately put into practice. Initiated or not by this mysterious princess, several preparers then began to collect the sturgeon eggs and to salt them to transform them into caviar. In the 1920s, under the aegis of Émile Prunier, a Paris restaurateur, Aquitaine caviar was delivered 24 to 48 hours after it was made and was enjoyed by the Parisian elite of the Roaring Twenties. Following the testimonies of the time, this French caviar is of a great gastronomic quality – probably because of its freshness. Its price is almost equal to that of Russian caviar. Caviar became more and more famous and the sturgeon gradually became an endangered species. Intensive sturgeon fishing soon depleted the natural resources. Russian and Iranian Beluga caviars have almost disappeared as well. A ban on capture in the Black and Caspian Seas was introduced in 2008 on these species (Washington Convention on endangered species). This has allowed to develop another sector, that of farming, but not just any farming… France and cultured caviar Although wild caviar from Russia, Kazakhstan, Iran and Armenia made caviar’s reputation, this era is now over. A victim of over-fishing and smuggling, wild sturgeon is now protected and the sale of its caviar has been banned. France pioneered sturgeon farming and has emerged as a major producer on the world caviar market. Some 25 tonnes of caviar are produced in France every year, which is highly prized by the world’s top restaurants. The Aquitaine region, which produces almost 24 tonnes a year, is at the centre of this production. Six of the eight French caviar producers – including Sturia – are located in this region. Sturia Sturia is the flagship brand of Sturgeon – the leading French caviar producer. The company was set up near Bordeaux 20 years ago and has pioneered sturgeon farming in France. It produces around 12 tonnes of caviar a year, which is sold all over the world. Sturgeon is thus promoting French gastronomy’s international influence. The Sturia caviar range offers a wide variety of sensations and the fresh, natural flavour of a remarkable product. A tin of caviar on a bed of ice is all you need – Sturia caviar can be eaten on its own. You’ll love caviar’s roll-in-the-mouth eggs when you taste it in small spoonfuls. Used in cuisine, caviar really enhances your dishes with the subtle iodine hints that have made its name with the greatest chefs. Sturia has developed a whole range of caviar, from Jasmine, which is softer and less salty in the mouth, to Classic with a soft texture, to Primeur Vintage, roundness and firmness of the grains, and Origin, a powerful caviar. Last week in Phnom Penh, Laurent Duleau, CEO of the Sturgeon company since 2011, knows what he is talking about when he mentions caviar… Having imported Sturia exclusively for Topaz Restaurant for the past 12 years, Thalias Hospitality has strongly established the notoriety of Sturia in Cambodia, and welcomes the distribution at present by our partner Indoguna.