Of the five elements, Scent has the ability to most vividly stimulate our senses and imagination. Before you eat you smell – you anticipate that first mouthful and the entire experience unfolds in front of you before you’ve even tasted the dish. It all begins with that initial perception brought about by scent. Cambodian cuisine [...]

The perfect vehicle to achieve the right quality of heat in our palette of five food elements – salt, heat, scent, raw, and sweet – is the famous Kampot pepper. We are lucky to have such a prestigious ingredient right here on our doorstop. This important spice has been renowned for decades as one of [...]

Our food philosophy here at Song Saa Private Island revolves around five important elements – salt, scent, raw, heat and sweet. These five qualities will define our menus and shape the food experiences we will offer our guests. They also reflect what is available to us here in Cambodia – the seafood, spices, sweeteners and [...]

In Khmer it is known as “thnoat”, its scientific name is “Borassus flabellifer”, while in English its common name is “sugar palm”. The national tree of Cambodia is a constant presence in the Kingdom, defining the tropical skyline with its distinctive trunk and leaves, and we wanted to reflect this in the materials used at [...]

Local fish… nothing fresher! My second excursion took me out on the water in search of fresh fish – a huge contrast from my first trip north to find ibis rice. Since returning from the north, I’ve been spending time in Sihanoukville looking for the best produce local fishermen can offer. This is easier said [...]

My first excursion to locate ingredients took me to Siem Reap in the northwest of Cambodia, which is the gateway to the Angkor region. Song Saa’s Conservation Director Dr Wayne had put me in contact with Karen Nielsen from the Wildlife Conservation Society, who told me about an exciting project near Siem Reap where famers [...]

It’s been two weeks since my arrival in Phnom Penh, the bustling capital of Cambodia, and I’ve been given the warmest of welcomes. The Khmer people are so friendly and soft in nature, and everyone has been incredibly helpful and as I find my feet in this exciting new environment. Right now Cambodia is experiencing [...]