A weeklong festival is organised at the Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh to put the Indian culture in forefront in Cambodia
The Hindu cosmology and mythologies have influenced the creation of the historic temples at Angkor Wat and have historically exerted a significant cultural influence in Cambodia. The centuries old connection between the two civilisations will be renewed in a unique fashion next month as the Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh prepares for a week-long festival of Indian food. Organised by one of India’s top chefs in Cambodia, the festival aims to put the Indian culture and its wealth of gourmet traditions in the forefront in Cambodia.
The multi-day celebration, which takes place from August 8 to August 14, coincides with Cambodia’s “India Week”. The programme highlights a variety of culinary activities and promotions at the five-star hotel. The week’s highlights include a special launch event, a lavish Indian brunch on Sunday, as well as dinners, business lunch menus and breakfast items with an Indian theme.
Chef Jhupa Singh
Chef Jhupa Singh, a master of Indian cuisine who works at the award-winning Soma fine dining Indian restaurant at the Grand Hyatt Mumbai, will oversee this festival of subcontinental manna, says a press release. Singh is an expert in Northern Indian cuisine and comes from the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. He is, however, looking forward to taking the Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh’s guests on a comprehensive gastronomic tour over the week-long event.
“We’ll give guests an overview of Indian food culture,” says Jhupa Singh. “From light, vegetarian breakfast items that originate in the south of the country to rich curries and aromatic kebabs from Northern India, we plan to make the Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh the hub for a true Indian culinary odyssey.” adds Singh.
The Indian culinary scene has long been vibrant in the capital of Cambodia. There have been a number of exchanges between India and Cambodia throughout antiquity as Cambodia has been home to large Indian communities since centuries. As a result, eating Indian food in Phnom Penh has never been a challenge. The city has no shortage of curry-filled tables, from run-down shophouses to elegant dining rooms straight from the set of a major Bollywood production. However, in Cambodia, it is uncommon to find such a thorough celebration of Indian food.
“It’s an honour for us to welcome Chef Singh to Cambodia,” says Herman Kemp, general manager of the Hyatt Regency Phnom Penh. “We are sure that guests will appreciate the amazing diversity of Indian cuisine over the course of the week,” adds Kemp.
