AsiaLIFE

K West, long a landmark of the capital’s busy riverfront, has become know a haven of tranquillity. AsiaLIFE gets the low-down on one of Phnom Penh’s most popular riverside restaurants.

Cambodian restaurants are improving because of a glut of new restaurants offering high-quality fare not on offer even two years ago, according to long-time French expat Celine Serriere, the general manager of K West. “Customers now demand good food, good service – the whole package,” she says. “Before it wasn’t like that.”

The high standard of restaurants in Phnom Penh can be surprising to many visitors, especially given the positive comparisons to other regional capitals, despite the city’s far smaller size. Celine thinks that a market relatively free of restrictions leads restaurateurs here.

“Cambodia offers opportunities for people to develop business – people think, ‘maybe I can do something here,” she says. “You can create your own business very quickly.”

Not Just for Friends

She sees the main appeal of the French brasserie and bar as being a place to meet friends. She cites a French woman’s group that holds meetings at K West, but often stays afterwards for coffee and a chat. There’s a very relaxed vibe, even to the first-rate service. Most staff have worked at K West since it opened in 2003, so staff know regulars well and have an excellent rapport with customers.

But K West is no French enclave. Cambodians now make up 50 percent of K West’s customers. Khmer people have a diverse palate, Celine points out, willing and eager to try new dishes both from Asia and the West. Restaurants offering both options have the best chance to attract business. “I have more and more Cambodia customers,” she says. “We have this middle class now who like to spend time in restaurants.”

Mouthwatering

Celine, who has lived in Cambodia for the past 11 years, first moved to Phnom Penh when her husband set up a scuba diving centre. She has been at the helm of K West for the past two years, bringing food expertise from her Lyon hometown (“a gastronomic town”) to the riverside.

Food was the motivation for K West’s original owners, who named the restaurant simply because, “it’s on the quay [try saying this with a French accent], and is western.”

“They wanted to serve good quality western food,” she says. “There weren’t so many places at the time and the quality wasn’t good.”

Maintaining standards

Being successful in the food industry is not so simple as it appears, Celine cautions. “I think maybe, when people open a restaurant, they think it’s easy,” she says. “In terms of food quality and human resources you have to be very careful.”

Buying only the best ingredients ensures customer satisfaction, though creating distinctive cuisine at an acceptable price can be a challenge. “I think we have some very good suppliers here, who can provide a very good quality of ingredients,” she adds. Domestically grown vegetables and delectable fresh sea fish and shrimp from Sihanoukville are presented alongside the finest local and imported meats, mostly from Australia, and premium wines from Celliers d’Asie.

Finding experienced, well-trained kitchen staff in a country notorious for its poor quality human resources can also be a real headache. “It’s difficult to find a good Cambodian chef,” Celine confides. “We have had one of our chefs for five years. Before he used to work in Raffles [Hotel Le Royal], in the Sunway [Hotel], and afterwards he started here as the chef. Now he is able to create his own recipes or a daily menu. He’s very good.”

K West is to offer a new special every two days, something she says is bringing out the chef’s creative, innovative side. “It’s a big challenge,” Celine says, “but it will provide variety and interest to the menu.”

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