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Guest of Thalias: Sara Duong, for the pleasure of fine gastronomy in an ideal atmosphere

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Sara Duong is a young, elegant, smiling French-Cambodian woman who decided to settle in her native country in 2019. She’s now a business developer in the architecture and engineering firm Archetype, which operates in 18 countries. She was born into a family of restaurateurs, so it’s no surprise she loves good food and has a soft spot for the Thalias group brands.  The objective of this culinary experience was to solicit her expert appraisal of Topaz’s seasonal menu, aptly titled “Savouring Elegance”. To start, Sara selected the red snapper carpaccio with Asian herb vinaigrette, a signature dish that exemplifies the establishment’s expertise and is likely to captivate our guest. She then proceeded to evaluate another fish dish from the special menu, the pan-fried turbot fillet with lemon, butter and caper sauce, which she deemed to be of an equally high standard.     However, Sara was astonished and gratified when she encountered the roast rack of Australian lamb enrobed in a spring vegetable crust and accompanied by a sauce featuring morels mushrooms.  « It is perhaps the most exquisite dish I have had the privilege to experience today. I was gratified by the initial meals, particularly the fish, but it was the overall presentation and quality of this dish that truly impressed me », she said.  Ultimately, our guest will conclude her repast with the hot chocolate fondant and Madagascar vanilla ice cream, a dessert she will consume as a mere indulgence, given that “it was a very copious lunch.”  In addition to the generosity of the menu, Sara revealed that she was impressed by the quality of the produce at the conclusion of her gastronomic experience. Furthermore, the dishes served were of an excellent standard, exhibiting a well-balanced flavour profile and a harmonious combination of ingredients. They were also tastefully presented in an original manner. In addition, Topaz Norodom is a venue frequently patronised by our guest for business lunches. The establishment’s distinctive ambience, comprising an abundance of verdant foliage and tastefully appointed interiors, makes it an ideal venue for business lunches. Indeed, according to her, the restaurant is a particularly agreeable establishment.   “It is my belief that it is of the utmost importance to take my customers and potential clients to a place where they can enjoy a meal of the highest quality, while also feeling completely at ease in a tranquil and welcoming environment. Additionally, the prices of the business lunch are notably affordable.”, she said.  While she is similarly partial to Malis and its Cambodian cuisine, Sara professes a particular affinity for Khéma Pasteur, citing its combination of sophistication and intimacy, its tranquil ambience, the opportunity for conversation, the amiable service, and the appealing presentation of the dishes. Furthermore, she considers that Thalias restaurants are particularly conducive to business meetings and lunches due to the quality of the food, the variety of dishes, the affordable prices, and the consistently pleasant setting.  Reserve a table Subscribe to the Thalias newsletter for exclusive offers, invitations to events and culinary news. Subscribe here out more: Discover our culinary world in more detail. Visit our website   

Siena: Ribollita, that beautiful Tuscan soup with the flavors of yesteryear

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Ribollita is an amazing Tuscan bread soup with a whole load of delicious vegetables, prepared in an earthenware pot. Like most traditional dishes, the soup has its roots in farming. In the olden days, it was made by heating up leftover minestrone or vegetable soup from the previous day with bread. his incredible ribollita is a Tuscan peasant soup made with cabbage, particularly the famous cavolo nero or black cabbage, beans, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes and bread. The amazing thing about this soup is that it’s not freshly cooked, but re-cooked. That’s what gives it its deliciously dense and pleasant texture. Ribollita literally means “brought to the boil again.” The base is a delicious bread soup (zuppa di pane), which is reheated the next day to give it a more structured texture. And the incredible flavor? That comes from the fresh vegetables! The story goes that Ribollita was brought to farmers in the fields because it didn’t really have time to cool, and the workers enjoyed it sitting in the middle of nature. Some sources even trace its origins back to the Middle Ages, when servants would collect the bread crumbs soaked in food at feudal lords’ banquets and boil them for their dinner. You’ll be thrilled to know that Ribollita is available à la carte at the famous Siena restaurant! And now for the perfect wine matches for this incredible soup! Ideal for those chilly evenings, we have the amazing Chianti Classico, the exquisite Verdicchio and the delicious Cabernet Franc. Enjoy this delicious meal 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       

Topaz coastal culinary dinner in Amber Kampot: Meet our host Lundy Taing

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As the special dinner offered by Topaz at the magnificent Amber Kampot resort draws nearer – on 20 July at 6pm – we would like to introduce you to Lundy Taing, the resort manager and a former Thalias employee, who is therefore looking forward to reuniting with his former colleagues for this exceptional event. Since July 2020, Cambodian Lundy Taing has been running the Amber Kampot hotel. A very active, friendly and cheerful character, Lundy is also a passionate hotelier who has not hesitated to challenge himself to manage this destination, which is not quite like any other.  Tell us a little abouut yourself and your background My name is Lundy Taing. I was born in Battambang, but I moved to Siem Reap in 1995 and I’m still a resident there. I’m currently the manager of Amber Kampot. My career started with a hotel in Siem Reap. In 2001, I joined the Hôtel de La Paix before moving on to other hotels. Finally, in 2015, I joined the Thalias group. I worked at Malis Siem Reap and also for the one in Phnom Penh. A year later I moved on to the Banyan Tree, but when the Covid arrived they decided to close, so I moved to Kampot and I’ve been working at Amber since 2020.  How would you define Amber Kampot? Amber Kampot caters for everyone because as a resort, our market is local, local upmarket and also tourist. As far as tourists are concerned, we welcome everyone, Americans, Australians, French, British, Europeans and Chinese. So everyone is welcome at Amber Kampot.  What type of activities do you offer? As we have direct access to the river, we concentrate on water-based activities. We offer free kayaking, paddle-boarding, water-biking, Hobie-cats, water-skiing and other fun activities. I think we’re the only ones to do this. Then we offer other activities such as the sunset boat trip, which is very popular, and also the floating dinner and picnic on an island.  We also offer dawn kayak trips through the mangrove forest at Trapaing Sangke. Soon, we will be working with the Marine Conservation association and will be able to take our customers to see the dolphins.These are the on-site activities, but we also organise excursions and special days to discover the region’s emblematic places. What are the challenges in running Amber Kampot? I actually really like Amber Kampot because I love water and there are lots of activities linked to it. “Before, I didn’t even know how to drive a boat or what water-skiing or windsurfing was, but for almost four years now in Kampot, I’ve been able to do it all. For me, it’s very exciting to be working in this hotel.”  Are there any other attractions to highlight at Amber Kampot? in fact, people come here for the change of scenery and also to discover the region. Our accommodation is very luxurious and we strive to offer top quality gastronomy, in keeping with the prestige to keep our regular customers happy. in fact,30 to 40% of our customers are regulars, so we have to keep them entertained, both with our activies and our menu. In conclusion, do you feel happy here? Absolutely, it’s a demanding but exciting job that allows you to touch on a bit of everything. Having chosen this profession, I’m delighted to be able to do it in such a privileged place. this interview is in excerpt on a previously article published on cambodge Mag. 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