CAMBODIAN CUISINE FESTIVAL

The Cambodian Cuisine Festival 2013, to be held at the Cambodian Cultural Village today and tomorrow, promises the presence of cooks from 16 provinces who will present “both traditional and modern dishes.”

The festival, organised by the NGO Pour un Sourire d’Enfant (PSE), will raise funds to support underprivileged students with food, health care and education. Some proceeds will also go to the Paul Dubrule Hotel and Tourism School.

Tonight at 9.30pm, Cambodian singer, PlusDollar Records artiste and PSE Goodwill Ambassador Pou Khlaing will perform, with Nem Tum. At 11pm tonight DJ Seila will do a one hour set.

Other highlights this evening include a hair and fashion show scheduled to kick off at 7.45pm, followed by a 10 minute bokator performance.

Tomorrow will see an opera performance by PSE students at 7pm, plus the hair and fashion show at 7.30pm, followed by a bokator performance.

Singer Nem Tum will take to the stage at 9.30pm and again DJ Seila will close the show.

Entry for Cambodian is free and foreigners can buy tickets at the door for $4.

LOCAL NGO GETS HYATT GRANT

Siem Reap NGO Everything’s Gonna Be Ok (Egbok) has been awarded a $15,000 grant through the Hyatt Community Grant program.

What makes this grant especially significant is that it’s the first to be awarded to an organisation in Southeast Asia , out of 26 awarded since inception to non-profits nominated by Hyatt hotels.

Hyatt Community Grants, a key component of Hyatt Thrive – Hyatt’s global corporate responsibility platform – encourages hotels worldwide to identify and nominate local non-profits for funding.

Egbok Mission is an international outfit working to give young adults from rural and neighbouring areas around Siem Reap the skills and training necessary to work as hospitality professionals, and Park Hyatt is now training four Engbok housekeeping interns.

Park Hyatt Siem Reap general manager Sholto Smith said, “We look forward to being able to train and guide the students into the world of hospitality and couldn’t be happier to support the youth and community further.”

Park Hyatt Siem Reap chef de cuisine Theam Pisith also recently participated in the Egbok hospitality speaker series, inspiring future chefs and students wanting to study food and beverage.

NEW THEAM EXHIBITION

McDermott Gallery Old Market will host a new exhibition by Siem Reap-based artist, Lim Muy Theam titled Situations. The exhibition will run from December 14 to February 28, and an opening reception will be held on Saturday from 7-8.30pm.

According to the press release, his trademark lacquer pieces, “Capture beautiful moments in the normal lives of local Cambodian people. We see striking portraits of individuals performing daily chores. From a countryside farmer herding cattle to a procession of monks offering rice, each scene is a reflection of day to day life in the rural towns and bustling cities in modern Cambodia.”

SHORTS

Open Day: BELS School of English is having an open day on Saturday December 14, from 10.30am to 2pm. Featured will be free placement tests, 10 per cent discount for returning students who enroll on th day, 15 per cent discount and a free t-shirt for new students enrolling on the day, and a lucky draw with a prize of a term’s free study.

New nosh-houses: The Angkor W group of restaurants is opening two new restaurants: Wok Republik and The Grey on December 17 at King’s Road Angkor Village.

Wok Republik features top chefs who cook solely with the wok, and the signature dish will be black bean beef and noodles. The Grey delivers “genuine Cambodian BBQ eating” with meats to choose from including beef, pork, chicken, kangaroo, crocodile, and ostrich.