TEMPLE OF TASTE - CAMBODIA
Temple of Taste - Cambodia - Luxury Travel Magazine
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Temple of Taste | |||||
| By: Jenny Caspersonn, Issue 37 – Summer 2009 | |||||
| (Hospitality School – Cambodia) | |||||
| A HOSPITALITY SCHOOL IN CAMBODIA PROVIDES CULINARY AND HUMANITARIAN INSPIRATION FOR A NEW COOKBOOK. | |||||
| Pestle in hand, ready to pound the delicate ingredients for Khmer Curry paste, charming French chef Joannés Riviére is extolling the flavour some joys of water lily stems. Here at the Sala Bai Hotel School in Siem Reap, the rich creamy sauces of his birthplace, Roanne, are a world away. An exquisite Pomelo and Shrimp Salad followed by Fish Soup with Herbs and Rice Noodles materialise under Riviére’s expert guidance ably assisted by his Sala Bai students. These are just two of the 60 recipes included in Riviere’s recently launched English version of his cookbook, Cambodian Cooking. (Periplus Editions $24.95) The book is an enticing collection of traditional dishes, salads, soups, stir fries, barbeques and desserts, distinctly Cambodian, yet referencing the subtle influences that China, India and France have had on Khmer cuisine over the centuries. Riviére’s recipes showcase the surprising mix of salty and sweet and occasionally sour to challenge the senses and delight the palate. Illustrated with glorious full colour photographs the recipes are simple, require little preparation time and have been helpfully adapted where required to enable sourcing appropriate substitute ingredients. Green Mango Salad and Smoked Fish, and Coconut Ice Cream with Caramelised Bananas are tempting enough but the story behind Cambodian Cooking is worth devouring. The book is a humanitarian project, the proceeds of which go toward funding Siem Reap’s Sala Bai Hotel School. The School offers an annual hospitality-training program for 100 severely underprivileged young Cambodians. Students, aged between 17 and 23, are provided with eleven months instruction, accommodation, meals, school supplies and uniforms as well as bicycles and medical coverage. Since its first intake in 2002, 505 students have gained their diplomas and to date 100% of the graduates have been employed within three months of graduation. Cambodia is a country with a tragic recent history of war and genocide. The US State Department estimates that, of a population of 7.3 million, between 1.5 and 3 million people died from forced labour, starvation, disease or execution after the Khmer Rouge gained power in 1975. While Cambodia is still heavily reliant on overseas assistance, the economy is expanding with tourism now a leading industry. Siem Reap, the town of the World Heritage-listed Angkor Temples, has experienced rapid growth since 2000 with the burgeoning tourism market. Along with the culinary talents of Riviére, Cambodian Cooking is a result of the energy and expertise of Dominique de Bourgknecht and David Lallemand. They took 12 months leave from their jobs in banking and consulting in Paris to travel to Cambodia where they sought a project that could generate direct income for Sala Bai. The French version of the book was published in early 2005 and sold out a print run of 5,000 in months. Periplus of Singapore bought the rights to the English version of Cambodian Cooking, assisted with translation and published the book in November 2008. It is currently available in leading bookstores. Perhaps influenced by his father – also a restaurateur – who travelled to Cambodia in the early 1970s, Riviére first came to Siem Reap in 2002 to teach cooking at the Sala Bai Hotel School. With his passion for, and knowledge of, Cambodian food he is now Executive Chef at Meric Restaurant at the Hotel de la Paix. This stylish boutique hotel is a tranquil refuge from the teeming traffic and penetrating red dust of Siem Reap’s frantic streets. Bangkok–based architect Bill Bensley has blended art deco design with traditional Khmer elegance to create an exotic oasis with serene white stone, dark timbers and steel. Overlooking the bustling streetscape through to the lush interior garden courtyard the hip Arts Lounge is an innovative exhibition space where guests can contemplate local Khmer artworks over a coffee or a cocktail. And after a solid day absorbing the wonder of the Angkor temples the decadent comfort of the Spa Indochine beckons beyond Hotel de la Paix’s splendid garden swimming pool. | |||||
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| Sala Bai Hotel School | |||||
| Hotel de la Paix | |||||
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