Shasne Suleimanova at Topaz: “A lunch designed for people who don’t have a minute to lose”
Fashion stylist, editor, PR specialist, model and a followed voice in Phnom Penh, Shasne Suleimanova knows the capital’s good tables. She sat down at Topaz to try the business lunch. Fish and seafood lifted with spices, a creamy dessert, a cup of coffee: she left with a very good memory of it. We met a food lover who admits a soft spot for French cuisine.
A table at Topaz, plates to share and the wish to compare notes. For this lunch, Shasne and her guest chose similar dishes so they could talk about them on equal terms. She took the time to give us her verdict.
Shasne is also a Cambodge Mag contributor. She wrote our brand-new article “Shaping the Future: Cambodia and the Role of Traditional Craftsmanship in Contemporary Fashion” (in French), drawn from the discussions at the BRICS+ Fashion Summit in Moscow.
A path through fashion, media and social networks
To begin with, could you introduce yourself?
My name is Shasne. I’m an editor, fashion stylist and PR specialist in Cambodia. I’m originally from Crimea, in Russia. My roots are mixed: Russian, Mongolian and French. I’ve been living in Cambodia for six years now.
What does your day-to-day work look like?
I work on a lot of marketing and PR projects. My real passion is fashion. I like to collaborate with local artists to help move the fashion industry forward in Cambodia, in our own small way. I also studied international journalism, so writing is never far away. I run my own social media.
And your community?
I have 130,000 followers on TikTok and a little over 17,000 on Instagram.
At the table at Topaz
You try a lot of restaurants. Was this your first time at Topaz?
For lunch, yes.
How do you see Phnom Penh’s dining scene?
I’ve tried a lot of places. There aren’t that many leisure activities here, so going out to eat becomes an outing in itself. I really like the Asian way of sitting down to a meal, where you come to share. That’s why we picked similar dishes today, so we could swap opinions on the same plates.
So, what do you think of the Topaz lunch set?
It’s my first time with this formula, and I find it really well thought out. It’s perfect when you want to have lunch quickly, but well. You simply choose what you feel like having that day.
What did you choose, and what did you enjoy?
I felt like seafood, so fish and shellfish. I loved the way the spices and sauces came together. We finished with a beautiful dessert. I liked the texture of the cream and how it goes with the coffee.
A word on the service and the setting?
Everything is pleasant, from the service to the atmosphere. And among European cuisines, French is one of my favourites. I like pastries, butter, bread, and I love cheese.
To finish, how would you sum up Topaz?
It’s one of the nicest places in Phnom Penh for lunch. You can hold a business conversation there just as easily as meet up with friends.
To find out more about Topaz: https://topaz.thalias.com.kh/
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