Chef Chuon Sokheng: The Secret is to Love Your Job and Treat Cooking as an Art Form
- Kep West
- Apr 3
- 5 min read
Cambodian-born Chuon Sokheng, an Executive Chef of Kep West, one of the busy chefs. Aside from managing the Wave restaurant’s busy kitchen, he also takes cares of the Knai Bang Chatt Resort’s kitchen and food-related events. However, he still takes the time off from his schedule to give us a preview of what made him the chef he is today. He said, “Cook with Patience and Love”.
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How long have you been a chef?
I’ve been in this industry for more than 20 years. The first hotel I worked for was in 1999 and it is current Raffle Hotel Le Royal Phnom Penh, I was a dish washer, called stewarding attendant. After my stint there, I joined Sokha Beach Resort under umbrella of Sokha Hotels group and moved to Independence Hotel & Spa Sihanouk Ville for 3 years, moved to Knai Bang Chatt Resort three year then moved to Naga World Phnom Penh. By the time I was 26, I was already the Head Chef for the hotels.
I also became an Executive Chef which part of CBM Group brand such as The Asian Kitchen, Maim Miam, Tour Les Jour, Lotteria, CK Catering, Pizza World, BB World for 3 years, after joined with HGB Group which you know now as Ajisen Ramen Cambodia.
I stayed at HGB Group for 2 years before moved to Knai Bang Chatt Resort by Kep West. I also worked as an Executive Chef at Cambodia Air Catering Service (CACS) Gate Gourmet (under Gate Group for 6 years where I developed my skills in culinary.
When you were a child, how did you know that this is what you want to do? who was your inspiration?
My brother advised me then to learn the chef's trade because he thought it was a promising career. Secondly, I grew up in an environment close to gastronomy, as my father was a cook specializing in weddings and ceremonies, So, ever since I was a child, I've always loved cooking, I often helped my father who had a modest structure, and I dreamed of working in a beautiful, modern, well-equipped kitchen. As I helped my father prepare dishes in these huge pots, I was already fascinated.
What are the things you need to work in the kitchen?
You must have the passion. You must also have the creativity to whip up new dishes for your guests. As such, you always have to know the latest trends in the market so you can always stay on top.
What has been the biggest challenge working in the kitchen?
Nowadays, it can get quite hard to get staff, so my team and I usually work longer hours to finish the job. Every day here at Kep West, we have functions and events, so we always need more staff, and our staff need to be well-trained.
How do you get through it?
My staff is briefed before and on what they must do for these kinds of functions or events. We prepare weeks in advance so we are ready for the events. I’ve been in this line of work for so many years already, so I’m used to it. I know how to balance my time and I know how to assign tasks to my kitchen staff.
When you do have time, what do you do to relax?
I go to restaurants and take a look at their menu, food presentation, etc. I also can cook a lot of Indian and vegan dishes! And do some research and develop on my new dishes
I'm responsible for the three restaurants and the bakery, because we make our own pastries. I learned the bakery business at the Raffles and I'm proud of what we can produce. I get a lot of very positive feedback on the quality of our pastries and bread.
That's the secret: if you love what you do, everything becomes a lot less complicated. I also have a team of excellent sous-chefs and a culinary team capable of offering top-quality dishes and impeccable service. Also, Kep West is a very different destination with a focus on wellbeing and it's important that our menus are balanced, full of vitamins and energy, suitable for all types of clienteles and cater for individual preferences.
Do you ever come up with new dishes?
Yes, and I'm passionate about it too. There's nothing more boring than copying and pasting recipes and simply applying them to the letter. As Peters says, cooking is an art and creativity is therefore essential to maintain and develop a restaurant's reputation.
Invent isn't quite the word, in fact there are few dishes that are 100% original, but recipes are made to be ‘remixed’, improved and reinvented. It's an exciting and fascinating aspect of the job. When you're working on a very distinctive dish, with a cultural origin and an excellent reputation, you must be inventive and also cautious.
I created a personal version of bouillabaisse, an emblematic dish from the South of France, and I took some risks. But it worked and the customers really liked it. Peters even said it was one of the best bouillabaisses he'd ever tasted!
I also think, listening to our customers, that The Wave offers the best seafood and meat barbecue on the Cambodian coast.
Which creation are you most proud of?
It's not about creating anything, it’s simply about improving the quality of local cuisine, especially with this fresh seafood from KEP. I'm proud to be a local artisan, It's a great place with excellent team spirit and modern kitchen management. We cook all kinds of international and local dishes, and our customers are satisfied, and it shows. We have created a strong team by organizing training and development so that team members have confidence in their skills. We have high standards at all times in our customer relations and international communication. In addition, we use local products, thus creating a high-end culinary destination.
So, you're happy to work here...
Yes, I am very excited to have the opportunity to work here with a great team to develop this romantic and truly different beach destination. We are all committed to making Kep West a thriving resort as an innovative culinary destination on the Cambodian coast and an ideal weekend getaway.
I also like to go to each customer's table, whatever the Kep West restaurant, to welcome them and make sure they have enjoyed their dining experience with us. A chef also must be pleasant, friendly and develop relationships with customers. We're not just in the market or the kitchen, the restaurant room is just as important as everything else.
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