Chef Nak

Chef Nak
Ros in 2024
Born
Rotanak Ros

(1985-05-24) 24 May 1985 (age 41)
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Other nameRotanak Ros
OccupationsChef, author, and entrepreneur
Years active2017–present
Notable work
  • SAOY – Royal Cambodian Home Cuisine (2023)
  • Nhum: Recipes from a Cambodian Kitchen (2019)
Websitehttps://chefnak.com/

Rotanak Ros (Khmer: រស់ រតន; born on 24 May 1985 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia), known profesionally as Chef Nak (Khmer: ចុងភៅណាក់), is a Cambodian celebrity chef, culinary author, and entrepreneur.

Biography

Rotanak began cooking at the age of five, when she and her elder sister helped care for their siblings while their parents were hospitalized following a traffic accident. As her parents later returned to work, the sisters continued to prepare meals for the family.

At the age of 19, Rotanak began working as a program coordinator for Cambodian Living Arts, becoming the organization's head of finance at the age of 22. Her work there introduced her to efforts to document and preserve Cambodian performing arts, which influenced her later interest in documenting Cambodian cuisine.

In October 2018, Rotanak began offering private cooking classes and home dining at her house in Phnom Penh. Her cooking classes accommodate groups of up to 60 people, while her home dining service operates for three days a week. In 2020, the South China Morning Post included her home dining experience in a list of emerging food-travel destinations in Asia.

In 2019, following 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. In 2020, it received Gourmand World Cookbook Awards in the categories of "Woman Chef Book" and "Published in Asia".

Also in 2019, Rotanak collaborated with Brasserie Louis in Rosewood Phnom Penh to design a 12-dish menu. She later helped curate the Cambodian menu for the restaurant Khmer Kitchen in Bangalore, India.

In April 2021, The New York Times featured Rotanak as her cookbook was made available on Amazon. Later that year, Taste of Home included her among Asian chefs and food innovators featured for their contributions to food culture.

In 2022, Travel + Leisure included Chef Nak Home Dining in a list of dining experiences from around the world. Her cooking classes have also been included in a list of cookery schools in Asia published by Food and Travel Magazine.

On 12 May 2023, Rotanak published her second cookbook, SAOY – Royal Cambodian Home Cuisine, which focuses on Cambodian royal cuisine. The book was presented at Rosewood Phnom Penh Hotel on the day of its publication. It is 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. On 28 November 2023, SAOY – Royal Cambodian Home Cuisine received three Gourmand World Cookbook Awards, in the categories "Best of the Best", "Asian-Books", and "Heads of State".

In November 2023, Travel + Leisure included Rotanak among five female chefs in Asia for her work relating to Cambodian cuisine.

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.
  18. ↑ Carruthers, Marissa (1 December 2023). "Chef Nak's Discovery of Royal Khmer Cuisine". Kiripost. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  19. ↑ Carruthers, Marissa (29 November 2023). "Cambodian Cookbook Crowned Best in the World". Kiripost. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  20. ↑ Seavmey, Meng (30 November 2023). "Cambodia Wins World's Best Cookbook 2023". Cambodianess. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  21. ↑ "Triumph as Cambodian chef wins "Best cookbook in the world" prize". Khmer Times. 1 December 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
  22. ↑ "What and Where Inspires 5 of the Best Female Chefs in Asia". Travel + Leisure. 30 November 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2023.