Kep & Gastronomy: Chef Chuon Sokheng, the secret? loving his job and considering cooking as an art form

Chef Chuon Sokheng is the chef of Kep West, which has endeavoured, since the opening of the hotel and restaurant complex, to become a unique, high-end and inventive culinary destination.

Can you introduce yourself in a few words?

My name is Chuon Sokheng, I am 43 years old, I am a chef and I was born in Kandal province. I have eight brothers and sisters. I obtained my secondary school diploma in 1998, at Takhmao High School.

After that, I left for Phnom Penh and stayed for a while in a pagoda. My brother then advised me to learn the trade of chef because he thought it was a job with a future. Then, I grew up in an environment close to gastronomy, my father was a specialised wedding chef. Also, since I was a child, I have always loved cooking. I often helped my father, who had a modest establishment, and I dreamed of working in a beautiful, modern and well-equipped kitchen. I was already passionate about it when I helped my father prepare dishes in those huge pots.

So, after high school, what was your career path?

I studied for six months and it cost a lot of money, about 600 dollars. And my father sold some cows and some property to support me. Then, for a year, I studied English. Before joining Kep West, I worked for the Raffles and Sokha Hotels Group, as well as for Naga World. Before joining Kep West, I worked as executive chef for Cambodian Air Catering for 6 years. Today, I can congratulate myself on having nearly 20 years of culinary experience in the restaurant and hotel industry.

As I have worked for quite a variety of establishments, I have been able to learn many different cooking techniques, ranging from Khmer cuisine of course to Korean and Western cuisine.