“Many of our recipes have been handed down by family members. As food represents the culture of a country we believe that it is important that these traditional recipes are maintained. In today’s fast-paced world many people do not have the time to allocate to the correct preparation and cooking of Khmer food so we provide diners with the opportunity to experience true Khmer flavours.”

Fish amok; squid wok-fried with fresh Kampot peppercorns; and dry rice noodles with mince pork, dried red pepper, dried squid, dried shrimp, and shrimp paste.

Chef Kethana opened Sugar Palm in 2002 after returning from New Zealand, where she’d gone to study prior to the 1975–79 Khmer Rouge genocide of Cambodians. Her mission was to cook the food her mother and grandmother taught her to make. When not overseeing the restaurant, she can be found at her organic farm surrounded by the Banteay Srei countryside, where she provides full-time jobs for locals. At Sugar Palm, she supports local hospitality-training schools through sponsorship and hiring graduates. Staff are employed permanently, not seasonally, as is common in the tourist destination. All produce is local, food waste is collected for farmers for pig feed, used cooking oil is donated to Naga Earth to convert into clean bio-fuel and eco-friendly soap, cardboard, cans, and plastic bottles are recycled, plant-based fibre straws are used, and takeaway food containers are biodegradable.