Cambodia’s food tells a story that extends far beyond any single dish. Its flavors reflect fertile rice-growing regions, the freshwater abundance of Tonlé Sap, aromatic Kampot pepper, tropical fruits, fermented ingredients and recipes passed between generations.
This October, four Cambodian chefs will explore that culinary heritage during Masters of Khmer Flavors, a three-day celebration taking place at Park Hyatt Siem Reap from October 8 to 10, 2026.
Part of the international Park Hyatt Masters of Food & Wine program, the Siem Reap event will combine destination dining, personal storytelling and traditional performance. Rather than recreating the conventions of a European food and wine festival, the program puts Cambodian ingredients, techniques and culinary voices at the center of the experience.
Four Chefs, Four Perspectives on Khmer Cuisine
Masters of Khmer Flavors brings together Rotanak “Nak” Ros, Kimsan Pol, Chanrith Van and Park Hyatt Siem Reap Executive Chef Kimsan Soan.
Each approaches Cambodian cooking from a different direction.
Chef Nak has devoted much of her career to researching and documenting Cambodian recipes that might otherwise be lost. Her work looks beyond restaurant cooking to family kitchens, rural communities and the traditions that have shaped everyday meals across the country.
Chef Kimsan Pol brings an internationally informed perspective to local ingredients. Mentored by three-Michelin-starred French chef Régis Marcon, she combines technical precision with a strong interest in Cambodia’s seasonal produce and regional flavors.
Chef Chanrith Van represents a younger generation of contemporary Khmer chefs. His experience in kitchens across Asia and the Middle East has influenced a cooking style that remains connected to indigenous ingredients, seasonality and responsible sourcing.
Completing the group is Chef Kimsan Soan, executive chef of Park Hyatt Siem Reap. Born and raised in Siem Reap, he draws on nearly two decades of culinary experience to present familiar Khmer flavors within the setting of a contemporary luxury hotel.
Together, the chefs will examine how Cambodia’s ancestral recipes can be preserved without being frozen in time. Their menus are intended to show Khmer cuisine as a living tradition—one capable of evolving while retaining a clear connection to place.
Sunset Dining on Tonlé Sap
One of the festival’s signature events, Tonlé Atelier, will take guests onto the waters of Tonlé Sap for an intimate sunset dinner.
Tonlé Sap is more than a scenic backdrop. The lake is one of Southeast Asia’s most important freshwater ecosystems and has sustained fishing and farming communities for generations. Its changing water levels, surrounding wetlands and remarkable biodiversity have helped shape the food culture of central Cambodia.
During the experience, Chef Nak and Chef Kimsan Soan will serve a four-course menu inspired by the lake, the surrounding landscape and the ingredients traditionally used by communities living along its shores.
Presented aboard a private vessel, the dinner will pair the chefs’ interpretations of Cambodian food with the changing colors of sunset over the water. Transportation from Park Hyatt Siem Reap and onboard hospitality are included as part of the experience.
The setting gives diners an opportunity to understand the relationship between Cambodian cuisine and the landscape that produces it. Ingredients are not treated as isolated components of a tasting menu, but as part of a larger story involving water, agriculture, memory and community.
An Evening Beneath the Banyan Tree
The festival’s closing event, Sacred Flavors, will take place beneath the approximately 70-year-old banyan tree in Park Hyatt Siem Reap’s courtyard.
Chef Chanrith Van and Chef Kimsan Pol will collaborate on a four-course menu inspired by ingredients commonly found in Cambodian homes and local kitchens. Each course will reinterpret those flavors through the chefs’ respective techniques and experiences.
The dinner will be accompanied by a performance from the Sacred Dancers of Angkor. By bringing Khmer classical dance and cuisine together, the evening will explore two forms of cultural expression that rely on movement, ritual, memory and careful transmission between generations.
The courtyard itself provides an atmospheric setting. At the center of the Bill Bensley-designed hotel, the banyan tree is surrounded by water features, colonnades and Khmer-influenced architectural details. It offers a quieter counterpoint to the busy streets of central Siem Reap.
Looking Beyond Angkor’s Temples
Siem Reap is best known as the gateway to Angkor Wat and the wider Angkor Archaeological Park. For many visitors, however, food provides another route into the destination.
Exploring Khmer cuisine can reveal regional differences that are not always apparent to first-time travelers. Cambodian cooking may use ingredients such as freshwater fish, coconut, palm sugar, lemongrass, galangal, turmeric, green peppercorns and prahok, a fermented fish paste that brings depth and complexity to many traditional dishes.
Masters of Khmer Flavors gives these ingredients a prominent platform while introducing travelers to chefs working to preserve, refine and reimagine Cambodia’s culinary traditions.
The event also reflects a broader shift in luxury travel. Increasingly, memorable dining experiences are not defined solely by rare ingredients or formal service. Their value comes from helping guests understand where they are, who produces the food and why particular dishes matter to the surrounding culture.
Khmer Dining Throughout the Year
Although Masters of Khmer Flavors is a limited three-day event, Cambodian cuisine remains part of the year-round experience at Park Hyatt Siem Reap.
The Living Room offers a Khmer Journey of Flavors inspired by Cambodia’s 25 provinces. Its dishes draw connections between destinations such as the rice fields of Battambang, the pepper farms of Kampot, the orchards of the countryside and the fishing communities surrounding Tonlé Sap.
Guests can also experience a Khmer-inspired afternoon tea featuring ingredients such as coconut, palm sugar and fragrant local herbs. These flavors are presented through a combination of sweet and savory items, accompanied by Cambodian tea and coffee.
In the evening, the hotel’s Apsara Dinner brings Khmer cuisine and classical dance together beneath the banyan tree. The candlelit courtyard setting makes it an appealing option for travelers who cannot attend the October festival but still want a dining experience connected to Cambodian culture.
The Dining Room provides another introduction to Khmer cooking alongside international selections, while The Glasshouse offers pastries, ice cream and lighter meals in a more casual setting.
Planning a Culinary Stay in Siem Reap
Masters of Khmer Flavors will take place from October 8 to 10, 2026, at Park Hyatt Siem Reap. Because its principal dining experiences have limited capacity, advance reservations are recommended.
Travelers attending the event can combine its culinary program with visits to Angkor Wat, Bayon, Ta Prohm and some of the region’s less-visited temples. Local markets, countryside excursions and guided food experiences can add further context to the ingredients and traditions introduced during the festival.
Located in central Siem Reap, Park Hyatt Siem Reap occupies the former Hotel de la Paix and blends Art Deco elements with Khmer-inspired design. Its location provides access to the city center while remaining within driving distance of the Angkor Archaeological Park.
Reservations and current event information are available through the hotel’s concierge and the official Masters of Khmer Flavors page.
