Chef Nak
Chef Nak at her home garden in Phnom Penh in 2022
Born
Rotanak Ros

1985
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
NationalityCambodian
Occupation(s)Chef, culinary author and entrepreneur
Years active2017–present
Notable workAward-winning Best Of The Best Cookbook In The World, Saoy: Royal Cambodian Home Cuisine (2023), Nhum: Recipes from a Cambodian Kitchen (2019),

Chef Nak (Khmer: ចុងភៅណាក់; born Rotanak Ros (រស់ រតនៈ) in 1985 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia) is a first female Cambodian celebrity chef, culinary author, and entrepreneur.

Biography

Rotanak began cooking at the age of five, with the aid of her elder sister and neighbors, to care for her siblings while both of her parents were in the hospital recovering after a traffic accident. Rotanak and her elder sister continued to cook for their siblings as their parents worked long hours.[1]

Rotanak began working as the Program Coordinator for Cambodian Living Arts at the age of 19, before becoming its Head of Finance at the age of 22.There she learned about the preservation of Cambodian performing arts and soon began applying the knowledge gained in the preservation of Cambodian cuisine as well.[2]

In October 2018, Rotanak started offering luxury private home cooking classes and dining at her house in Phnom Penh.[3] She hosts one diner group a day for three days a week, while her cooking classes have a capacity of up to 60 people.[4] It was named one of "Asia’s 7 top emerging foodie travel destinations" by the South China Morning Post in 2020,[5]

In 2019, after a successful Kickstarter campaign, Rotanak released "Nhum – Recipes from a Cambodian Kitchen", a collection of approximately 80 traditional Cambodian recipes from various parts of Cambodia, in both English and Khmer.[6][7] The cookbook received Gourmand Awards in the "Woman chef Book" and "Published in Asia" categories in 2020.[8]

In 2019, Rotanak partnered with Brasserie Louis in Rosewood Phnom Penh to design a 12 dish signature menu for the restaurant.[9] She has also helped curate the Cambodian menu for the restaurant Khmer Kitchen in Bangalore, India.[10]

In April 2021, Chef Nak was featured on The New York Times as her cookbook was made available on Amazon.[11] Later that year, Rotanak was named one of "10 Asian Chefs and Innovators Who Have Changed the Way We Eat" by the American magazine Taste of Home.[12]

Chef Nak Home Dining was named one of the "14 of the Best Dining Experiences Around the World" by the travel magazine Travel + Leisure in May 2022,[13] while her private cooking classes have been listed as one of "Asia's best cookery schools" by Food and Travel Magazine.[14]

May 12, 2023, she published her second cookbook "SAOY – Royal Cambodian Home Cuisine", which was presented at the Rosewood Phnom Penh Hotel on May 12 and dedicated to Cambodian royal cuisine.[15][16][17]

On November 15, 2023, her culinary masterpiece "SAOY - Royal Cambodian Home Cuisine" has garnered multiple nominations at the esteemed 29th Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. Elevating Cambodia's culinary heritage globally, the book stands nominated in three significant categories: 1.Best Of The Best (Books Publishers B02), 2.Asian-Books (Countries and Regions C08), 3.Heads Of State (Gastrodiplomacy G05) 1819202122

On November 28, 2023, her cookbook "SAOY - Royal Cambodian Home Cuisine" received the award for "Best Cookbook In The World" by The Gourmand Cookbook Award in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 23242526272829

References

  1. ↑ Casswell, Richard (8 September 2021). "An Interview with Cambodia's Chef Nak". Kouprey Adventures. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  2. ↑ Chertok, Victoria (10 July 2019). "Sharing Khmer cuisine, from Phnom Penh to Putney". Brattleboro Reformer. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  3. ↑ Carruthers, Marissa; Sokchanlina, Lim (6 April 2018). "Mission to revive and reinvent the ancient art of Cambodian cuisine". AsiaLIFE. Archived from the original on 21 May 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  4. ↑ Elhence, Priyanka (6 May 2021). "Keepers of the Spice Trade: Ratanak Ros". Wine & Dine. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  5. ↑ Dwyer, Chris (5 March 2020). "Have you been to any of these emerging foodie destinations in Asia?". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  6. ↑ "World acclaimed Cambodian chef shares recipes via cookbook". Khmer Times. 7 April 2021. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  7. ↑ Raksmey Hong (26 April 2021). "New Nhum cookbook celebrates millennia of Cambodian cuisine". The Phnom Penh Post. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  8. ↑ "COOKBOOKS Winners by Countries - Gourmand Awards 2020". Gourmand International. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  9. ↑ "Brasserie Louis partners with local celebrity chef Nak to shine a spotlight on Cambodia's rich culinary heritage". Rosewood Phnom Penh. 11 November 2019. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  10. ↑ Surya Praphulla Kumar (5 February 2021). "Fish amok in Karnad's dining room". The Hindu. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  11. ↑ Nierenberg, Amelia (12 April 2021). "A Chef's Quest to Preserve Cambodia's Lost Flavors". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  12. ↑ Ashley Thuthao Keng Dam (16 November 2021). "10 Asian Chefs and Innovators Who Have Changed the Way We Eat". Taste of Home. Retrieved 30 November 2021.
  13. ↑ Liao, Christina (19 May 2022). "14 of the Best Dining Experiences Around the World". Travel + Leisure. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  14. ↑ Jo Davey. "Asia's best cookery schools". Food and Travel Magazine. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  15. ↑ "Phnom Penh & Exposition: "SAOY", quand la cuisine cambodgienne devient de l'art". Cambodgemag (in French). 11 May 2023. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
  16. ↑ ""SAOY": les saveurs oubliées de la cuisine royale cambodgienne". Le Petit Journal (in French). 11 May 2022. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
  17. ↑ Raksmey Hong (17 May 2023). "Saoy: Chef Nak highlighting the pure essence of Khmer cuisine". The Phnom Penh Post. Retrieved 3 June 2023.
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