Three decades of shaping Cambodia’s culinary landscape — guided not by trends, but by trust, clarity, and care.
From Intern to Industry Shaper — A Journey Rooted in Purpose
Arnaud Darc arrived in Cambodia in February 1994, just as the country was emerging from decades of conflict. At the time, Phnom Penh was quiet, underdeveloped, and uncertain — but full of raw potential. After completing his business studies at INSEEC in Bordeaux, Arnaud joined the Sofitel Cambodiana as a Food & Beverage intern. By July, he had become the hotel’s Cost Controller — his first true leadership experience in a country rebuilding itself day by day.
“There was no roadmap. No infrastructure. But there was something stronger — openness, dignity, a hunger to rebuild. It was a place where values could become action.”
Raised in Dax, in southwest France, Arnaud grew up around family meals, traditional markets, and the quiet rituals of hospitality. These early experiences shaped his deep respect for food as culture — not just consumption. When he came to Cambodia, those values didn’t fade. They deepened.
“I learned early that good food isn’t about ego. It’s about care, attention, and making people feel seen.”
In 1997, Arnaud launched an import-export business with the support of Jacques Brigout of FBS. Later that year, he co-founded Topaz, a Thai fine dining restaurant, with his business partner Piip. At a time when luxury dining in Phnom Penh barely existed, it was a bold experiment — one that would become the foundation for something larger.
By 2009, he formally established Thalias Hospitality, uniting his growing portfolio into a group defined by excellence, purpose, and a long-term commitment to Cambodia.
Topaz, Malis, and Khéma – The Culinary Pillars of Thalias
The story of Thalias Hospitality is not built on a single concept — but on three distinct, interlocking foundations: Topaz, Malis, and Khéma. Each was born at a different moment, to meet a different need. Each expresses a different dimension of Arnaud Darc’s vision — from timeless French refinement to the revival of Khmer culinary heritage, to the democratization of everyday elegance.
Together, they form the core identity of Thalias: not defined by cuisine, but by purpose — to elevate, to educate, and to serve with meaning.
It began with Topaz.
Topaz, the original flagship of Thalias, began in 1997 as a Thai fine dining restaurant — a bold move at a time when Phnom Penh’s luxury dining scene was still in its infancy. Over the years, it transformed into a full-fledged French gastronomic institution. This evolution was guided by key collaborators: Eric Guillot, the restaurant’s first French chef and long-time friend of Richard Gillet, who became Arnaud’s business partner in 2002; and Alain “Papa” Darc, Arnaud’s father, who joined in 2005.
A decorated French chef with deep culinary roots, Papa Darc helped define the restaurant’s identity, introduce signature dishes such as the Soup Élysée, and mentor a generation of Khmer chefs including Sopheak Pov, Phyra Hem, and Chamroeun Chap — now leaders in their own right within the Thalias brigade.
Today, the Topaz experience is unmistakably French — refined yet intimate, luxurious but grounded. The scent of truffle lingers in the air, sauces are finished tableside, and service moves with quiet precision. But beneath the white linens lies something deeper: a culinary legacy built not just on technique, but on transmission.
From refinement to revival, Malis marked a turning point — a restaurant built not around technique, but around identity.
Malis was born from a personal conviction. In the early 2000s, Arnaud Darc found it astonishing that there was no fine dining restaurant in Cambodia fully dedicated to its own cuisine. Hosting international guests, he felt the absence not just as a restaurateur, but as someone who believed in Cambodian culture. He envisioned a space that would honor Khmer culinary heritage with pride — not as nostalgia, but as living culture.
To realize this idea, Arnaud approached Chef Luu Meng, then Executive Chef at Sunway Hotel, and invited him to help build it.
“I told Meng: we’re going to create something that doesn’t exist — a real culinary institution that reflects who we are, and how far we’ve come.”
That vision became Malis, founded on the principle of Living Cambodian Cuisine. It would connect the cuisine of the Angkorian era with the modern Khmer table, without fear of acknowledging the many influences that shaped it along the way — Indian spices, Chinese techniques, Thai and Vietnamese herbs, and French discipline.
“From the kitchens of Angkor to Phnom Penh today, Cambodian cuisine has always been adaptive. Our genius as a culture is how we’ve integrated what we received and transformed it into something uniquely Khmer.” — Arnaud Darc
Malis does not imitate the past — it revives and reimagines it. Traditional recipes are researched, refined, and respectfully elevated. Ingredients are locally sourced, flavors are bold but balanced, and the result is not fusion, but identity made visible. Today, Malis stands as a cultural landmark — the first restaurant to give Cambodian cuisine the stage it deserves.
If Malis was about giving Cambodian cuisine the stage it deserved, Khéma was about opening the doors — making quality part of everyday life.
Khéma – Democratizing French Refinement in Cambodia
Khéma is the group’s modern French café-bistro and bakery — but it began with a simple ambition: to make what was once seen as luxury accessible to everyone.
