Chef Nak (Khmer: ចុងភៅណាក់; born Rotanak Ros (រស់ រតនៈ) in 1985 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia) is a Cambodian celebrity chef, culinary author, and entrepreneur.
Chef Nak | |
|---|---|
.png) Chef Nak at her home garden in Phnom Penh in 2022 | |
| Born | Rotanak Ros 1985 |
| Nationality | Cambodian |
| Occupation(s) | Chef, culinary author and entrepreneur |
| Years active | 2017–present |
| Notable work |
|
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. Growing up, 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]
On 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] The cookbook was based on Princess Norodom Rasmi Sobbhana's cookbook, a copy of which was given to Chef Nak by a daughter of a former U.S. ambassador in Cambodia.[18] On November 28, 2023, "SAOY – Royal Cambodian Home Cuisine" received Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in the categories "Best Of The Best", "Asian-Books" and "Heads Of State".[19][20][21]
References
External links
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