When Arnaud Darc launched Khéma, Phnom Penh’s café scene was in its infancy. There were only a few places in the city where one could find a decent espresso or a French baguette — Blue Pumpkin, Comme à la Maison, and Open Wine. French-style pastries were rare. Macarons were virtually unknown. Cheese and cold cuts were expensive, inconsistent, or completely unavailable. Local coffee was still roasted on sidewalks, and the idea of casual yet refined all-day French dining simply didn’t exist.
Arnaud, together with business partner Richard Gillet, set out to change that. They didn’t want to open another elite venue. They wanted to redefine what was possible — and what was considered “normal” — in a rapidly developing Cambodia. They envisioned a place where you could sit down for a handmade terrine, a warm croissant, a glass of wine, or a three-course meal — without feeling priced out or out of place.
“Khéma was our answer to the unspoken feeling that good things were reserved for a few. We made them available to everyone — consistently, beautifully, affordably.”— Arnaud Darc
From its opening, Khéma offered artisanal croissants, handmade pâtés and terrines, fresh pasta, and full bistro meals — all designed with elegance and warmth, at a price point that welcomed everyone. This wasn’t done through compromise, but by building a strong internal production and training system.
Over the years, expert French bakers, pastry chefs, and charcutiers came to Cambodia to train the Khéma team — not only in technique, but in transmission: how to lead, replicate, and sustain quality at scale. This long-term investment in people and process allowed Khéma to do something rare: serve and produce at the same time.
Today, Khéma’s central kitchen manufactures:
- Its own cured ham, sausages, pâtés, terrines, and full charcuterie lines
- Over 10 varieties of French-style cheese, aged and crafted in-house
- Daily production of bread and viennoiseries for all Thalias brands and retail points
One of the most iconic innovations Khéma introduced was the Thursday Wine & Cheese nights — offering free-flow French wine and a buffet of imported cheeses and cold cuts for just $15.90 net. It was both a sensation and a statement: quality can be shared.
Another key evolution came with the introduction of free-flow breakfast and lunch formats, tailored for Phnom Penh’s growing urban crowd. These concepts were brought to life with the help of Nicolas Juralina, who played a vital role in developing Khéma’s brand strategy and customer experience, particularly at the Flatiron flagship.
Khéma is more than a café. It is a platform for culinary transmission, a showcase of what local teams can achieve with vision and structure, and a living example that refinement doesn’t have to be exclusive. It can be shared, scaled, and sustained — with care.
Yet these brands are not simply French or Cambodian. They reflect a deeper philosophy — the belief that tradition and innovation can co-exist, and that French savoir-faire can serve Khmer pride, not overshadow it.
“As a Frenchman in Cambodia, I never tried to replicate Paris. I listened. I learned. And then I asked: how can what we know support what this culture already holds?”
Together, these three brands offer a culinary dialogue — not just between cuisines, but between histories and futures. They are not trends. They are foundations.
Sector Leadership and Impact
While building Thalias, Arnaud Darc has consistently worked to elevate Cambodia’s hospitality sector beyond his own business. He believes success must scale not only within an organization, but across the ecosystem that supports it.
Over the past two decades, Arnaud has helped formalize and strengthen the industry’s foundations. He co-founded the Cambodia Restaurant Association (CRA) and has served as its President since 2020, pushing for higher professional standards, food safety practices, and support for young entrepreneurs.
As Co-Chair of Working Group D in the Government-Private Sector Forum, he collaborates directly with the Ministry of Economy and Finance to advocate for regulatory reform and a more transparent business environment — helping turn private sector challenges into national-level policy outcomes.
His leadership has extended across institutions: from chairing the French Foreign Trade Advisors (CCEF) Cambodia Committee, to guiding the Franco-Cambodian Chamber of Commerce, to helping shape the direction of EuroCham Cambodia. But for Arnaud, these roles have never been about visibility — only structure, credibility, and shared progress.
“I don’t believe in fighting alone. I believe in organizing — because when you raise the baseline for everyone, you raise the ceiling for what’s possible.”
In 2015, Arnaud was awarded the title of Chevalier de l’Ordre National du Mérite by the French Republic — a rare distinction honoring his contribution to French entrepreneurship abroad and his dedication to building cultural and economic bridges between France and Cambodia.
Whether mentoring policy discussions or mentoring young chefs, Arnaud’s focus remains the same: building systems that last — and passing on the tools to those who will shape what comes next.
Contemporary Challenges and Solutions
Over the years, Arnaud Darc has faced many pressures — economic downturns, regulatory shifts, competition. But one moment stands apart: the COVID-19 crisis.
In March 2020, as borders closed and Phnom Penh went silent, Thalias was forced to shut down almost all operations overnight. More than 500 staff were affected. For the first time since its founding, the group had no guests to serve — but still had people to support.
“In hospitality, we plan for busy nights — not for zero. The silence was overwhelming. But it forced us to think differently, to adapt quickly, and to ask: what can we rebuild smarter?”
Instead of waiting for conditions to normalize, Arnaud and his leadership team used the closure as a catalyst for reinvention. They:
- Launched Khéma Go’s takeaway and delivery platform within weeks
- Reorganized the Central Production Unit (CPU) to streamline costs and better serve future multi-brand needs
- Introduced AI-assisted forecasting tools for purchasing and inventory
- Developed internal cross-training modules so staff could be redeployed across outlets as needed
- Began digitizing customer engagement and loyalty systems through the Thalias App
Parallel to innovation, Arnaud doubled down on purpose. He expanded the company’s zero-plastic policy, introduced compostable packaging at Khéma Go, and accelerated sourcing partnerships with local organic farms and fisheries to support Cambodian producers during the downturn.
“The crisis clarified everything. What do we really stand for? Who do we serve? What kind of company do we want to be after this?”
The result wasn’t just recovery. It was renewal. Thalias emerged from the pandemic not larger, but sharper — leaner in structure, stronger in identity, and more confident in its ability to adapt without compromising values.
A Family Man and an Enthusiast
Behind the structure, systems, and strategy, Arnaud Darc remains — above all — a family man. His father, Alain Darc, joined him in Cambodia in 2004 after a difficult chapter in France. What was meant to be a well-earned retirement became something else entirely: a second act, shaped by purpose.
“He called me one day and said, ‘I want to live with you and help you.’ And he did — not just with love, but with action.”
As a seasoned chef and mentor, Alain brought invaluable experience to Thalias. He helped transform Topaz into a benchmark of French fine dining, trained dozens of young Khmer chefs, and showed — by example — what craftsmanship, humility, and consistency looked like in a kitchen. His quiet influence still resonates in every dish and every training session.
This spirit — of intergenerational trust and shared pride — continues within the Darc family. Arnaud’s wife Ji, his partner since the founding days of Topaz, has been a steady force through years of transformation. His daughter Kellyianne, now a teenager, reminds him daily of the future he’s helping to build — one based on dignity, clarity, and care.
Arnaud’s son Nathan is now playing an increasingly active role in the business. While officially serving as his father’s personal assistant, Nathan is also helping to modernize Thalias’ digital operations, advising on Gen Z behavior, communication tools, and new platforms. In return, Arnaud is mentoring him on leadership, responsibility, and the craft of hospitality — preparing him not just for a role, but for a mission.
“He teaches me what I don’t know — the codes, the culture, the speed of a new generation. And I teach him what lasts. That’s how continuity begins.”
These values extend to the broader Thalias team. At every level, internal mobility, respect, and long-term growth are real. Many senior staff began in entry-level roles and now lead departments, outlets, or projects. This “family culture” shapes not only employee journeys, but the guest experience: warm, sincere, and quietly confident.
Despite the demands of leadership, Arnaud keeps a grounding routine. He wakes before sunrise. Walks early. Reads daily. Enjoys jazz. Cooks with quiet focus. He doesn’t chase escape — only rhythm.
“In this business, everything moves. What keeps me steady is simplicity. A morning walk. A strong coffee. The smile of someone I’ve trained years ago, now leading their own team.”
The Tireless Builder and Legacy Vision
Thirty years after arriving in Cambodia with no network, no capital, and no roadmap, Arnaud Darc continues to lead not with noise, but with discipline. His career is not a story of speed, but of clarity — of building systems that last, teams that grow, and values that hold steady across decades of change.
At the core of that journey is a quiet tension that defines his leadership: the balance between tradition and innovation. Whether reviving forgotten Khmer dishes at Malis or producing 10 types of cheese at Khéma’s central kitchen, Arnaud never sees heritage and modernity as opposites. He sees them as necessary partners.
“Tradition gives us our roots. Innovation gives us our reach. Without both, we drift or stall.”
Thalias today employs over 500 people, serves 10,000 guests per week, and produces its own line of artisanal charcuterie and cheeses. Its training programs reach over 200 staff annually, and its impact extends into policy, sustainability, and community empowerment. Yet Arnaud doesn’t measure success in numbers alone.
“You know what matters most? When a guest comes back. When a staff member stays. When a young Cambodian chef says, ‘This is mine.’ That’s success.”
Looking ahead, Arnaud’s vision is as rooted as it is ambitious: to help Cambodia become a regional benchmark for culinary excellence, grounded in identity, not imitation. That means expanding Khéma Go beyond Cambodia, developing new artisanal product lines, investing in local farms and talent, and most of all — raising the ceiling of what’s possible through patience, not shortcuts.
He continues to serve as a mentor, sounding board, and quiet guide to emerging chefs and young leaders — including his own son, Nathan. His goal is not just to build more — it’s to build better, and to pass on what endures.
“The work is never finished. But if it’s built on purpose, it doesn’t need to be. It stands. It holds. And it moves forward without you — that’s legacy.”
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